Learning Styles and Foreign Language Learning Difficulties

Abstract: In order to identify what other elements besides linguistic deficits could be playing a role in foreign language learning difficulties, the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory was administered to students enrolled in regular and modified Spanish classes at a major U.S. university. Preliminary results gathered as part of a longitudinal study on learning styles and foreign language learning difficulties indicate that regardless of any specific language learning deficit or difficulty, a student's preferred learning style can hinder or help success in the foreign language classroom. Findings from this study also indicate that having access to information about the preferred learning styles of the majority of students enrolled in beginning foreign language classes at the college level will be of great importance for researchers, instructors, and students alike. Key words: foreign language learning deficit; foreign/second language learning at the college level; learning difficulties; learning styles; strategies for success Language: Spanish Introduction Within the field of foreign language learning, many attempts have been made to explain specific problems that interfere with success in the foreign language classroom. As foreign language specialists, year after year we are confronted with students who experience extraordinary difficulties in our classes. Different explanations have been given to shed light on these problems. One line of thought looks at linguistic coding deficits as the source of foreign language learning difficulties. Based on the existence of phonological, semantic, and syntactic linguistic codes necessary for foreign language learning, Sparks and Ganschow (1993) proposed the existence of a linguistic coding deficit hypothesis (LCDH). According to this theory, students who experience difficulties in the foreign language classroom have deficits in processing in at least one linguistic code in their native language. For Sparks and Ganschow, deficits in first language (Ll) learning are at the root of foreign language learning difficulties. Downey, Snyder, and Hill (2000) added research findings linking the existence of phonological processing difficulties to foreign language learning problems. The Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) (Carroll & Sapon, 1959) has been used to test cognitive abilities associated with foreign language success. It has five parts assessing auditory and memory abilities for sound meaning relationships, word and sentence recognition, analogy and understanding of syntactic structure, rote memory, etc. The MLAT has been used with reasonable degrees of success as a diagnostic measure to tap into foreign language learning difficulties. Since this test measures probable ability to succeed in learning a foreign language, it can help determine if a low-scoring student is a good candidate for accommodations and/or modifications to the foreign language requirement. Nevertheless, some students who encounter extreme difficulties in foreign language classes obtain reasonably high scores on the MLAT. Although these students appear not to have language learning deficits, they still struggle in foreign language classes. These findings seem to indicate that other elements besides language learning deficits are playing a role in students' success in foreign language learning. Affective issues have also been studied as a component that may be at the core of foreign language learning difficulties. Fillmore (1979) identified variables such as gender, motivation, and personality as having an impact on learning. This implied that acquiring a second language (L2) was not only determined by linguistic factors, but also by social and personal issues. The need to pay attention to the affective component in foreign language learning has been discussed since Krashen's affective filter hypothesis (Krashen & Terrell, 1983) and continued by researchers like Maclntyre (1995; Maclntyre & Gardner, 1989) regarding anxiety in second language learning. …