Theories of Language Acquisition and Differentiation for ELLs

Diversity in Learning Styles Among ELLs

Field Independent, and Field Dependent Learners

Teachers in the mainstream culture of the United States reflect the values common in their country of origin, and the idea that we are independent; we nurture and we cherish our independence and many freedoms we take for granted. Students from non-mainstream cultures possess their own value system, often leading to a conflict, in either values or in culture. Often there is a misinterpretation of behavior, expectations, and learning styles in the classroom as a result. How we approach and react to this will make a great deal of difference in how we nurture the behavior, higher order thinking, and potential achievement of the students in our care. It begins with awareness and understanding of what our students' perceptions are about learning, to begin with.

Field Independence Learners

Field-independent and field-dependent learners don’t differ in intelligence or cognitive ability. They do differ however, in the learning strategies and approaches they take to problem solving and interacting with others. Once students enter school, they approach all situations in the way they were taught at home, and accustomed to outside of their new school. If a process at school is incompatible with the way in which the student has been raised, misinterpretation and conflict will ensue. The U.S. typically favors the Anglo-European educational style, which reflects the mainstream learner who may need to articulate perceptions but does not pay much attention to social cues. Learning is impersonal. The field-independent approach to education will not be compatible with the non-mainstream minority student, and it may even appear that the minority student is in need of special education (McIntyre, 1993 in: Ariza, 2010).

Mainstream European Americans lean toward the field-independent learners. Their tendency is to be motivated by impersonal, analytical activities that do not necessitate a group type approach. They may like competition, individual recognition, show a rational, intrinsic appeal for the task without consulting others, and do best with learning the history and/or theory of the activity before attempting the assignment (Anderson, 1988 in Ariza, 2010.

Field-dependent Learners

Field-dependent learners usually come from non-mainstream cultures and like to work with others to achieve a common goal, very often while interacting with the teacher f(Ramirez & Costaneda, 1974). These learners are more sensitive to the feelings, opinions, and ideas of others. They might like to assist one another in group effort; they like to practice and learn by experimentation as opposed to engaging in conceptual discussion before attempting the task. Students from cultures that are African American, Arab American, Hispanic, Native American, and sometimes Asian American, tend to be field dependent and are greatly influenced by the teacher. This type of learner may prefer a global perception and be more attentive to social cues.

Where the cultural mismatch occurs, teachers and administrators assume students are less competent than they really are, which can result in cultural bias or students’ being labeled as having behavioral or cognitive disorders (Gollnick & Chinn, 1990).

It is easy for teachers and students to misunderstand  each other when cultural ideas collide and/or are misinterpreted. The field-dependent student for example, comes from a culture that appreciates helpfulness and cooperation. A student might try to help another student by sharing work or answers, or letting a friend copy his or her answers. This is perceived as cheating in the individual-oriented mainstream American culture.

Lack of promptness can also be misunderstood, fused with the importance of being task oriented, on time, and finishing on time or within the established pacing. This might not be appreciated by the teacher however, who is obligated to adhere to a strict curriculum pacing schedule.  The student who is rushed may not finish work on time, the student who needs to finish at his or her own pace is unfairly penalized by being rushed through when he or she might be perfectly competent if given enough time. Consider the student who is not used to asking questions, not comfortable participating verbally in class. A teacher might as  if he or she understands a concept, to get a blank stare, or no explanation well enough to confidence understanding. The student may fail because he or she did not understand and ask for assistance, and the teacher might think the student was being dishonest. Often students will say “yes” and then go home and try to figure it out alone.

Modifying Instruction for Second Language Learners

Students may be prone to one style of learning, they can be taught to be bi-cognitive. That is, the field-dependent student can learn to be more field independent and the more field-independent student can also become more field dependent. Although we must not categorize all individuals according to their ethnic groups, it is essential to keep in mind what type of learner the student is more likely to be. For example, in a list of characteristics that determine what a gifted student is, one of the measures mentioned was taking initiative, beginning a task without being prompted. These are typically American values, and a gifted minority student might not demonstrate these behaviors.

Field Independent and Field Dependent Teaching

Field dependent teachers are usually student centered and try to use positive reinforcement as much as possible, and avoid negative feedback. They often use a hands-on, participatory approach for student discussion, feedback, as opposed to lecture-type instruction.

Field-independent teachers may focus more on the subject, use a negative evaluation approach, and prefer inquiry or problem-solving methods of instruction, and the teaching situation be more impersonal.

To reach all students, a healthy mix of both styles should be taught. Instructional methods an complement the cultural style. For those students who would thrive in more physically oriented tasks, implement activities that incorporate group work that includes hands-on, contextualized approaches, such as a project-based task that uses active participation, action research and kinesthetic objectives. Students might role-play a courtroom scene, as session in Congress, or put on a play that portrays a historical event researched and written about.

For students who are more comfortable with field-dependent types of learning, introduce them to a role field-independent task by taking a systematic process using the discovery approach, or create a competition using groups instead of an individual contest. Know which approach your students seem to prefer and incorporate them as much as possible.