Types of Learning Styles for the Language Learning Classroom

If you want to learn about the types of learning styles, along with implications and some very practical ideas for the language learning classroom, you’re in the right place. Keep on reading for a brief overview of the different modes of learning a language.

Four Types of Learning Styles: Overview

I will talk about the four types of learning styles and then give a few tips or ideas for language classrooms. The first type is visual, which means you learn best by looking at something. The next one is auditory which means you learn best by hearing something. The next one is reading and writing so you learn best by reading and then writing. And the last one is kinesthetic so you learn best by doing something.

#1: Visual

For visual Learners, you could have picture cards, timelines, different colours, that kind of thing. Make PowerPoint slides colourful, clear and easy to understand and these kinds of learners will love it.

One thing that I love to do for visual Learners is if I’m teaching a grammar point that’s related to time, I’ll draw a timeline like: now, past, and future and draw some arrows and it really helps students understand. For example, I’ve been to Japan. That means I’ve been to Japan at some time in the past but the exact time is unknown so you can really use a timeline to help students understand.

Learn more about teaching grammar using timelines here.

#2: Auditory

The next one is auditory. These students learn best by hearing and talking so things like group discussions or students can talk with a partner about the answers to a question.

Things like tones, word emphasis, and a focus on pronunciation really can help these students. Assignments where students record themselves reading out loud, with a focus on intonation can be helpful.

Check out some more ideas for teaching ESL listening.

#3: Reading & Writing

For people who like reading and writing, things like homework assignments or a reading-focused lesson are ideal for them.

These kinds of learning also excel at things like memorizing word lists, multiple-choice tests and note-taking. They usually do quite well in traditional university courses.

#4: Kinesthetic

These kinds of learners like to “do.” That means that any time you can get them out of their seats and moving around the classroom, doing something, the better. For language classes, things like surveys are a go-to activity.

For the kinesthetic learners, I like to have something like a secret box or a bag and I have little objects in there and students have to reach inside and then feel around and they can describe what they’re feeling. I feel something long. I feel something soft. That kind of thing and they can even pull out one object and then describe it to the class and then say what it is.

Another thing you can do for kinesthetic learners is taste testing. If you’re talking about food, you could bring in some common foods like some grapes or a piece of apple, a piece of chocolate. That kind of thing and you can do a blind taste test and have students describe how it tastes and then also guess what it is.

Types of Learning Styles: Conclusion

Those are the four different types of learning styles and how you might try to cover kind of all those styles within your ESL lesson. I hope you enjoyed these practical tips and activity ideas!

Learning Styles FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about learning styles in the classroom. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

What are the 7 different types of learning styles?

Some people think that there are 7 different types of learning styles. They are:

• visual.
• kinaesthetic.
• aural.
• social.
• solitary.
• verbal.
• logical.

What are the 5 types of learning styles?

Some people classify the learning styles into 5 types. They are:

• Visual
• Auditory
• Written
• Kinesthetic
• Multimodal

Who created the different learning styles?

Theorist Neil Fleming came up with the different types of learning styles, using the acronym “VARK,” which stands for visual, auditory, reading, and kinesthetic.

Which learning style is best?

People who prefer the reading and writing learning style often do well in academic settings. However, there is no one “best” learning style and it really depends on the individual person or teacher.

Great Ideas for the ESL Classroom

The key to better language classes is a wide variety of interesting and engaging ESL activities and games that hit the different methods of learning. That’s where this book will help you out: 101 ESL Activities for Kids.

Have some fun with your students by using a variety of classroom activities. You’ll see happy, smiling faces who want to keep coming back for more. The best part is that there are ideas for all types of learning techniques.

Pick up a copy of the book today and get ready for better language classes tomorrow:

Different Types of Learning Styles: Join the Conversation

Do you have any tips, tricks or ideas for planning lessons that cover the various kinds of learning styles within a lesson? Leave a comment and let us know. We’d love to hear from you about it.

Last update on 2025-04-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API