Students’ Learning Style in Speaking Skill

Abstract

This study was a descriptive qualitative study. Students' Learning Styles in Speaking Skill was the subject of this study. The goal of this study was to find out how students' learning styles affected their speaking skills. In this study, the sample consisted of one English teacher and 23 second-year students from SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir. Questionnaires (15 statements) and interviews (3 questions) were utilized by the researcher to collect data. The data was examined using the Guttman scale to determine which learning styles students preferred. According to the findings of the study, there were 22% visual learners, 69 percent auditory learners, and 9% kinesthetic learners. The major learning type was determined to be auditory. The researcher learns from the interview's results that the students use two different learning styles: visual and auditory. Keywords: Learning Style, Speaking skill

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Copyright © 2023, authors
DOI: 10.52622/joal.v3i1.147
27
JoAL
Journal of Applied
Linguistics
JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Vol. 3 No. 1 , July 2023
e- ISSN 2809 - 1922 , p-ISSN 2809 - 1914
Available online at:
https://journal.eltaorganization.org/index.php/joal/index
Students’ Learning Style in Speaking Skill
Wirda Jannatul Jannah1
1University of Pasir Pengaraian- Indonesia
*Correspondence Email : wirdajannatuljannah@upp.ac.id
A R T I C L E I N F O
Keywords:
Learning Style, Speaking skill
Abstract
This study was a descriptive qualitative study. Students' Learning Styles in
Speaking Skill was the subject of this study. The goal of this study was to
find out how students' learning styles affected their speaking skills. In this
study, the sample consisted of one English teacher and 23 second-year
students from SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir. Questionnaires (15 statements) and
interviews (3 questions) were utilized by the researcher to collect data. The
data was examined using the Guttman scale to determine which learning
styles students preferred. According to the findings of the study, there were
22% visual learners, 69 percent auditory learners, and 9% kinesthetic
learners. The major learning type was determined to be auditory. The
researcher learns from the interview's results that the students use two
different learning styles: visual and auditory.
INTRODUCTION
Each learner has a unique way of learning. To improve their knowledge and abilities during
the English learning process, they make use of their preferred learning method. They pick up
knowledge through doing, hearing, or observing something. They engage in certain classroom
activities that correspond to their preferred learning style, such as participating in group discussions,
forming conversation groups, and viewing videos or movies. When learning a second language or a
foreign language, a student's learning style is one of the key aspects that determines how and how
effectively they learn the language. This can affect how well they understand the language when
reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It implies that learning preferences have a significant
effect in English proficiency.
According to Felder and Silverman (1988), a person's preferred learning style is
characterized by challenges in the process of gaining, holding, and processing knowledge.
Teachers' pupils will perform better, particularly in speaking skills, if their learning styles and the
methods they employ are compatible. Speaking instruction is a crucial component of learning a
second language. This is so that pupils' conversational skills may be improved through speaking
instruction. Since students are expected to communicate in a second language clearly and
effectively in speaking class, the instructor must be creative in order to foster a positive learning
Published by English Lecturers and Teachers Association (ELTA)
Article History:
Received : June 29, 2023
Revised : July 2, 2023
Accepted : July 5, 2023
Available online : July 10, 2023

Journal of Applied Linguistics (JoAL), Vol. 3 No. 1, July 2023 e-ISSN 2809-1922, p-ISSN 2809-1914
Published by English Lecturers and Teachers Association (ELTA)
Copyright © 2023, authors
28
environment. In this instance, the researcher presupposes that the pupils' method of taking in and
processing the
Learning styles, according to Hilliard (2001), are the unique methods a person uses to
gather, evaluate, and process information. A learner's individual learning style affects how they
focus, process, integrate, and remember new and challenging material (Dunn and Dunn, 1999). Joy
M. Reid identifies three different types of perceptual learning styles.
Those types are :
1. Visual (learn by looking), What we prefer to see are images and diagrams. We would choose to
view a stirring movie, show, or model. According to Reid (1999), those who learn best visually
like to see and observe things. It include studying and analyzing textual information, visual
aids, diagrams, presentations, demonstrations, handouts, videos, flip charts, and other things.
2. Auditory (understand anything by hearing it), We prefer to listen to audio cassettes over other
forms when we are speaking, discussing, or receiving spoken instruction. listening to others to
learn, According to Reid (2005), students with auditory learning styles prefer hearing and
listening as a mode of education. They may easily comprehend and assimilate knowledge by
listening to the lectures, chats, or recordings.
3. Kinesthetic (Learning via active participation and physical exercise)
According to Reid (2005), pupils are oriented to do trial-and-error activities when learning
in a kinesthetic way. They have the guts to take a chance. They would rather just respond to a
question than read the instructions first. Additionally, they are taught via manipulation.
When learning styles and teaching techniques are matched, all students have an equal
chance in the classroom, and this may give pupils the sense that their perspectives are taken into
account, according to Reid (1995). Smith and Associates (1990) also confirm that learners'
improved awareness of their preferred learning styles would boost their comprehension of how to
learn.
RESEARCH METODOLOGY
This study was descriptive qualitative in design. Interviews and questionnaires were used in
the research. The research's goal was to determine the students' speaking learning styles, and it
included three interviews and fifteen questionnaires. A total of 115 students made up the study's
population, and 23 students made up the sample. The researcher used a questionnaire developed by
Rebecca based on an indicator of learning style in speaking skill to determine the students' speaking
learning styles. Oxford and Julie scale was used by the researcher to determine the response score.
The percentage score change and statement's score were examined by the researcher. The following
table of learning style categories was used by the researcher to evaluate the students' speaking
skills. In order to learn more about the students' speaking learning styles, the researcher conducted
an interview with the teacher. The entire student body of SMPN 03 Rambah Hilir's second-year
class served as the study's population. Only 23 of the 115 participants in this study were chosen for
the sample from among the second-year students in SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir.
The procedures were the follows:
Interview
Sugiyono (2005) stated that an interview is a meeting of two people to exchange ideas and
information through their responses, leading to communication and joint construction of meaning
about a specific topic. The teacher was questioned by the researcher regarding the students'
speaking in class and their learning styles. Rambah Hilir, the teacher at SMPN 3, was questioned by
the researchers.

Journal of Applied Linguistics (JoAL), Vol. 3 No. 1, July 2023 e-ISSN 2809-1922, p-ISSN 2809-1914
Published by English Lecturers and Teachers Association (ELTA)
Copyright © 2023, authors
29
Questionnaire
The focus should be on the questionnaire; finding a solution to the issue was necessary.
Sugiyono (2005) asserted that questionnaires are data collection techniques that are carried out by
asking respondents a series of questions or collecting data on their perceptions of students. The
researcher distributes a questionnaire to 23 second-year SMPN students 3 Rambah Hilir. For
students to evaluate their speaking ability and learning style, 15 questions are included in the
questionnaires. This study's questionnaire makes use of the learning style questionnaire that
Rebecca L. Julie C. and Oxford both.
Researchers used a questionnaire-based indicator learning style in speaking skill developed
by Rebecca L. D. Cohen to determine the students' learning styles. The researcher used the Guttman
scale to determine the response score. The researcher looked at the statement's score and percentage
score change. The researcher used the following table of learning style categories to assess students'
learning styles in speaking ability. The researcher used this method to describe the different
learning styles of the eighth-graders at the SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir. The researcher conducted an
interview with the instructor to learn more about the students' speaking preferences for learning.
FINDING
Based on the data gained and its analysis, it was found the students’ learning styles in
speaking skill found by the researcher. It was explained bellow:
Table 1. The Number and Percentage of Learning Style in Speaking Skill
No
Learning style
Frequency
Percentage
1
Visual
5
22 %
2
Auditory
16
69 %
3
Kinesthetic
2
9 %
Total
23
100 %
Three categories of speaking skill learning styles were applied to the pupils. Based
on the research's findings, the researcher computed the total score to determine the typical
questionnaire score and categorize it. This study's findings indicated that the students' diverse
learning preferences 69% of learners were auditory, 22% were visual, and 9% were kinesthetic. It
might be said that different students learn in various ways. The researcher also learned how the
teacher adapts the pupils' speaking abilities to their different learning methods. To meet the various
learning preferences of the pupils, the instructor employed a variety of methods or tactics during the
English learning process. Additionally, the instructor adapts to the pupils' learning preferences by
employing some media, such as photographs, and audio.
The findings of this study provide support to Rebecca L. Oxford's assertion. According to
Oxford's (2003) classification of learning style into different dimensions, it is possible to score
highly on both, indicating that you do not have a preference. If you prefer to study through books,
film, charts, and pictures rather than listening to sounds, you rely more on your sense of sight. You
prefer speaking and listening activities (discussions, lectures, audio recordings, role-play) if your
natural preference is auditory. If you prefer a tactile or kinesthetic method (games, constructing
models, doing experiments), working with objects, moving about, and engaging in physical activity
are all good.
DISCUSSION

Journal of Applied Linguistics (JoAL), Vol. 3 No. 1, July 2023 e-ISSN 2809-1922, p-ISSN 2809-1914
Published by English Lecturers and Teachers Association (ELTA)
Copyright © 2023, authors
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The study looked into the learning preferences of the eighth-graders at SMPN 3 Rambah
Hilir. Students studying English must not only be familiar with the subject matter; they must also
have mastered the content more effectively depending on their preferred learning method. The study
observed that each student learns differently from others in this situation. The researcher identified
three categories of students' learning styles for speaking ability: visual learners, auditory learners,
and kinesthetic learners. Based on the traits of learning styles, the researcher defined in this study.
The observer established the total scale that students selected for each question in order to
determine their preferred learning method. There are three questions in each instruction technique.
There is a two-point scale for each inquiry (0, 1). However, there are three learning Each learning
method has three questions included. Each question has a two-point scale (0, 1). However, because
there are three different learning styles in this study, the observer will know the students' learning
styles after assessing each learning style. The pupils that received the highest scores stopped using
this scoring learning approach and adopted it as their own.
A calculation was made using the students' responses to the questionnaire and transformed
into a score on the Guttman scale. Based on the research's findings, the researcher computed the
total score to determine the typical questionnaire score and categorize it. The findings of this study
indicated that the eighth-grade students at SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir tend to learn in a variety of ways.
There are 22% visual learners, 69% auditory learners, and 9% kinesthetic learners among the eighth
graders at SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir. It might be said that different students learn in various ways.
The researcher also learned how the teacher adapts the pupils' speaking abilities to their
different learning methods. To meet the various learning preferences of the pupils, the instructor
employed a variety of methods or tactics during the English learning process. The instructor also
takes into account the different learning preferences of the pupils by utilizing audio and visual
media. The findings of this study provide credence to Rebecca L. Oxford's assertion. According to
Oxford's (2003) classification of learning styles, it is possible to score highly on both dimensions,
indicating that you do not favor one over the other. If you were more visually than auditorily
inclined, your rely more on your visual sense and learn best by using visual materials (books,
videos, charts, and photographs). If your taste is more auditory, you choose both speaking and
listening activities (discussions, lectures, audiotapes, role-plays). If you want to deal with items,
move about, and play games or make models, you will benefit from tactile/kinesthetic activities like
these.
CONCLUSSION
Using the formula "What are the students styles of learning at SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir's
eighth grade class. Findings of this study indicated that the eighth-grade students at SMPN 3
Rambah Hilir tend to learn in a variety of ways. There are 22% (5 students) visual learners, 69% (16
students) auditory learners, and 9% (2 students) kinesthetic learners among the eighth graders at
SMPN 3 Rambah Hilir. The majority of the kids had visual, aural, and kinesthetic learning styles,
according to the findings. Thus the researcher calculated the total score of all of categories of
learning styles. It result showed that more than half of students had highest score on auditory
learning.
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Journal of Applied Linguistics (JoAL), Vol. 3 No. 1, July 2023 e-ISSN 2809-1922, p-ISSN 2809-1914
Published by English Lecturers and Teachers Association (ELTA)
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