Oct

2009

Teaching Second
Language to Visual
Learners
By Zainurrahman
Th is is prin ted from Free Access Journals o f Philo sophy o f Language a nd Education

http ://za inurrahman s.wordp ress.com

October 2009
Email zainu rrah mankalero@gmail.com
Journals of Philosophy of Language and Education
Zainurrahman is lecturer in Kie Raha
Education and Teacher Institute of
Ternate, Maluku Utara. Indonesia
Teaching Second Language
to Visual Learners
B y Zainurrahman
Introduction
Visual learner or visual-spatial
learner term was firstly introduced by
Howard Gard ner in as one of items in
his theory of multiple intelligences.
Each learner has their uniqueness,
means that they are different
individually; and because of their
individual differences, they will
acquire their second language in
various ways. Visual learner, as
mentioned in an educational journal
cited “think in term of physical space,
as do architects and sailors. They are
very aware of their environment, they
like to draw, d o jigsaw puzzles, read
maps… they can be taught throug h
d rawing s, verbal and physical
imagery, tools includ e models,
g raphics, charts, photographs, vid eo,
television, tex t and picture.”1
Visual intelligence is an ability to
observe “space” accurately (that is
why it is called visual-spatial), visual
means picture meanwhile spatial
means something related with space
and place. This type of intellig ence
involves awareness of color, line,
1
Lane, Carla. 2009. The Distance Learning
Technology Resource Guide.
http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html
Teaching Second Language to Visual Learners by Zainurrahman
(http://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com)
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graphics, form, place, space, size, and
also relationship among other. The
most important thing is that this
intelligence involves ability to view
object in various points.2
Learners with strong visual-spatial
intelligence are typically very good at
visualizing and mentally manipulate
object. Those are often proficient at
solving puzzles. They also have strong
visual memory and are often
artistically inclined. They have a very
good sense of direction and may also
have very good eye-coordination. 3
Based on the assumption, visual
learners’ eyes and their abilities to
max imize it are considered as crucial
in their second language learning or
second language acquisition process,
even in all sid e of their life. In this
discussion, we will not focus on what
visual learner is, or what
characteristics they have, but we
prefer to focus on how they acquire
second language and how to teach
second language to them, in this case
is Eng lish.
It is not a new issue that visual
learners are appropriately taught
second or foreign language by using
pictures, videos and texts.
Surprisingly, most of language
teachers are still unsure of their
language teaching strategy especially
for this type of learner. They reason
2
Wkikimu. 2009. Multiple Intelligences.
http://www.wikimu.com/News/DisplayNews.aspx?i
d=2108
3
Wikipedia. 2009. Theory of Multiple
Intelligences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_in
telligences
that they are lack of sources or
manage sources they have; they have
limited ability to develop those
sources. Unspoken-pictures have
limited action to develop stud ents
cognitive, video motion restricts
teachers’ and students’ imagination
and creativity, texts’ meaning are
stiffly determined by the texts itself,
and so forth. Again, this is not a new
issue, but it is realized that we are still
lack of guidelines or textbook that
specifically discuss about this case, in
other words, we still need guid elines
or textbooks that elaborate or inspire
us about how to teach second
language to visual learner; at least for
optimizing present sources.
R eintrod uce v isual learners’ language
learning media
It is, of course, needed to reintroduce
visual learners’ lang uag e learning
media that overtime is considered as
having limited power. One thing ,
visual learners have high imag ination,
hig h visualization, as something g iven
to them by birth. Therefore, teachers
should not underestimate their
capability in offering second language
by using pictures, videos and texts as
the main media. Learners, in one way,
should be motivated and directed to
optimize their “special giving” to
acquire second language, in this case
is English; by using and manipulating
visual objects optimized and
maximized by teachers in other way.
P ictures
Pictures are very useful in vocabulary
teaching and learning, both for
student and teacher. In student’s side,
picture helps them to memorize word
Teaching Second Language to Visual Learners by Zainurrahman
(http://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com)
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(with object visualization) and in
teacher’s side, picture helps them to
manage, to arrang e, and to d eliver
material. Harmer (2002:229-230)
g ives examples how to maximize
pictures in teaching vocabulary;
where teacher starts drawing pictures
or set them or miming certain action
and then visual learners will
creatively responds the teachers. This
use of picture is not for visual learners
only, but also appropriate for all types
of students who can see clearly,
because according to Meier
(2002:97) visual durability, although
uppermost for several people, is the
strongest device for every people. T he
reason is that in human brain there
are more d evices to process visual
information than other human
d evices.
Pictures are also useful not for young
learner, but also for ad ult learner. For
example, ad ult learners are interested
to follow a presentation using power
point slide and it is more
understandable “easily” than read a
printed material or textbook. Adult,
accord ing to Meier (2002:98) learns
easily if they use pictog ram, icon, and
3D pictures and so on. Let us look at
the big companies that use graphic
presentation to describe their plans
for the company’s d evelopment.
Picture contains a lot of information
or message. For child ren, picture
represents a real object; for example a
picture of elephant represents
elephant’s bod y structure and it parts.
Children are enabled to memorize
more than one word from one picture
like thing’s name, colors and so forth.
For ad ult, a picture contains more
than information or message, but a
picture can represent a system,
function, structure, possibilities,
relationship and coordination of
elements presented in one pictures
like maps, site plan, electronics
circuit, architectures, Egypt
hieroglyph and so on. For child ren,
teacher can use picture to ask
students mention word s. However, for
adult-visual learner, teacher or
lecturer can ask them to elaborate,
d escribe and suggest other
possibilities implied in the picture.
Pictures are also useful not for
vocabulary learning and teaching
only, but also in listening (stud ents
can be asked to point [match it]
certain picture after hearing certain
voice, etc), and writing (students can
be ask ed to narrate a set of picture,
etc) and speak ing (students can be
ask ed to describe certain picture of its
function, color, etc)4.
Vid eo
Vid eo is a great tool to teach stud ents
listening and pronunciation. So far we
have d iscussed about picture, but we
can also have students listen while
they watch film clips on video, DVD
or online. T here are many good
reasons for encouraging students to
watch while they listen. In the first
place, they g et to see ‘language in
use’, where they can see a whole lot of
paraling uistic behavior like intonation
matches facial expression and
g estures (H armer, 2002:308) they
also can see how people use words
and so forth.
Some films such as “The Adventure of
Dora” which enables children to
4 is much like a computer downloading
For further information see bibliography.
Teaching Second Language to Visual Learners by Zainurrahman
(http://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com)
3
follow D ora’s adventure and know a
lot of new word s and how to use it. A
lot of words can be memorized in a
little time, because the referents of
those words are directly seen and
those words are mentioned in times.
On the higher floor of video use, it
enables teenager and adult learner to
“be in” the native speakers’
environment. They can observe how
native speak er use their languag e and ,
of course, this is better than using
certain record ed audio materials.
In more complex lesson, students can
also try to retell the clips they just
watched either written or spoken.
T hey can retell the action or the
seq uence of action, elaborate what
happened in the clips and so forth. In
the most complex lesson, they can
d iscuss the messag e, information or
technology used in the clips.
T eacher can turn off the audio of the
vid eo and then ask students to tell
what the actors are talking about, or
students can remember s o me
sentences in certain scenes. Subtitles
are also useful for the stud ents who
are watching video; it enables
students to acquire new words, idioms
and so on. If students are proficient
in second language, teacher can use
vid eo without subtitle and after that
students can discuss the vid eo. Up to
this point, creative teachers can use
vid eo for wide rang e of function.
T he Clock, Sanction and Award
We all ever had a hard time finding
the word we are trying to say, or one
that truly matches the picture in our
mind . For visual learner, translating
mental imag es into word s or numbers
g raphics; it needs more time than
bring up the text, because they do not
only “download” mental images, but
they also convert them into word s5.
T he process of ‘download ing ’ and
‘converting’ refer to brain’s work. T he
brain’s work will be ‘faster’ if teacher,
in giving a task, prepares limited time
and such k ind of sanction for fail
student and award for success
student.
For example, you ask your students to
complete a puzzle or constructing a
tex t based on the video they have
watched. Place a mini clock in front of
them and mark in certain minute
lines as the limit. T ell them if they
must finish their task when the needle
reaches the mark ed line, if not, they
will be g iven sanction and the success
student will be given award . When
the need le runs, they will feel being
pursued and this motivates their brain
work s faster. T his might be applied
for all students; however, for visual
students this work s effectively;
because they can ‘see’ the limited
time. T hey also d o the task as if they
see the sanction or award, because
they can visualize mental images in
their mind easily than other.
In other line from the Golon’s
assumption, Silverman and Freed state
that tension (or stress) is fatal to
visual-spatial learners. T hey mig ht
not work when they are stressed or
under pressure, because stress and
pressure may be slowing down their
motivation; that is why visual
learners’ stress must be reduced by
ask ing them to do deep breathing and
5
Golon, 2004.
Teaching Second Language to Visual Learners by Zainurrahman
(http://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com)
4
then visualize peaceful scene6. Again,
teacher must be creative in teaching
their students. No technique or
method can be stated as appropriate
prescriptively. Teacher’s creativity in
teaching stud ents are demand ed, it
plays the very significant role to
improve students’ skills.
G uid elines for Teaching Visual
Learners
H ere are the guidelines for teaching
visual-spatial learners suggested by
Silverman (1998):
1. Present ideas visually on the
chalkboard or on overheads. “A
picture is worth a thousand
word s.” Use rich, visual imagery
in lectures.
2. T each the student to visualize
spelling word s. An effective
method of teaching spelling is to
write the word in large, colored
print, and so forth.
3. T each the students to translate
what he or she hears into images,
and records those images using
webbing , mind-mapping
techniques or pictorial notes.
4. G ive more weight to the content of
paper than format. These stud ents
often suffer from deficits in
mechanics: spelling, punctuation,
paragraphing, etc.
5. A llow students to construct, d raw
or otherwise create visual
representations of a concept as a
substitute for some written
assignments.
6
Silverman and Freed, ____. Strategies for
Gifted Visual-Spatial Learners. V-70;2.
http://www.gifteddevelopment.com
T hose are suggestions from Silverman
that have been filtered by the writer to
match it with the present topic.
Finally, visualization is the most
important process for both teacher
and visual learner. Using picture,
vid eo, and limited time (without
pressure) is use ful for applied in
teaching visual learner language.
R eferences
G olon, A lexandra Shires. 2004. If You
Could See the way I Think . Denver:
DeLeon Publishing.
H armer, Jeremy. 2002. The Practice of
English Language Teaching 4th
Edition. Longman
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Lane, Carla. 2009. The Distance

Learning T echnology Resource Guid e.
http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardn
er.html

Silverman, Linda Kreger and Freed ,

Jeffrey N. ____. Strategies for Gifted
Visual-Spatial Learners. V-70;2.
http://www.g ifteddevelopment.com

Silverman, Linda K reg er. 1998.

Personality and Learning Styles of
G ifted Children. Denver: Love.

Wikiped ia. 2009. Theory of Multiple

Intellig ences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/Theory
_of_multiple_ intelligences

Wkikimu. 2009. Multiple

Intellig ences.
http://www.wikimu.com/News/Disp
layNews.aspx?id=2108

Teaching Second Language to Visual Learners by Zainurrahman

(http://zainurrahmans.wordpress.com)
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