Learning and Teaching Styles In Foreign and Second Language Education Richard M Felder North Carolina State University Eunice R. Henriques Universidade Estadual de Sao Paulo ABSTRACT The ways in which an individual characteristically acquires, retains, and retrieves information are collectively termed the individual’s learning style. Mismatches often occur be- tween the learning styles of students in a language class and the teaching style of the instructor, with unfortunate effects on the quality of the students’ learning and on their attitudes toward the class and the subject. This paper defines several dimensions of learning style thought to be particularly relevant to foreign and second language education, outlines ways in which certain learning styles are favored by the teaching styles of most language instructors, and suggests steps to address the educational needs of all students in foreign language classes. Students learn in many ways—by seeing and hearing; reflecting and acting; reasoning logi- cally and intuitively; memorizing and visualiz- ing. Teaching methods also vary. Some instructors lecture, others demonstrate or dis- cuss; some focus on rules and others on ex- amples; some emphasize memory and others understanding. How much a given student learns in a class is governed in part by that stu- dent’s native ability and prior preparation but also by the compatibility of his or her charac- teristic approach to learning and the instructor’s characteristic approach to teaching. The ways in which an individual character- istically acquires, retains, and retrieves infor- mation are collectively termed the individual’s learning style. Learning styles have been extensively discussed in the educational psychology literature (Claxton & Murrell 1987; Schmeck 1988) and specifically in the context Richard M. Felder (Ph.D., Princeton University) is the Hoechst Celanese Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Eunice R. Henriques (Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is Livre Docente of Languages, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. of language learning by Oxford and her col- leagues (Oxford 1990; Oxford et al. 1991; Wal- lace and Oxford 1992; Oxford & Ehrman 1993), and over 30 learning style assessment instruments have been developed in the past three decades (Guild & Garger 1985; Jensen 1987). Serious mismatches may occur between the learning styles of students in a class and the teaching style of the instructor (Felder & Sil- verman 1988; Lawrence 1993; Oxford et al. 1991; Schmeck 1988), with unfortunate poten- tial consequences. The students tend to be bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the course, and may conclude that they are no good at the sub- ject of the course and give up (Felder & Silver- man 1988; Godleski 1984; Oxford et al. 1991; Smith & Renzulli 1984). Instructors, confronted by low test grades, unresponsive or hostile classes, poor attendance, and dropouts, may become overly critical of their students (making things even worse) or begin to question their own competence as teachers. In this paper, we will explore the following questions: 1. Which aspects of learning style are particularly significant in foreign and second language education? Foreign Language Annals, 28, No. 1,1995, pp. 21–31