Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal Volume 5 Nomor 2, Januari-Juni 2022 e-ISSN : 2597-3819 p-ISSN : 2597-9248 DOI : https://doi.org/10.31539/leea.v5i2.3801 207 STUDENTS’ ENGLISH LEARNING STYLE IN LUBUKLINGGAU Yulfi 1 Universitas PGRI Silampari, Lubuklinggau Syaprizal 2 Universitas PGRI Silampari, Lubuklinggau yulfipatmo@gmail.com1 Submit, 14-05-2022 Accepted, 26-06-2022 Publish, 28-06-2022 ABSTRACT This research aimed to explain the students' English learning style of eighth-grade students of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. The method applied in this research was the descriptive quantitative method. All the eighth-grade students of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau in the academic year of 2018/2019 were this research's subject. The population was 244 students. Whiles sample of this research was taken by using simple random sampling. There were 30 students in class VIII as the sample result. To get the data, the researcher used a questionnaire and interview. The data were analyzed by describing students' answers and dividing students' English learning styles into three categories: 1) Visual Learning Style, 2) Auditory Learning Style, and 3) Kinesthetic Learning Style. Based on the result of data analysis, the researchers found that: 1) 10 (33.33%) students as visual learners, 2) 13 (43.33%) students as auditory learners, and 3) 7 (23.33%%) students as kinesthetic learners. In conclusion, the auditory learning style was the most frequently used style by the students. Whereas the least frequently learning style used by VIII.6 class of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau was kinesthetic. Keywords: English, Learning style, Students. INTRODUCTION Students have different levels of motivation, different attitudes about teaching and learning, and different responses to specific classroom environments and instructional practices. Consequently, each student has a different way of perceiving or acquiring information from the learning process. How a student chooses the learning process is based on her/learning style. Learning style is how each learner begins concentrating on, processing, absorbing, and retaining new and challenging information. The interaction of these https://doi.org/10.31539/leea.v5i2.3801 mailto:yulfipatmo@gmail.com 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 208 elements occurs differently in everyone. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what is most likely to trigger each student's concentration, how to maintain it, and how to respond to his or her natural processing style to produce long-term memory and retention. English teachers at MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau stated that they still find problems applying appropriate teaching methods in English subjects. Each student has a different character and different school background as well. Some elementary schools include English as a subject, and some do not learn English subjects. The teacher does not yet know each student's learning styles because all students could not show and improve their learning styles in the teaching-learning process. Since learning style has a vital role in the learning process, the teacher needs to know the various learning styles because the importance of variation in students' learning styles can help the teacher become aware of accommodating students' learning styles. Thus, all students can succeed in their learning process by their learning style. There is some significance to knowing learning style. Firstly, for the students, by knowing their learning style, they can raise awareness of their learning style preferences and use them to improve their ability. Secondly, it can encourage students to expand their learning style repertoire. Lastly, it can help students know each other and foster respect for and awareness of diversity in learning styles. Meanwhile, knowing the teacher's learning style can contribute to choosing the best teaching and learning method. Of course, it can boost the learning activity in the classroom. For that, the researchers were interested in doing research that described the learning style of students in English subjects in MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. The reason was why the researcher chose the school as the place of the research because the school has a high enough interest. MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau was one of the most qualified Islamic junior high schools in Lubuklinggau. This school can be noted as an old school still developing significantly and remains a famous school now. Based on the information from the vice principal in the academic field of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau, compared to other Junior High School that has been built earlier, the students of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau are average and more competent in learning. They can compete tightly in getting achievement to the other students of other company researches used research that bold learning style as the research topic. Berlianda and Indriani (2020) analyzed about learning style of EFL students in online speaking classes. They gave focus on how students' learning styles in learning speaking. It was found that the most learning style suitable in speaking class was auditory. In comparison, Ida and Maksum (2020) investigated the contribution of learning style, learning creativity, and exploratory interest to 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 209 students' simulation and digital communication learning outcomes during the covid-19 pandemic. They can prove that there was a contribution among them. Based on the background described above, the research problem was “what were the students' English learning styles at the eighth-grade students of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau?" This research was focused on analyzing the types of learning styles used by the students in learning English. Besides that, finding the effect of students' learning styles and their English achievement will also be analyzed. Consequently, this research aimed to determine the eight-grade students' English learning styles of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. LITERATURE REVIEW Zagoto et al. (2019) define learning style as an approach that shows how a student learns and how she/he learns, which concentrates on the process, and mastered complex and new information through different views. It is individual to others, so one another will have a different learning styles. This is also a characteristic of students' cognitive and psycho-social behavior in the learning process (Wang et al., 2020). Every student has different learning styles that are not the same as others, depending on age, learning achievement, and experience (Huang, 2019). Learning style is divided into four types (Fleming and Bonwell, 2019). These are visual style, auditory style, writing and speaking, and kinesthetic style. The first is Visual learners. It prefers to learn by seeing. Students have good visual recall and prefer information to be presented visually, in the form of diagrams, graphs, maps, posters, and displays, for example. Visual students will assimilate the lesson through picture descriptions because they have high affectability in remembering. Shah in Hermini (2021) explains that visual learners prefer using symbolic devices such as diagrams, graphs, flow charts, and models representing printed information. The second type of learning style is Auditory learners. Students with this learning style prefer to learn by listening. They tend to have the best way of lectures and recalling things they said before. While reading and writing, learners prefer to require knowledge and information shown as words and text. They frequently perform well in lectures, requiring point-by-point notes of everything the teacher says. Furthermore, their note-taking improves their quality because it helps strengthen their learning. The last is Kinesthetic learners. They prefer to learn by doing. They are good at recalling events and associate feelings or physical experiences with memory. They enjoy physical activity, field trips, manipulating objects, and other practical, first-hand experiences. 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 210 Helena & Sreenidhi (2017) stated that all the three learning styles have their own set of characteristics below: 1) Visual Learners, Individuals who prefer this learning style are those who learn through seeing things. They prefer to see information & instructions and may forget information that has only been heard, (2) Auditory Learners may struggle to understand a chapter they have read but then experience a complete understanding as they listen to the class lecture; and 3) Kinesthetic Learner, students who have a predominantly kinesthetic learning style are thought to be natural discovery learners. They prefer learning by doing instead of having thought before initiating action. Characteristics of learning styles possessed by learners are one of the models that influence learning processing and communication. Similarly, if the student knows the characteristics of his learning style, then the student will be easy to motivate himself to learn. Students must use the learning style optimally to achieve effective results (Wahab And Nuraeni, 2020). In addition, Learning style is one of the supports for achieving student learning performance (Alberta et al.: 2021). RESEARCH METHOD This research applied the descriptive quantitative method. It is used to observe a specific population or sample, and the data collection is numerical and analyzed statistically. Descriptive research is used to identify and explain students' English learning styles. The study took place at MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. The research population was all the eighth-grade students, consisting of 8 classes, with the total number of the students being 2ts. Moreover, VIII.6, with students total number of 30, became the research sample, which was chosen using a simple random method. In collecting data, two instruments were used. They were questionnaires and interviews. In this research, the questionnaire contains 12 close-ended questions written in Indonesia so students can easily understand and answer the questions. The questions were formed based on the theory of Pritchard about three kinds of specific learning styles as a guide to making the questionnaires. The three are 1) visual learning style, 2) auditory learning style, and 3) kinesthetic learning style. The researcher used the Likert scale with yes or no Likert items. The students were allowed select the answer from the number of options or items. Furthermore, a face-to-face interview was applied to obtain the data on the students' reasons for using the English learning style. The interview was done after the researchers shared and collected the data from the questionnaire. To analyze the data, the researchers used descriptive analysis by using a simple basic statistical student learning style based on the data in their questionnaire. The researcher scored 1 for the student who answered yes in the questionnaire. After that, the researcher counted the total score and the average of 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 211 each learning style used by each student in order to investigate the data and the use of English learning styles. Then, the researchers classified the learning style used by students based on the types of learning styles. Finally, the researcher concluded the result after analyzing the data. FINDING Based on the two instruments above, the researcher found out students' learning styles investigated at MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. The questionnaire result was shown in the analysis of students' learning styles. The data were described as follows: Table 1. Questionnaire Data Statement Yes No total % total % I learn English from seeing words in books, on the whiteboard, and in workbooks well. 30 100 I prefer to learn English by seeing rather than listening. 20 66.67 10 33.3 When I explain and remember English I use hand movements. 8 26.67 22 73.33 When I think English I always look up 17 56.67 13 43.33 I learn English from listening words spoken and from oral explanation 25 83.33 5 16.67 I remember English more what I listen than what I see 21 70 9 30 I usually repeat and summarize the English material I have learned. 16 53.33 14 46.67 I tend to tilt my head and use level eye movements when I try remember English 23 76.67 7 23.33 I prefer to learn English by moving around and doing something in class 14 46.67 16 53.33 I remember English well when I actively participate activities in the classroom. 23 76.67 7 23.33 I enjoy learning English in class by doing something 15 50 15 50 I feel difficult to learn English when I do not active in the classroom 23 76.67 7 23.33 DISCUSSION Learning style in the learning process is how each individual concentrates on the learning process, comprehend the information received and manages the information to be comprehension and knowledge. Knowing the students learning styles can make the teaching and learning process more effective. And the use of 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 212 learning styles is that it makes it easy for teachers to incorporate them into their teaching. So, the researcher aims to identify the student learning style of eighth - grade students. Based on the result of this research, the researcher analyzed the students' learning styles. There are three learning styles they are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. This data is related to a statement from Flemming and Bonwell (2019). Whereas this research only finds the three learning styles. Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing. They have good visual recall and prefer information to be presented visually, in the form of diagrams, graphs, maps, posters, and displays, for example. They often use hand movements when describing or recalling events or objects and look upwards when thinking or recalling information. The second is auditory learners prefer to learn by listening. They have good auditory memory and benefit from discussion, lectures, interviewing, hearing stories, and audio tapes, for example. They like sequence, repetition, and summary, and when recalling memories, they tend to tilt their head and use level eye movements. The last is kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. They are good at recalling events and associate feelings or physical experiences with memory. They enjoy physical activity, field trips, manipulating objects, and other practical, first - hand experiences. They often find it challenging to keep still and need regular breaks in classroom activities. The subject of this research was 30 students. The data was collected through a questionnaire and interview. Based on the students' answers in the questionnaire and interview, the researcher found three learning styles used by the eighth-grade students of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. They were visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. The result of the instruments was found that the most significant number of language learning styles preferred by students was auditory. It is different from what Wahhab (2020) found in his research. The dominant learning style used in his research was visual. Still, in line, Rahmah (2018) found that only about 30% of the students are visual learners in Senior high school. It means that teachers cannot use only visual teachers as the students have different learning styles. Pritchard (2009) argues that auditory learners prefer to learn by listening. They have good auditory memory and benefit from discussion, lectures, interviewing, hearing stories, and audio tapes. There were 13 students (43.33%). They enjoy preferring to learn by listening. It was supported by interviews with the students at MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau as the research subject. They said they understand better when listening to the teacher's explanation during the teaching- learning process. These results were similar to the previous research conducted by Alberta et al. (2021), which revealed that most of their participants were auditory learners. 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 213 The second place was visual. Flemming and Bonwell (2019) explain that visual learners prefer to learn by seeing. They have good visual recall and prefer information to be presented visually, in the form of diagrams, graphs, maps, posters, and displays. Ten students (33,33%) preferred to learn by seeing. The first indicator's result showed that respondents prefer to learn by seeing. It was supported by interviews with the students at MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau as the research subject. They said it would be easier to understand or receive the material when they saw the English subject matter in the book or the teacher wrote on the whiteboard. Then, seven students (23,33%) learned best with a kinesthetic learning style. Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. The researcher found seven students who used kinesthetic learning styles. They recall events and associate feelings or physical experiences with memory during teaching and learning. They enjoy physical activity, field trips, manipulating objects, and other practical, first - hand experiences. They often find it challenging to keep still and need regular breaks in classroom activities. Manalu & Hasanah (2019) stated that students who know or optimize their learning styles could focus more on receiving and processing information in learning, so they can work on questions and obtain good learning outcomes in the future. Based on the results of this research, the researchers found that whatever students learning styles, they have their way of learning in the class. Language learning style also did not affect students' class level because learning style did not change but developed all the time. By identifying students' learning styles, the students know their learning styles and can choose the best way, technique, or strategy to master English. It is also essential for the teachers to help accommodate the diversity of students' learning styles by providing an appropriate teaching method in the classroom; as Ariani et al. (2021) mentioned, The purpose of applying learning styles is to facilitate language learning effectively by finding the best ways to learn. This study found that students' learning performance did not differ significantly even though students' learning styles were different. It is still in line with what Alberta et al. (2021) found. Although students have their ways and different learning styles, their goal is to achieve learning performance. Somehow, Manalu & Hasanah (2019) stated that students who know or optimize their learning styles could focus more on receiving and processing information in learning, so they can work on questions and obtain good learning outcomes. If students know their learning style, they will be easier to learn. 2022. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (2):207-215 214 CONCLUSION Based on the data gathered and discussed above, the researcher concluded that there was three learning style used by the eighth-grade students of MTs Negeri 1 Lubuklinggau. They were visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. In addition, the most dominant learning style used was auditory learning. REFERENCES Albeta, S.W., Haryati, S., Futra, D., Aisyah, R., Desviana, A. (2021). The Effect of Learning Styles on Students’ Learning Performance During the Covid 19 Pandemic. 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