An Exploratory Study of the Language-learning Style Preferences of Iranian EFL High School Students

Afsaneh Effatdokht Ramezani ,Meysam Dehgahi ,Hanie Hashemi

doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.2p.150

Abstract

This study explored the learning style preferences of 40 Iranian students at Marefat Iranian high school in Kuala Lumpur of which, 20 are females and 20 are males. To this end, this study used structured interview to elicit in-depth information from the students. The results of the study showed that learning style preferences of Iranian students were different according to their gender. Female students preferred auditory learning as their major learning style, while male students preferred kinesthetic more. Moreover, the findings revealed that Kinesthetic learning was the least preferred learning style of the most female students, whereas the least preferred learning style of male students was tactile learning. Keywords: Learning Style Preferences, High School Students, Gender, EFL

Highlights

Learning process can be obtained, held and attained through different styles
This study concluded that the learning style preferences of Iranian students were different according to their gender
The least preferred learning style of the female students was kinesthetic, whereas the male students chose tactile learning style as their least preferred

Summary

Introduction

Learning process can be obtained, held and attained through different styles. Understanding these styles is important in a learning process. Every learning style raises the success rate of each student especially when it matches with individual need. Different researchers gave different definitions of learning style (LS). Reid (1995) defines learning style as an individual’s habitual, natural and desired way of receiving, processing, and keeping new data. According to Oxford (2003), learning style is the general approaches like visual or auditory that people use in learning a new language or any other subjects

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Conclusion