Correlations Between Learning Style Preferences and Arab-Speaking Gulf Region First-Year College Students’ EFL Performance: A Literature Review

Abstract

This review aims at examining recent and relevant literature that investigates the correlations among learning style preferences, awareness of learning style preferences, motivation, intelligence types, gender, and Arabic Gulf region first-year college students’ EFL performance. A lot of studies about the influence of learners’ awareness of their learning style and motivation types on their ESL (English as a second language) learning performance have been conducted in English speaking Western countries, but fewer similar research studies have been conducted in EFL (English as a foreign language) contexts, particularly in the Arabian Gulf region Arabic-speaking countries and more particularly with first-year college-students as research participants. This review attempts to explore the dominant learning style preferences, main or obvious intelligence types according to the multiple intelligence theory, main motivation type and how the awareness of these could impact the learners’ progress or otherwise in EFL. Due to the relative scarcity of relevant research in the Arabic Gulf region, other studies conducted in neighboring and culturally similar countries were reviewed as well. As a result of examining the literature in this respect, more studies and research are recommended to help learners, instructors, professionals, researchers, and practitioners concerned and involved in EFL in this context.