Learners’ Preferences in English Language Learning: A Cross Sectional Study at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background: Learning a language has become more highlighted for medical students because it works as an approach for expressing and exchanging thoughts and feelings.Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate the preferences of English as an international language among Iranian medical students.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out on three different cohorts of language learners from Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. Four hundred students aged 18 to 46 were selected using the convenience sampling method. Exclusion of the upper-intermediate ones yielded 372 intermediate participants. The English Language Preferences Questionnaire was used to identify the factors on English language learning preferences. Frequency, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data using SPSS.Results: Speaking (42.8%) was the most preferred skill. Among participants, 83.1% preferred an English class of different activities, such as group work and projects. Also, 26.5% of students preferred to repeat what they heard, and 4.2% chose to copy from the board. Media and watching movies received a high percentage (81.2%). In addition, 47.8% of the participants preferred an immediate reflection on their errors in front of everyone, 56.5% showed interest in using both the native and English. Moreover, there was a statistically positive relationship between learning activities and task preferences among the participants (r =.39, p<.01).Conclusion: Educational scholars and syllabus designers should focus on incorporating learners' preferences into academic settings to revolutionize the traditional curriculums. These findings have substantial implications for the design of academic English courses for medical students.

Keywords

• language learning
• learner preferences
• students of medical sciences