Perceptual learning style preferences of monolingual and bilingual EFL learners

Abstract

The present study explored the perceptual learning style preferences of monolingual and bilingual English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This comparison would acknowledge whether they have similar or different learning style preferences. It would also give an insight into the way EFL is learnt in a specific course level and community. The objectives of this research were twofold: (1) to identify the most and least favoured perceptual learning style preferences of monolingual and bilingual EFL learners; (2) to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between students’ linguistic profiles (monolingualism and bilingualism) and perceptual learning styles. The sample consisted of 60 EFL learners (47 monolingual and 13 bilingual) who attended the second year of Spanish non-compulsory secondary education. The data collection instrument to measure the perceptual learning style preferences was the Learning Style Survey (LSS) (Cohen et al., 2009). Findings indicated that monolingual and bilingual EFL learners preferred the visual learning style, whilst auditory appeared to be the least preferred. There were not statistically significant differences between students’ linguistic profiles and perceptual learning style preferences, and the effect size was small. Therefore, findings suggested that being monolingual or bilingual did not affect the preferences students had for learning EFL.

Keywords

• Perceptual learning style preferences
• Monolinguals
• Bilinguals
• EFL learners
• 12th grade