The Relationship between The Relationship between Perceptual Learning Styles Perceptual Learning Styles

and Language Learning and Language Learning Strategies of Tertiary Level Strategies of Tertiary Level

Turkish EFL StudentsTurkish EFL Students

S.İpek KURU-GÖNENS.İpek KURU-GÖNENAnadolu University, TURKEY

ipekkuru@anadolu.edu.tr

Background Background

Recent years witnessed a tremendous interest in understanding how good learners learn a foreign language achieve success

Good language learners share some behaviors for learning

Attempts at understanding these common points might help to facilitate our understanding of the learning process of second/foreign language

Learning styles and learning strategies language learning success in EFLEFL/ESLESL classroom

Background Background

Learning styleLearning style ““an individual’s natural habitual and preferred way(s) of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills”” (Reid, 1995, p.34)

It involves perception, cognition, conceptualization, affect and behavior peculiar to one’s own individual learning

Learning strategyLearning strategy consciously selected processes which may result in action specific behaviors learners select

Background Background

Language learning styles may be indicators of specific language learning strategies these strategies can give way to success in the long term

Examining the styles and strategies of our learners very important in understanding their certain behaviors and helping them become aware of themselves as learners

Various taxonomies of learning styles and language learning strategies perceptual learning styles

Oxford’s taxonomy of language learning strategies

The StudyThe Study

AimAim Investigating the relationship between

perceptual learning styles and language learning strategies of tertiary level Turkish EFL students by applying a mixed method of qualitativequalitative and quantitativequantitative design 1. Is there any relationship between language learning strategy use and perceptual learning styles of tertiary level Turkish EFL students ??2. How do high proficiency level and low proficiency level learners differ in their use of language learning strategies and perceptual learning styles ??

MethodologyMethodology

ParticipantsParticipants 80 second year tertiary level university

students 19-21 years old Took similar courses like reading, writing, and

speaking InstrumentsInstruments Background questionnaire to control some

variables gender, purpose for learning the language and possible visits to countries where English is spoken as the native language

MethodologyMethodology

Quantitative PartQuantitative Part Two instruments SStrategy IInventory for

LLanguage LLearning and PPerceptual LLearning SStyles PPreference QQuestionnaire

A TOEFL Test to determine high and low proficiency level learners

SILL developed by Oxford (1990) 50 question version for EFL learners Six sub-scales cognitive, metacognitive,

compensation, memory, social and affective strategies.

Methodology Methodology

PLSPQ developed by Reid (1987) to identify the preferred perceptual learning styles

Six subscales auditory, visual, tactile, kinesthetic, individual and group styleQualitative PartQualitative Part

Retrospective Interviews to have a better understanding about their preferred learning styles and language learning strategy use

Five high proficiency level and five low proficiency level learners

MethodologyMethodology

Data AnalysisData AnalysisQuantitative DataQuantitative Data

Descriptive statistics SILL and PLSPQ Total scores for each of the subscales mean

scores and standard deviations were also calculated to show the general learning style preferences and language learning strategy uses

Relationship between the perceptual learning style preferences and language learning strategy use Pearson product moment correlation coefficient

Methodology Methodology

Qualitative DataQualitative Data Interviews audio-taped and then

transcribed used to support the data gathered through the questionnaires

Analyzed by two separate raters and inter-rater reliability was measured

ResultsResults Descriptive Statistics Table 1

ResultsResults

Compensation Strategies ease their learning and overcome many difficulties they face

Memory strategies applying images, sounds, and reviewing

Group style students preferred to learn best when they work with others

Kinesthetic style preference to learn by getting someone’s body into action and moving around

ResultsResultsCorrelation AnalysisCorrelation Analysis

Both sub-scales and total scores were correlated Table 2

General findings there is no relationship between the language learning strategies and perceptual learning styles of the participants

There are significant correlations between some of the strategies and styles

There is relationship between cognitive strategies and individual styles compensation strategies and individual style memory strategies and visual style affective strategies and visual style

Results Results

When they were compensating a difficulty or practicing, receiving and sending messages they prefer to work alone

When they were reviewing, applying images, sounds and when they try to lower their anxiety they prefer to learn visually

In terms of tertiary level Turkish EFL students no association exists between their strategy use and learning style preferences

Results Results

Qualitative FindingsQualitative Findings The basic difference between high

proficiency and low proficiency learners was the awarenessawareness of strategies and styles

High proficiency learners stated that they know the importance of using the appropriate strategies for being successful

“I think strategies are very important. I understood it this year. Especially for reading, if you do not use appropriate strategies you can not become an efficient reader. That’s why; I try to learn new and effective strategies that would help me to overcome difficulties ”

ResultsResults Low proficiency learners seem not to be aware

of strategies they acknowledged that they do not use them to achieve success

““I don’t think I use many strategies. O.K I learned some of them in different lessons...but they are like something to memorize. If you ask me their names I can tell, but the problem is...I can’t use them. I know some friends use effective strategies, but I think I have a long way to go to be successful”

ResultsResults TTransferransfer of different strategies into various

contexts High proficiency learners stated that

they were able to transfer a good strategy into another area, but low proficiency learners were not able transfer any strategies into other contexts

Learning styles there are also differences between high and low proficiency level students High proficiency learners know how they learn best, are awareaware of their learning styles and design their studies accordingly

ResultsResults Low proficiency group were not aware of

their styles and even when some of them were aware they ignore their learning styles when they study language

Students’ ideas on the relationship between learning styles and success High proficiency learners asserted a direct relationship between styles and success as they think one’s knowing his/her own styles determine how s/he would study to achieve success

ResultsResults Low proficiency level students did not

see any relationship between learning styles and success They acknowledged that they know the meaning of ‘style’, but they never organized themselves accordingly

Relationship between language learning strategies and styles most of the students stated that they did not think about something like that even the high proficient students

Supports the quantitative findings

ConclusionConclusion Being aware of styles and strategies, and

using them appropriately may bring success while learning a foreign language

Turkish students no correlation between the overall strategy use and style preferences

Good language learners use strategies more frequently

High proficient learners were aware of the importance of using strategies and transferring them into other contexts.

ConclusionConclusion Learning styles are emphasized for achieving

success especially by the high proficient students showed the way to study in a more organized and conscious way

Quality of strategy use other than the quantity high proficient learners acknowledged the importance of using strategies appropriate for specific actions in their studies

Although students may be aware of the strategies and styles, they may not know how to use them effectively

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

Descriptive Statistics

Correlation Analysis