Libyan EFL Learners’ Preferences and Perception of their Learning Style

Abstract

The study aims to determine the learning style preferences of EFL undergraduates. It also attempts to identify their perspectives on learning styles in the English learning context. This study was conducted by the VAK Learning Styles Self-Assessment questionnaire, followed by a number of semi-structured interviews. The study sample consisted of 50 undergraduate students registered in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Sabratha University. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Five participants were interviewed in a semi-structured way to determine their perception of their learning style. The quantitative findings revealed that EFL students preferred divergent learning styles. The visual style was the highest-ranked preference compared to audio and kinaesthetic models. The findings obtained also revealed that the majority of participants had a strong preference for unimodal learning mode. Interestingly, the qualitative findings confirmed the quantitative ones. 

The research findings showed that EFL teachers and students need to work together more closely to arrange their classroom activities. Mainly, EFL teachers should establish a common ground between different learning styles to create a class space where the three VAK learning styles would evolve.