S.İpek KURU-GÖNEN Anadolu University, TURKEY ipekkuru@anadolu.edu.tr The Relationship between Perceptual Learning Styles and Language Learning Strategies of Tertiary Level Turkish EFL Students S.İpek KURU-GÖNEN Anadolu University, TURKEY ipekkuru@anadolu.edu.tr

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 EFL/ESL classroom

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

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 Study Aim Investigating the relationship between perceptual learning styles and language learning strategies of tertiary level Turkish EFL students by applying a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative 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 ?

Methodology Participants 80 second year tertiary level university students 19-21 years old Took similar courses like reading, writing, and speaking Instruments 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

Methodology Quantitative Part Two instruments Strategy Inventory for Language Learning and Perceptual Learning Styles Preference Questionnaire 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 PLSPQ developed by Reid (1987) to identify the preferred perceptual learning styles Six subscales auditory, visual, tactile, kinesthetic, individual and group style Qualitative 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

Methodology Data Analysis Quantitative 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 Qualitative 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 Results Descriptive Statistics Table 1

Results 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

Results Correlation 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 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 Qualitative Findings The basic difference between high proficiency and low proficiency learners was the awareness 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 ”

Results 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”

Results Transfer 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 aware of their learning styles and design their studies accordingly

Results 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

Results 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

Conclusion 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.

Conclusion 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

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Descriptive Statistics

Correlation Analysis