The Relationship between Yemeni EFL Postgraduate Students’ Perceptual Learning Styles and Language Learning Strategies

Abstract

This study intended to investigate the relationship between Yemeni EFL postgraduate students’ Perceptual Learning Style Preferences (PLSP) and their Language Learning Strategies (LLSs). The sample of the study was 45 Yemeni EFL postgraduate students (males = 14 and females = 31) who were enrolled in master’s degree studies at Sana’a University. For data collection, Reid’s (1987) Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ) and Oxford’s (1990b) Strategy Inventory of Language Learning (SILL) Version 7.0 for ESL/EFL students were administered to determine the PLSP and LLSs of the participants. The responses were calculated through statistical analysis in terms of mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, and independent samples t-test. According to the overall average of PLSP, the study’s findings showed that the participants were major in learning style preferences (M= 38.72, SD= 5.07). It was found that kinesthetic, auditory, and tactile learning styles were the most major learning style preferences whereas group and individual learning styles were the least preferred minor modes among the participants. In terms of the overall average of LLSs, the participants found to be high strategy users (M= 4.31, SD= 0.54). The findings also revealed that metacognitive, compensation, and cognitive strategies were the most frequently used while memory and affective strategies were the least frequently used among the participants. In addition, the findings demonstrated a statistical significant relationship between the participants’ PLSP and their LLSs. It was found that tactile learning style was significantly correlated with cognitive and social strategies, and individual learning style was significantly correlated with affective strategies.