Learning style preferences of Kurdish graduate students at the Language Centre

Abstract

This study investigates the students’ learning styles preferences and theirimplications on the teaching and learning as well as the designs andselection of the text books. A total of 45 graduate students, taking a coursecalled 'English Proficiency Course' at the Language Centre/ SalahaddinUniversity, participated in the study. The students, later, might need Englishlanguage for academic purposes across different fields of study, namely, higher educationin Kurdistan. The participants were asked to choose the styles from the VARKquestionnaire. Then the data was collected. The outcomes of which were analysed intosome of the major Learning Styles such as 'visual, audio, read/write and kneithetic/tactile'preferences. An implication of this study is that the teaching style should be matched tostudents’ learning style and that the materials, tools and teaching books should also suitstudents’ learning preferences.