A quantitative study on the relationship between learning style and English-speaking skill
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65431/jrell.v1i2.12Keywords:
EFL learners, learning styles, speaking proficiencyAbstract
This study examines the relationship between individual learning styles and English-speaking skills, a critical area in language education given the importance of speaking proficiency for effective communication. Recognizing that learners’ preferred modalities—visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and reading/writing—may influence their ability to produce spoken English, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on personalized language teaching strategies. While previous studies have suggested a connection between learning styles and language performance, there remains a paucity of empirical, statistically robust evidence specifically addressing speaking skills. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the extent to which different learning styles predict speaking proficiency among university students. Employing a correlational research design, the study involved 120 undergraduate students enrolled in an English language program at an Indonesian public university. Data were collected through two instruments: a VARK questionnaire to determine dominant learning styles and a standardized speaking rubric aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to assess speaking performance. Participants completed the questionnaires and performed speaking tasks under controlled conditions, with their performances rated independently by trained raters who were blind to their learning style profiles. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients to examine the relationship between each learning style and speaking scores. The results revealed significant positive correlations for visual and auditory learning styles, indicating that learners who prefer these styles tend to perform better in speaking tasks. The findings suggest that aligning instruction with learners’ preferred modalities can enhance speaking proficiency. This study underscores the importance of incorporating diverse teaching strategies tailored to learners' preferences to optimize speaking development. The implications advocate for language educators to utilize multimodal approaches that cater to different learning styles, thereby fostering greater engagement and improving speaking outcomes among students
References
Atas, C. and Diongco, M. (2022). Utilization of vocabulary aid (vocaid) in improving the vocabulary skills in science of grade 10 students. International Journal of Research Publications, 108(1). https://doi.org/10.47119/ijrp1001081920223871
Atika, R. (2020). Interactions among learning styles, language learning strategies and gender of EFL learners. Salee Study of Applied Linguistics and English Education, 1(01), 67-82. https://doi.org/10.35961/salee.v1i01.79
Barrios, E. and Acosta-Manzano, I. (2021). Factors predicting classroom WTC in English and French as foreign languages among adult learners in Spain. Language Teaching Research, 29(1), 88-111. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211054046
Burhanuddin, B., Hudriati, A., & Juniansyah, D. (2023). EFL higher education students’ psychological factor in speaking classroom activities at universitas Muslim Indonesia: A research report. ELT Worldwide Journal of English Language Teaching, 10(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.26858/eltww.v10i1.38370
Cowan, T., Calandruccio, L., Buss, E., Rodríguez, B., & Leibold, L. (2023). Predicting language dominance in Spanish/English bilingual adults based on relative speech-in-speech recognition scores. International Journal of Bilingualism, 28(5), 845-862. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069231195394
Dai, J., Chen, J., Huang, Z., Chen, Y., Li, Y., Sun, J., … & Chen, J. (2024). Age-effects of sport education model on basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation of adolescent students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Plos One, 19(5), e0297878. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297878
Darasawang, P. & Reinders, H. (2021). Willingness to communicate and second language proficiency: a correlational study. Education Sciences, 11(9), 517. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090517
Darus, N., Shohor, A., Nordin, N., Hassan, H., & Hashim, H. (2024). Investigating language learning strategies used by year 6 Malaysian urban primary school students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v14-i6/21848
Daymiel, R., Cantina, J., Alipoyo, V., Comecilla, M., Patay, A., & Recamara, J. (2022). Anxiety in second language in relation to students’ speaking performance. Sprin Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, 396-410. https://doi.org/10.55559/sjahss.v1i08.41
Gan, Z., Liu, F., & Nang, H. (2023). The role of self-efficacy, task value, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in students’ feedback engagement in English learning. Behavioral Sciences, 13(5), 428. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13050428
Ginting, H., & Sebayang, F. (2021). Analysis of speaking anxiety and affective language learning among students of English literature in Medan. Jurnal Mutiara Pendidikan Indonesia, 6(1), 12-20. https://doi.org/10.51544/mutiarapendidik.v6i1.1930
Haghighat, H., Shiri, M., Abdar, M., Harikandee, S., & Tayebi, Z. (2023). The effect of micro-learning on trauma care knowledge and learning satisfaction in nursing students. BMC Medical Education, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04609-2
Jugo, R. (2020). Language anxiety in focus: The case of Filipino undergraduate teacher education learners. Education Research International, 2020, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7049837
Kumayas, T., & Lengkoan, F. (2023). The challenges of teaching grammar at the university level: Learning from the experience of English lecturer. Journal of English Culture Language Literature and Education, 11(1), 98-105. https://doi.org/10.53682/eclue.v11i1.6058
Kurniawati, D., Indrasari, N., & Ansar, F. (2023). Integrating TPACK in extensive listening: Teachers’ experiences. Online Learning in Educational Research (Oler), 3(1), 33-46. https://doi.org/10.58524/oler.v3i1.227
Legak, T., & Wahi, W. (2020). Communicative language tasks to enhance young learners’ communicative competence. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i6/7308
Managdew, A., & Seda, T. (2023). Effects of dynamic assessment of grammatical structures on learners’ speaking accuracy: The case of Hawassa university, Ethiopia. Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v15n3.06
Mardiana, M., Laksmana, B., & Sukardi, S. (2024). Effects of self-confidence and diction on speaking skills in junior high school students. Indo-Fintech Intellectuals Journal of Economics and Business, 4(4), 1333-1344. https://doi.org/10.54373/ifijeb.v4i4.1629
Mathura, S., & Zulu, F. (2021). Using flashcards for English second language creative writing in grade 1. Reading & Writing, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v12i1.298
Meadseena, A., & Chano, J. (2023). Enhancing English language skills of upper secondary students through content and language integrated learning. Journal of Educational Issues, 9(1), 72. https://doi.org/10.5296/jei.v9i1.20597
Myint, T., Fraser-Hevlin, B., & Niosco, C. (2023). Leçons tirées d’une initiative de soutien linguistique spécifique à une discipline pour des étudiants et des étudiantes multilingues inscrits dans un cours de base de sciences de la santé: Une étude de cas basée sur des méthodes mixtes dans une université de l’ouest du canada. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2023.2.13782
Pontillas, M. (2020). Reducing the public speaking anxiety of ESL college students through Popsispeak. 3l the Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 26(1), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.17576/3l-2020-2601-07
Puteh, B., Jais, Z., Mokhtar, M., Idris, N., & Othman, W. (2021). Level of learning style and level of students’ critical thinking at private higher learning institutions. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i4/9770
Putra, D., Ikhsanudin, I., & Bunau, E. (2021). Correlation between vocabulary mastery and fluency in speaking at Universitas Tanjungpura. Premise Journal of English Education, 10(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.24127/pj.v10i1.3348
Ruipérez‐Valiente, J., Halawa, S., Slama, R., & Reich, J. (2020). Using multi-platform learning analytics to compare regional and global MOOC learning in the Arab world. Computers & Education, 146, 103776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103776
Schartz, T., Molina, I., & Molina, R. (2022). Cultivating successful students in a culturally diverse classroom. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205221098479
Shinozaki, F. (2024). Social presence and other individual differences in asynchronous English communication. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(1), 257-273. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12614
Song, B., Lee, K., Liew, C., Ho, R., & Lin, W. (2022). Business students' perspectives on case method coaching for problem-based learning: Impacts on student engagement and learning performance in higher education. Education + Training, 64(3), 416-432. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-03-2021-0106
Soori, A., Kafipour, R., Dakhil, T., Khojasteh, L., & Behrosi, B. (2024). The effect of role-play on vocabulary learning and retention in Iranian EFL learners. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.59400/fls.v5i2.1835
Yekeen, B., Lawal, R., & Nicholas, M. (2022). Analysis of listening comprehension performance of senior secondary school students in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Miṣriqiyā, 2(1), 17-32. https://doi.org/10.21608/misj.2022.102526.1031
Yong, H., Xin-Li, E., Rif, S., Eli, A., Latip, K., & Hashim, H. (2021). Language learning strategies used to learn speaking skills by year 5 pupils in a primary school in Bintulu, Sarawak. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(6). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i6/10051
Zare, M., Shooshtari, Z., & Jalilifar, A. (2020). The interplay of oral corrective feedback and L2 willingness to communicate across proficiency levels. Language Teaching Research, 26(6), 1158-1178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820928967
Zhai, X. and Razali, A. (2021). An overview of the utilization of TikTok to improve oral English communication competence among EFL undergraduate students. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 9(7), 1439-1451. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2021.090710
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Research in English Language Teaching and Linguistics
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
