The Relationship between Language Proficiency and VARK Learning Styles among Iranian EFL Learners

This study explored the relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ language proficiency level and their learning styles along with their gender and age. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study; first, total number of 337 EFL students in elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels studying in fifteen private language institutes in Bandar Abbas, Iran, took the VARK Learning Style Questionnaire to identify their tendencies in sensory types of learning styles such as visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic. Second, the students answered Nelson English Language Tests which measured their English proficiency levels. In order to find out the relationship among variables, a number of chi-square tests and correlational analyses were conducted. The findings of this quantitative study showed that there was not any significant relationship between language proficiency and VARK learning styles. It was further revealed that matching teaching styles to EFL learners’ learning styles may influence the EFL learners’ academic success positively. This awareness can help learners achieve higher levels of achievement more than learners who have no such information about their learning styles.

Keywords:

Language Proficiency , Learning Style , VARK Learning Styles , Visual Learners , Auditory Learners , Read/Write Learners , Kinesthetic Learners