Investigating the Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners’ Learning Styles and their Willingness to Communicate in EFL Classrooms

Abstract

This study focused on Iranian EFL learners’ learning styles and their willingness to communicate (WTC) in the classroom as two critical factors causing individual differences in language learners. A sample of 175 Iranian EFL learners studying at elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels at the University of Tehran Language Center participated in this study. The participants were asked to fill out two Likert-type questionnaires of the Willingness to Communicate and the Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ). The findings of this study demonstrated that Iranian EFL learners prefer kinesthetic learning style above all others. Moreover, the findings indicated that there is a significant, albeit low, relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ learning styles and their willingness to communicate in the classroom. Furthermore, it was revealed that while Iranian EFL learners’ learning styles are not significantly different across different levels of language proficiency, there is a significant difference in their levels of willingness to communicate in the classroom.