Bridging the Cultural Gap: A Study of Chinese Students' Learning Style Preferences

Abstract

Following a literature review of some recent research on learning styles and EFL-related research in the People's Republic of China, this article describes a replication of a study done by Reid in 1987 of learning style preferences of ESL students in the U.S. With minor modifications, the same questionnaire asking students to identify their learning style preferences was administered in either Chinese or English to 331 students at five universities in the PRC. Statistical analyses indicated that language of the questionnaire did not in fluence the outcome; that sex of the respondent, level in college, years of English study, and number of semesters with a foreign teacher are all related to learning style differences; and that PRC students appear to have multiple major learning styles. The study concludes with suggested activities for the ESL classroom which are appropriate to each of the four basic perceptual learning styles.