Perceptual Language Learning Style: Persian Learners in a Second Language Learning Setting

This research deals with the learning style of the non-Iranian learners of Persian as a second language in Iran. The primary objective of the study was to identify the learner's perceptual learning styles. The second objective was to study the relationship between demographic variables like language (Arabic versus non-Arabic languages), nationality in both Asia and Europe, level of education (undergraduate versus postgraduate) and the gender of Persian language learners with various perceptual learning styles. The participants of this research included 131 non-Iranian male and female students who were randomly selected from the Persian Language Center in Imam Khomeini International University. Reid's (1987) Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ) was administrated and the results obtained showed that the major preferred learning styles were tactile, auditory and kinesthetic while visual group and individual styles were minor learning style preferences of the learners. Other findings indicated that the mean score obtained by the European learners was significantly lower than that of Asian learners on auditory and group learning styles. The mean score obtained in the kinesthetic learning style by non-Arabic speakers was significantly higher than that of the Arabic language speakers. Other results did not reveal any significant differences in score between two groups of men and women in their preferred learning styles.