ELT LEARNING STYLE- THE IMPORTANCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS LEARNING STYLE FROM THEIR TEACHER

Abstract

Learning styles among learners of English as a foreign language today differ greatly. In the past teachers required their students to learn a foreign language “by learning new vocabulary, listening, learning grammar, translating different text and memorizing text”. The students simply were not motivated, and as a result, the students failed since the teachers did not use adequate teaching strategies in the classroom. However, with time, the teachers worked on their teaching methods to improve their way of teaching. The main purpose of this research is to identify the different learning styles of EFL students and to show that teachers of ELT should try to find the best way to understand their students’ learning styles. It also shows that teachers should help their students to find the best way to learn a foreign language so that both students and teachers will achieve the objectives. In addition, this research intends to raise at least some awareness about the importance of learning styles to the ELT teachers so that they would reach their teaching objective in their classroom. Upon investigation, the research found that there is a relation between the student’s language learning and the teacher’s language teaching process. It is also demonstrated that if the teachers fail to adapt their teaching methods to the learner’s language learning style than the student’s motivation, desire and attitude toward learning will fail. Overall, the research indicated some factors that teachers should consider in language teaching to enhance the student’s language learning process and develops their language skills. It also revealed findings of the research questions and shows that the research hypotheses were valid. In conclusion, the study shows the importance of the student's learning styles which should be considered in English language teaching classrooms to enhance the student’s language learning process and develop their language skills. So, English language teachers should be flexible in using the textbooks and use different teaching strategies to adapt them to the learners learning styles. Finally, a number of recommendations were made for better teaching on choosing teaching techniques to the student’s language learning style.