A Study Of The Relationship Between Learning Styles And Efl Tasks

The present study is a report of an investigation on one Chinese college EFL learners'preferences for classroom tasks. 105 non-English majors from Guangzhou Maritime College were adopted as participants. A Task Preference Questionnaire, a Learning Style Inventory and PETFC tests are used as research instruments in the present study.The purpose of the study focuses on three related issues: (1) the correlation between participants'perceptual learning style (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) and their preferences for tasks; (2) the correlation between participants'preferences and the task types (controlled tasks, semi-controlled tasks and free tasks); (3) the effect on participants'performance in tests when their preferences for tasks matches the classroom teaching.With the help of SPSS13.0, Correlation Analysis and One Sample T Test were administrated, and the major findings of the study are as follows:1) There is no significant correlation between students' perceptual learning styles and their preferences for classroom tasks (Contingency Coefficient=0.138, Sig. =0.894 >0.05).2) Participants'preferences for classroom tasks correlate significantly with task types (Contingency Coefficient=0.178, Sig. =0.001<0.05).3) When the classroom tasks match students'preferences, students'performance in PETFC tests are significantly effected (One Sample T Test was adopted, t=2.936, P=0.005<0.05).The results of the present study are discussed in terms of how meaningful the relationship and what they may mean to the teachers in their decision of teaching design.