Learning styles and teaching perspectives in first-year language classes at community colleges

The purpose of this study was to determine if the learning styles of first-year foreign language students and teachers at several community colleges in Wyoming contributed to the processes of learning and teaching. This study was designed to investigate if the students and teachers understood their learning styles in order to maximize language-learning opportunities. The results were analyzed in order to understand how well the learning styles and teaching preferences matched. Student and teacher data were collected through the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire developed by Barbara A. Solomon and Richard M. Felder and administered by first-year foreign language teachers at several community colleges in Wyoming. Based on the analysis of the findings, this study was able to determine, (1) the learning styles of students in several first-year community college foreign language classes; (2) the learning styles of several first-year community college foreign language teachers; and (3) how learning styles of students and teaching preferences of their instructors matched.