The Learning Styles of Japanese Students

Page No.: 
55
Writer(s): 
Ken Hyland, International Pacific College, Palmerston, New Zealand

The Learning Styles of Japanese Students
Ken Hyland,
International Pacific College, Palmerston, New Zealand
In this paper Reid's (1987) study of perceptual learning style preferences was
replicated using a large sample of Japanese undergraduate EFL students inJapan
and New Zealand. A detailed review of recent work on learning styles is followed
by a discussion of the particular learning styles of Japanese students. The results
of 405 questionnaires given to Japanese undergraduates are then analyzed. The
results show that Japanese students do not favor any major learning style, but
instead reveal preferences for a cluster of minor learning modalities: tactile,
kinesthetic, and auditory. However, Japanese students show some tendency to
change these styles when taught by NS teachers. The implications for teachers
of Japanese EFL students include: (a) becoming conversant with their students'
learning styles; (b) thinking in terms of matching teaching and learning styles;
and (c) selecting appropriate classroom activities to cater to each style.

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