Personality Type, Perceptual Style Preferences, and Strategies for Learning English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

We investigated the influence that personality type has on perceptual learning style preference and language learning strategies. Participants were 364 senior high school students in Taiwan who were studying English as a foreign language. The instruments used to collect data were the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers & McCaulley, 1985), the Perceptual Learning Preferences Survey (adapted from Kinsella's 1995 survey), and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Oxford, 1990). Results showed significant relationships between language learning strategy and the introverted/extroverted personality type. Significant relationships were also found between the sensing/intuitive personality type and memory, compensation, social, and metacognitive strategies.