ABSTRACT
This study investigated the learning styles of ESL students (students who learn English as
a second language). The focus in this study was on the ESL Arab Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Oman,
Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates) students who study English as a second language in
Intensive English Language Centers (IELCs) in the United States. The study explored the ESL
Arab Gulf students’ learning style preference and how they are affected by different variables
such as cultural background, gender, and language level in IELCs. ESL Arab Gulf students were
administered the VARK Learning Styles questionnaire. It measures several sensory types of
learning styles such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile. The participants in this study
were from Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. The finding of this
quantitative research study showed that ESL Arab Gulf students’ learning styles were affected by
their cultural backgrounds and their gender as well. The results of this study showed that
matching teaching styles to ESL Arab Gulf students’ learning styles impacted the ESL Arab Gulf
students’ academic success positively. It helped students to achieved higher TOEFL scores more
than the students who had different learning styles from their teachers’.
This dissertation is approved for recommendation
to the Graduate Council.
Dissertation Director:
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Dr. Mounir Farah
Dissertation Committee:
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Dr. Michael Daugherty
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Dr. Wen-Juo Lo
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Dr. Erin