Implications of Learning Styles in Second Language Acquisition

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 19 out of 20, Islamic Azad University, language: English, abstract: There is little doubt that language learning is a multifaceted process affected by many factors whether internal or external. In terms of internal factors, Brown (2007), for instance, divide them into cognitive factors like learning styles, and learning strategies as well as affective factors including motivation, attitude, anxiety, self-esteem, types of personality, etc. In his taxonomy of individual differences affecting SLA, Ellis (2008) categorizes them into four areas: Abilities which includes intelligence, working memory, and language aptitude, Propensities including learning styles, motivation, anxiety, personality, and willingness to communicate, Learner cognitions such as learner belief, and finally learner actions like learning strategies. However, due to the time restriction, it is impossible to cover all of these factors once at a time. Therefore, this paper tries to focus on the learning styles as an internal cognitive variable affecting language learning.

Mohammad Javad Moafi was born in Behshahr, Mazandaran, Iran on September 19, 1975. Moafi graduated in the field of translation from Azad University, Qom Branch, Iran in 1998. Moafi has been engaged in teaching and translating ever since. Moafi did his MA in translation at Sheikh Baha'i University in Isfahan, Iran in 2010. Moafi received his PhD in Applied Linguistics from South Tehran Branch of Islamic Azad University in 2019. He has been lecturing at various universities in Qom, Iran including University of Science and Technology (Red Crescent Branch), Hazrate Masoumeh University, University of Religions and Denominations, University of Islamic Teachings (Ma'aref), Islamic Art School, International Institute for Islamic Studies, Language and Culture Institute of Al-Mustafa International University and Baqer Al-Oloum University Language Center. He has also been teaching IELTS/TOEFL at Qom University, Gooyesh English Institute and Manzumeh Daneesh English Institute. He is interested in translation studies, philosophy, psychology, sociology, religious and cultural studies as well as gender studies. Dr. Moafi has been translating for different centers. He was the simultaneous interpreter at the International Conference on Family Law, Tehran, Iran in 2009. He was the translator of the first and second volumes of the book 'I Talk With God About Everything' (Memorable Days & Lovely People) in 2012 and 'Bam Is Alive' in 2006 at the request of Teachers Training Center of Children and Teenagers affiliated with Islamic Propagation Organization. He was the translator of 'Dordaneh' which was a biography of Grand Ayatollah Bahjat at the request of his bureau in 2010, 'The Sky of Piety' which was a biography of Grand Ayatollah Najafi in 2015, and 'The Shrine of Love' which was a travel log of the Sacred Shrine of Imam Hossein (P.B.U.H.) from Qom to Karbala in 2015. He has translated the documentary 'Mahe Guyan' which was a story on Hojjatolislam Ebrahimi's martyrdom at the request of Channel One of IRIB, Iran in 2008. He is also the writer of the Persian book 'New Techniques in Language Learning' as well as editor of the translation of the book 'NTC's Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts' Published in Qom, Iran in 2017. He is currently the official translator of the scholarly journal of Research Quarterly in Islamic Ethics.