Asian EFL Journal: English Language Teaching and Research Articles

Volume 6. Issue 2 Article 1.

Article Title
Language learning and awareness of personality type in Chinese settings

Author
Alastair Sharp, Ph.D.

Bio Data
Alastair Sharp is an Associate Professor of English at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Reading, UK and has also studied at the universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, and Wales. He has wide overseas teaching experience at schools and universities in the Gulf, Africa and Asia. His most recent book is "Reading Comprehension and Text Organization" (2003) Edwin Mellen Press."

        Abstract

        In order to provide successful instruction, teachers need to learn to 
        identify and understand their students' individual differences. A feature 
        of individual differences, which enters almost every area of life is that 
        of personality type. This can be assessed with an instrument know as the 
        Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (Briggs Myers, 1998). This article 
        will identify MBTI preferences among a group of Chinese university students 
        studying English in Hong Kong sand suggest that a knowledge of personality 
        type is important for both teacher and student in maximizing learning 
        success. Brief comments will be offered comparing results with other MBTI 
        studies in Chinese contexts. 