ON THE CONFIGURATION OF VAK LEARNING STYLES: A CASE STUDY ON VOCABULARY TEACHING IN ARMENIA

The following research studies the implementation of the Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic (VAK) model of learning in vocabulary instruction for Armenian high school students. In response to the growing concerns of effective personalized learning, this study seeks to find out whether completing vocabulary tasks based on the students’ sensory preferences would improve language acquisition, motivation, and performance. The sample consisted of 18 tenth graders, half of whom served as a control group and were taught using traditional methods, and an experimental group whose instruction utilized VAK-based activities. Assessing vocabulary knowledge and learner engagement was done through pre-test and post-test questionnaires. Results reveal that students in the experimental group outperformed their peers enrolled in the control group. Enhanced vocabulary recall, contextual use, and increased participation in class were indeed noted. All three learner categories, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, profited from their respective tasks, while those with mixed preferences displayed the greatest gains. The findings indicated that the VAK model encourages students’ initiative and enables active choice in their learning, resulting in increased retention of more vocabulary for longer periods. Evidence from this study calls for the adoption of multimodal instructional approaches to ESL/EFL instruction responsive to the varying cognitive and emotional needs of learners.