Multimodal approach in foreign language teaching as an alternative to the learning-styles paradigm: evidence from a survey of Moscow university teachers

Context and relevance. The concept of "learning styles", despite criticism and a lack of empirical evidence, remains popular in education. In foreign language teaching, it can hinder the development of multimodal communicative skills. This study analyzes the attitudes of experienced foreign language teachers at Moscow universities toward learning styles, comparing their opinions with evidence-based pedagogy. Objective. To identify the prevailing opinions of foreign language teachers at Moscow universities regarding learning style theory, analyze their perceived advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and advocate for a multimodal approach as a more scientifically sound and effective alternative for language education. Hypothesis. The majority of experienced teachers will be skeptical of learning styles or consider their practical value to be limited. Methods and materials. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a critical literature review (critique of learning styles, multimodality, dual-coding theory) and an anonymous survey of 10 experienced foreign language teachers (with over 10 years of experience) from Moscow universities. The questionnaire included Likert scale questions, "Yes/No" questions, and open-ended questions. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and thematic coding, followed by triangulation with the literature review. Results. The survey revealed significant skepticism: six out of ten teachers doubted the effectiveness of learning styles, while the remaining four considered them to be of only limited importance. The implementation of the concept in practice was episodic, with two respondents deeming its use counterproductive. Although the majority (80%) noted student comfort and half reported increased motivation through personalization, the main disadvantages cited were a lack of scientific evidence, incompatibility with the goals of language education, impracticality in large groups, and high costs. Approximately 30% of respondents associated learning styles with interactive technologies. These findings, particularly the skepticism of experienced teachers, differed from broader statistics indicating widespread belief in learning styles. Conclusions. The study suggests the need to move away from the concept of learning styles as a primary pedagogical paradigm in foreign language teaching. The systematic implementation of a multimodal approach, supported by modern cognitive theories (particularly dual-coding theory), is recommended, aligning with empirically validated language teaching methodologies. To further verify these conclusions, more extensive research with a representative sample is required.