Mapping Personality Types among EFL Learners: Insights from Indonesian University Students
Abstract
This study aims to identify the personality types of students in the English Language Education Study Program (ELESP) at Universitas Negeri Gorontalo and to explore their pedagogical implications for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. A quantitative descriptive design was employed, involving 118 undergraduate students from three academic cohorts (2021–2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024). Data were collected through an adapted version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) developed by Eysenck and Eysenck (1975) and validated for Indonesian learners by Wulandari (2017). The instrument used a five-point Likert scale to measure extroversion and introversion tendencies. Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage, were computed using Microsoft Excel to determine personality distribution. The results revealed that most students (61.86%) were ambiverts, followed by extroverts (27.12%) and introverts (11.02%). These findings suggest that ELESP students tend to balance social engagement and reflective learning, offering advantages in diverse EFL classroom contexts. The study highlights the need for personality-responsive pedagogy that accommodates varied learner characteristics to promote more effective and inclusive language learning.
Downloads
References
Abdolrezapour, P., & Ghanbari, N. (2022). Emotional-based pedagogy and facilitating EFL learners’ perceived flow in online education. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.960287
Alagić, M. (2022). Extroversion and Introversion in Second Language Acquisition. MAP Education and Humanities, 2(2), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.53880/2744-2373.2022.2.2.22
Almusharraf, A., & Almusharraf, N. (2021). Socio-interactive practices and personality within an EFL online learning environments. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 3947–3966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10449-8
Anugrah, B., Idayani, A., & Kunci, K. (2025). The Correlation between Introvert Personality and Reading Comprehension at the Sixth Semester Students of English Language Education-FKIP UIR. English Journal of Indragiri, 9(1).
Astika, G. (2014). Reflective Teaching as Alternative Assessment in Teacher Education: A Case Study of Pre-Service Teachers. TEFLIN Journal, 25(1), 16–32.
Azis, M. A., Putri, A. M. J., & Fajriani, F. (2025). When Silence Speaks: Exploring English-Speaking Skills of Introverted Learners. Innovations in Language Education and Literature, 2(1), 30–37. https://doi.org/10.31605/ilere.v2i1.4289
Barrett, P. T., Petrides, K. V., Eysenck, S. B. G., & Eysenck, H. J. (1998). The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire: an examination of the factorial similarity of P, E, N, and L across 34 countries. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(5), 805–819. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00026-9
Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fifth Edition (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
Cahyono, B. Y., & Mutiaraningrum, I. (2016). Indonesian EFL Students’ Proficiency in Writing and Ability in Speaking across Personality Learning Styles. Studies in English Language Teaching, 4(2), 168. https://doi.org/10.22158/selt.v4n2p168
Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. New York: Crown Publisher.
Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Furnham, A. (2005). Personality and Intellectual Competence. Psychology Press.
Citra, M., & Zainil, Y. (2021). Language Learning Strategies in Speaking Classroom Activity: Extrovert and Introvert Learners. In Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Language and Arts (ICLA 2020). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210325.030
Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (2010). The Five‐Factor Model, Five‐Factor Theory, and Interpersonal Psychology. In Handbook of Interpersonal Psychology (pp. 91–104). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118001868.ch6
Creswell, J. W. . (2017). Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE.
Dewaele, J.-M., & Furnham, A. (2000). Personality and speech production: a pilot study of second language learners. Personality and Individual Differences, 28(2), 355–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00106-3
Ding, K., Zhu, L., & Yan, X. (2022). The Relationship Between EFL Teachers’ Personality Traits, Communication Strategies, and Work Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.855837
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics : quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford University Press.
Dörnyei, Z. (2014). The Psychology of the Language Learner (1st ed.). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410613349
Ellis, R. (2008). The Study of Second Language Acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, S. B. G. (1975). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
Eysenck, M. W. (2012). Fundamentals of Cognition Second Edition. Psychology Press.
Hanifa, R. (2018). Factors generating anxiety when learning EFL speaking skills. Studies in English Language and Education, 5(2), 230–239. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v5i2.10932
Kafryawan, W. (2020). The Influence of Extroversion Personality towards EFL Learners’ Writing Skills ARTICLE HISTORY (Vol. 2). Retrieved from https://journal.unilak.ac.id/index.php/UTAMAX/
Komarraju, M., Karau, S. J., Schmeck, R. R., & Avdic, A. (2011). The Big Five personality traits, learning styles, and academic achievement. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(4), 472–477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.04.019
Krashen, S. D. (1985). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon.
Larsen–Freeman, D. (2019). On Language Learner Agency: A Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective. Modern Language Journal, 103, 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12536
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Cameron, L. (2008). Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2008.00793_5.x
Liang, H. Y., & Kelsen, B. (2018). Influence of Personality and Motivation on Oral Presentation Performance. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 47(4), 755–776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-017-9551-6
MacIntyre, P. D. ., Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (2016). Positive psychology in SLA. Multilingual Matters.
Mackey, Alison., & Gass, S. M. . (2022). Second Language Research: Methodology and Design (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Marcellino, M. (2008). English Language Teaching in Indonesia: A Continuous Challenge in Education and Cultural Diversity. TEFLIN Journal, 19.
Marcellino, M. (2015). English Language Teaching in Indonesia: a Continuous Challenge in Education and Cultural Diversity. Teflin Journal - A Publication on the Teaching and Learning of English, 19(1), 57. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v19i1/57-69
Naiman, Neil., Fröhlich, M., Stern, H. H., & Todesco, A. . (1996). The good language learner (Vol. 4). Multilingual Matters.
Oxford, R. L. (2016). 2 Toward a Psychology of Well- Being for Language Learners: The ‘EMPATHICS’ Vision. In Positive Psychology in SLA (pp. 10–88). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783095360-003
Oxford, R. L. (2017). Teaching and Researching Language Learning Strategies: Self-Regulation in Context (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Sulistiyo, U. (2016). English language teaching and EFL teacher competence in Indonesia . In Proceedings of ISELT FBS Universitas Negeri Padang (pp. 396–405).
Velicer, W. F., & Stevenson, J. F. (1978). The Relation Between Item Format and the Structure of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. APPLIED PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT, 2(2), 293–304.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use
Wulandari, D. S. (2017). Extrovert and Introvert Students in Speaking Ability of English Department at IAIN Palangka Raya. State Islamic Institute of Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya.
Copyright (c) 2025 Randwick International of Education and Linguistics Science Journal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.






















