PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Abdulraheem Al-Shawthabi in English Language Curricula and Teaching Methods

Mr. Abdulraheem Ali Al-Shawthabi was awarded a PhD degree for his dissertation titled, “Multisensory Learning and Recalling Styles and their Relationship to Speaking Proficiency: A Case Study of Yemeni EFL University Students,” which was submitted to Department of English Language Curricula and Teaching Methods, Faculty of Education – Sana’a University. The PhD dissertation defense was held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Post-Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following members:

#	Committee Members	Designation	University	Position
1	Prof. Fazea Khaled Al-Ezi Al-Maslami	Internal examiner	Sana’a University	Chair
2	Prof. Mohammed Abdo Ahmed Al-Mekhlafi	Main supervisor	Sana’a University	Member
3	Prof. Qaed Dabwan Ali Farea	External Examiner	Ibb University	Member

The dissertation aimed to investigate the relationship between sensory learning styles (auditory and visual), sensory recalling styles (mental speech/inner voice and mental imagery), and English-speaking proficiency among EFL students in university English departments.

Key findings of the research included:

A statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the visual sensory learning style and the auditory sensory learning style, favoring the visual learning style.
A statistically significant correlation between the auditory sensory learning style and speaking proficiency.
A high, statistically significant correlation between the sensory recalling style (mental speech/inner voice) and speaking proficiency.

The dissertation presented several key recommendations, including:

Reinforcing the development of inner speech (mental speech) through targeted training strategies.
Considering the role of the learning environment and the flexibility of learning styles within the overall learning experience.

The PhD dissertation was examined and recommended by the Viva-Voce Committee for acceptance and approval. The PhD defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, interested students, the candidate’s colleagues, and family members.