A B737-300 FLC TURNS THE WRONG WAY TO A WRONG HDG WHILE BEING VECTORED BY APCH CTLR FOR AN APCH TO RWY 16 AT DEN; CO.

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DURING VECTORS 070 DEG HDG FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 16; ATC ASSIGNED L TURN 350 DEG HDG DURING DSCNT TO 8000 FT. AS PNF; MY RECOLLECTION WAS TO HEAR AND READ BACK 150 DEG HDG. ATC QUERIED OUR HDG AS WE PASSED THROUGH 110 DEG HDG. CTLR STATED MISMATCH BTWN OUR COURSE AND HIS INTENT. NEW VECTORS TO FINAL PROVIDED; NO APPARENT LOSS OF SEPARATION. HUMAN FACTORS INCLUDE FAULTY HEARBACK/READBACK; ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTION OF NEXT VECTOR TO JOIN FINAL AS APPROPRIATE TO ACFT POS. BOTH CREW WERE SURE ENOUGH OF VECTOR TO PRECLUDE VERIFICATION WITH ATC. I AM TYPICALLY A STRONG ADVOCATE OF QUESTIONING ATC WHEN IN DOUBT. BOTTOM LINE: TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED. AS A MINOR POINT; CTLRS OFTEN DOUBLY EMPHASIZE DIRECTION OF TURN WHEN NOT INTUITIVE. I REALIZE IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534082: WE WERE GIVEN A HDG. WE THOUGHT IT WAS A TURN TO THE R; FROM BASE TO FINAL; SO STARTED OUR TURN TO THE R. APCH QUERIED US ON OUR HDG; AND TOLD US THAT HE HAD WANTED A L TURN TO 350 DEGS. HE SAID THEN TO CONTINUE TO THE R; ALL THE WAY AROUND TO 350 DEGS. WE ASSUMED WE WERE ON BASE TO FINAL AND HEARD A HDG TO PUT US ON FINAL. CTLR DID NOT STRESS TURNING L; OUT OF ORDINARY.