Language Learning Styles and What Works for You

To maximize your full potential in language learning, start by using the right approach. But what learning style will best fit your preferences?

As the adage goes, “One size doesn’t fit all.” We are all different in terms of how we perceive the world and what our preferences are, may it be from the clothes we wear to the approaches we take when learning.

Perhaps you may have struggled with the typical classroom set-up wherein a teacher feeds you information by explaining the lesson gradually. Although some learn in this way the best, this method isn’t effective for everyone. Not everyone learns the same way as others do.

In a Nutshell: The 4 Different Learning Styles

Basically, there are four types of learning styles: visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic and tactile. Each has its own traits that may work for you or may not.

Take note that having a learning style doesn’t cancel out the other ones; hearing, seeing, and experiencing are all equally essential to study. Learning a language is just as easy as studying any other subject, but without the right approach, you may feel little to no progress at all in your journey.

That’s why it’s vital to figure out what style suits your preference to maximize your full efficiency and potential. Let’s briefly examine these styles:

Visual

Visual learners are those who learn best through the use of visual media such as photos, flashcards, videos, films, books, and colors. This approach mainly uses tangible materials to better process the information presented. Essentially, visual materials help the learner visualize the words.

Say, writing and seeing the words and their corresponding meaning helps your better memorize them. If this is your kind of learning style, make sure your language lesson involves a lot of visual aids or is image-heavy.

Auditory

If a visual learner learns by seeing, the auditory learner can learn just as effectively by listening. This kind of learning style relies on listening to conversations, hearing a trainer explain the lesson, or on audio-lingual materials such as audiobooks and podcasts. It originated sometime after World War II when students were taught to listen to a dialogue, repeat it and memorize it.

Nowadays, this type of approach isn’t as popular but still, listening to how words are spoken is a great tool in language learning. If you find this style best for you, lean into using audio materials such as audiobooks, and podcasts or enrolling in a language learning program that offers telephone lessons.

Reading and Writing

This kind of learning style centers more on reading a text and taking down notes. Basically, interacting with text is more powerful for these types of learners than through just visual or auditory means. The use of written quizzes and other activities helps this kind of learner attain information.

Other means could also include manuals, online and paper books, dictionaries, thesauruses, and other text materials.

Kinesthetic and Tactile

This style makes use of an active method of learning, meaning the more communication and immersion there is, the more the learner grasps the language. It’s simply learning by experiencing and making use of movement. Moving while learning is essentially the principle.

This can be done by watching a film/play in a foreign language, listening to native speakers converse, talking to friends, or using English out of class. Thus, exposing oneself to the language helps the kinesthetic and tactile learner understand the language more.

If this style suits you best, try talking to a native speaker or repeating words/phrases you’ve learned while fidgeting or pacing back and forth.

Start Learning More Efficiently!

Determining your learning style will help you greatly in learning a language as using a strategy that is in line with the method you best learn saves time and a lot of your effort. But it’s imperative to remember that you shouldn’t limit yourself to a single learning style. It’s always good and refreshing to mix things up, as variety could improve your learning pace.

Start with what you’re comfortable with, then try something that’s not. Who knows, maybe you’re accustomed to more than just one learning style.