One of the biggest travesties of our educational system is the one-size-fits-all approach. Regardless of your own learning abilities and natural predilections, you’re obliged to get the same lessons as everybody else.
All of us have different needs for learning. That held true when we were young and that continues to this day, as we learn new things (such as a second language) to further our professions and careers. Do you know what kind of learner you are? In case you suspect that you best receive input visually, try and see if any of these apply to you:
- Do you prefer to sit in the front during classes, meetings and conferences so you can see both the instructor (or speaker), along with all their visual aids?
- Would you rather watch a video (or read equivalent materials) than listen to a recording?
- Do you think in pictures?
- Do you prefer charts and graphs, rather than large blobs of text?
- Do you like to take notes and review it during meetings and lectures to help you absorb the information?
If you say “yes” to those above questions, then you are, indeed, a visual learner. To maximize the benefits from your language learning, here a few tips to take advantage of this knowledge:
- Use a language software with plenty of picture, video and text instructions, rather than audio.
- Label items in your home with their foreign terms. That will help you improve your vocabulary.
- Instead of a traditional classroom-based instruction, try opting for one-on-one tutoring.
- Use visual tools, such as picture-based cue cards, as learning aids.
- When learning vocabulary, try to associate words and phrases with pictures.