Music has long been known to have profound effects on the brain. Listening to the right tunes can provide mood-altering results and even create a better quality of life for those who use music to destress. However, more profound research shows music increases cognitive abilities. This is because some students learn better by listening to music, and it goes a step further by improving memory as well! Music has also been known to improve social competence, teamwork ability, and creativity. People who can learn better or have their cognitive abilities boosted with music are known as auditory learners.
Wondering how to use music to your advantage in your life? The key lies in understanding the three different types of learners and how to use them to your advantage.
Auditory learner
If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening. You understand and remember things you have heard out loud better than you do when you read in silence. You store information based on the way it sounds, and you have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. You often learn by reading aloud because you have to hear it or speak it to know it. As an auditory learner, you probably hum or talk to yourself or others if you become bored. People may think you are not paying attention, even though you hear and understand everything being said.
There are both strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning using this style. The strengths are:
- can easily recall spoken information
- Good speaking skills
- Strong listening skills
- Typically, they excel at oral exams.
- Good storytelling skills
- What benefits the most from reading aloud?
Disadvantages being:
- More susceptible to distractions in the workplace, especially when there are excess noises in the environment.
- Shorter attention span, especially when the task involves reading or writing.
- More likely to cause disruptions in the work area, such as humming or singing to oneself or starting conversations with others while they are working.
- Decreased chance of retaining information if it is not expressed in an auditory form.
Hence, when an auditory learner relies on speaking and listening as their primary way of learning, they can use the same methods to learn a new language! Since they are typically good listeners and can easily remember information that has been spoken, retaining information when it is said or practised verbally will help them learn quicker and easier.
Visual learner
A visual learner learns best through visual means. They prefer looking at things to absorb information rather than listening to it (auditory) or using their hands (kinesthetic). For example, visual learners would learn to fix a car better if they watched an instructional video rather than listened to an expert explain the process.
A visual learner benefits from a typical classroom setting. Classrooms are usually filled with visuals, from whiteboards to overhead projections to posters on the walls. And usually, they have powerful organisation skills and the ability to memorise passages by their location within the text.
To learn a language, visual learners may use flashcards to present information visually, written notes, and colourful visuals to ease the language learning process.
Kinesthetic learner
Kinesthetic learning is the processing of information through touch and movement.
On-the-job training, building simulations, and performing experiments are all forms of kinesthetic learning. It is also referred to as tactile learning or physical learning.
Kinesthetic learners more effectively retain information when moving their bodies and interacting with their environments. They prefer to be active participants rather than passive observers. Typically, they work problems out through trial and error rather than accepting information presented to them. They often value practical input over theoretical concepts.
A kinesthetic learner may learn a new language using activities or projects that involve moving their body parts and interacting with the material and environment.
Every individual has a method of learning that works best for them. The learning styles you relate to can vary based on your preferences and abilities. While some can understand a topic by hearing about it, others need to interact with it physically. When you recognise the different learning styles, you can develop different approaches for conveying information based on others’ needs. Have you figured out which one you are?
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