What kind of learner are you?
How will your VivaLing coach support you?
How can you boost your own learning journey?
Did you know that there are different types of learning styles?
Maybe you can understand one person’s instructions but feel confused when dealing with someone else? That’s probably because they are approaching you in different ways. We all have different learning styles and will understand better when information is presented to us in particular ways. It might be that you are not sure what your learning style is. Or, maybe you have a combination of learning styles. It can be helpful to understand your learning style to find the teaching that best suits you.
It is generally accepted that there are about 8 kinds of learning styles.
It is easy to get lost in the wealth of information related to the psychology of learning so, in this blog post, we will focus on the 4 main learner types as we believe that you will fit in one of these categories.
We will review the different types of learners and how their learning journey is impacted by the choices they make. We will explain how VivaLing coaches support each kind of learner by using specific materials suited to their learning style. Then we will give you some tips on how you can support yourself in your learning strategies.
Auditory learners
You are an auditory learner when…
You respond well to oral instructions, lectures, or music. Auditory learners focus on spoken words and can find the meaning and pattern to help them understand more about the topic they study. If you watch a movie, you will be focusing on the script and words spoken to understand the story.
What will your VivaLing coach do to engage you?
The key for an auditory learner is the voice.
Your coach will use their voice, even when writing during the session. They will encourage you to read back as much as possible so that you can learn from your own voice too.
An auditory learner is usually very skilled at oral presentations
Your coach will leave maximum time for your own “exposés”. As you enjoy asking meaningful questions and aren’t afraid to answer them either, they will allow space for open and free conversations within the class, among other activities.
As you can relate easily to songs, they might also use a fair amount of music to enhance your learning – associating with the lyrics’ emotions and meaning. Don’t forget to mention your musical taste to make sure the experience is even more enjoyable!
What can you do to optimise your learning journey?
Watch your session recordings as much as possible.
Sit in a quiet place with no sound distractions when learning.
Interact verbally as much as you can during your learning process.
Listen to a variety of audio resources in your target language (podcasts, songs, movies…).
Participate in group events such as camps, live events, etc.
Visual or spatial learners
You are a visual and spatial learner when…
You are drawn to visual elements such as diagrams, drawing out ideas, charts and processes.
You learn by looking at visual concepts, creating them, and watching other people create them. Visual learners might be organised or creative in their application, and find things like colours and shapes useful.
What will your VivaLing coach do to engage you?
To engage a visual learner in the classroom your coach will include elements like maps, diagrams and imagery. The Internet is an endless well of resources and it’s very easy for a well-trained online coach to drop in a picture during your session. They will also use a lot of colours and cues as they are a great asset to the kind of learner you are.
When it comes to self-driven learning, they will encourage you to sketch out your ideas, create mind maps and flowcharts. It should probably come to you naturally, but a bit of prompting can always help. The whiteboard and image sharing will be the greatest assets for both you and your coach: you’ll doodle, you’ll colour.
You’ll point out tiny details, you’ll visualise plenty of images
They might also encourage you to take notes and recopy them during your study time as this is part of your functional memory.
What you can do to optimise your learning journey
Always have a notebook by your side during your classes to write, doodle, draw…
Watch the video recordings of your sessions as often as possible.
Prioritise one-to-one learning as group discussion can be a distraction to you.
Ask for written homework between sessions – if you have the availability to do so.
Verbal or linguistic learners
You’re a verbal or linguistic learner when
You have a preference for reading and writing, word games and poems.
Verbal learning includes both writing and speaking
You know the meanings of a broad category of words, can use them effectively, and actively seek out new words to add to your repertoire.
You are intellectual, a bookworm and most probably a good storyteller!
What will your VivaLing coach do to engage you?
As a verbal or linguistic learner, you are gifted to learn languages. You might have difficulty visualising things, struggle with maps, charts or pictures, and you may get bored if someone is monotonous.
However, you enjoy speaking (a lot!)
Your coach will include lots of fun and variety in your sessions to keep up with your standards and engage you in your learning journey.
As a verbal learner, you may learn more by talking about concepts, or perhaps by reading, writing notes, and potentially presenting them. Your coach will get to know you better to find out if you are an outgoing or more introspective verbal learner. They will try to cater to your preference while also using your verbal abilities to test and push your capabilities.
In summary, they’ll assign all the necessary time for you to express yourself within your sessions, and stimulate you with plenty of word problem solving exercises such as crosswords.
What can you do to optimise your learning journey?
Books in your target language are your best allies
Crosswords and any kind of word problem-solving exercise is your favourite drill.
Focus on podcast transcripts, movies with subtitles.
Don’t be shy about exercising your verbal skills by yourself, in a pretend-conversation with an interlocutor.
Physical or kinesthetic learners
You’re a physical or kinesthetic learner when…
You need hands-on material to learn best!
You are energetic, may drum your fingers or shake your legs, are action orientated and outgoing, and very often de-prioritize reading and writing. You prefer to physically engage with the materials of the subject matter and belong to the 5% of the population who prefer to get their hands dirty!
What will your VivaLing coach do to engage you?
Your coach will be challenged to channel your high energy and need to “feel” everything you learn. You may think that the virtuality of online classes will not suit your learning style, but you’ll be proven wrong as there are many techniques to bypass the “abstraction” of your online learning journey.
First of all, your coach will get you moving!
They will challenge you with some specific missions that imply movement such as grabbing an object in the house or locating a part of your body. They will encourage role play and movement within the lesson and will offer you regular breaks to channel your energy and let you move around.
They’ll prioritise physical interaction by using props from their side of the screen and encourage you to do the same at your end. Your online lesson will get more and more exciting each time as it will allow you to explore all the space and props available in your environment – as well as your coach’s!
What can you do to optimise your learning journey?
Clear your immediate working space of any props to avoid distractions.
Set up a working space that allows you movement (standing desk, sitting on a swiss ball, etc.)
When in self study, engage physically in your activity by using props.
Allow yourself to learn outdoors when possible (in your garden, on a walk while listening to a recording, …)
So there you have it. You probably now have a better understanding of why knowing how you learn best is essential to your whole language learning experience. VivaLing’s philosophy is resolutely oriented towards the learners’ needs and interests and each student’s learning style is at the heart of their focus too!
Our coaches are trained to adapt to each single learner’s style
They receive a wealth of resources from VivaLing, which allows them to create tailored content and specific approaches for each of their learners.
They will observe your reactions from the very first session and start getting to know you more.
From this, they find the best match in terms of material and activities to aid your learning style. But remember, if you feel something is lacking, it is always worth reaching out to your coach and letting them know what you need.
Help us to help you!
