Study Tips for Verbal Learners

There are various theories on the ways in which people learn. While these theories may vary somewhat, they are similar in the sense that they put forth a belief that people have preferred methods of receiving and interpreting information. Learning styles can have a a great influence on your academic life, as well as in your career. You may not know for sure which type of learner you are, but if you tend to prefer to learn through spoken word, like reading aloud or through discussion, you are likely a verbal learner. Let’s take a look at the characteristics of such students, as well as some study tips for verbal learners.

About Verbal Learners

Verbal learners are also known as linguistic learners. They enjoy language, reading and writing. As the name implies, you are quite adept at expressing yourself verbally. All aspects of language are of interest to you. You probably often have little trouble remembering the information that you have read. Your vocabulary is vast, and you like the pursuit of stringing words together. You may frequently talk to yourself as you try to figure out a problem, and you may sometimes find yourself reading aloud in order to better understand the material. While you enjoy being in a classroom setting to participate in class discussions, online group activities can also stimulate your learning. Collaboration is helpful to you when forming a comprehension of new concepts.

Characteristics of a Verbal Learner

Along with reading information, verbal learners like to ask questions and participate in discussions. Doing so provides you with the chance to clarify and form the big picture with regard to the subject matter. You’re a student who receives knowledge well through verbal lecture, spoken instructions or repeating terms aloud. You probably don’t like quiet and may find yourself humming or tapping your pencil when there is complete silence. Along these lines, rhythm, music and other kinds of sounds appeal to you. Because talking and hearing are your dominant approaches to receiving and processing new concepts, you may have some difficulty with visual tools like diagrams, charts or maps. Spelling may not be your strong point, either. Though you love language, writing is something that could cause you some struggle. You’d much rather talk about a subject than write about it.

When it comes to academic learning, you likely prefer oral lectures, particularly ones in which the information is laid out in logical progression and the most important parts are repeated. When instructors make up songs or rhymes to help students remember something, you will likely recall it long into the future. Study groups are helpful for you. Fortunately, in an online learning environment, you can collaborate with classmates in forums and other methods of virtual group discussion. Mnemonic devices, or memory enhancing techniques in which representations such as acronyms and rhymes are used to remember concepts, are probably favorite teaching tools of yours used by instructors.

In order to get the most out of studying, you will want to capitalize on your strengths. For you, these strengths involve listening, speaking and collaborating with others. A good place to start would simply be to read your notes out loud. This method allows you to hear the material and to process it through your own verbalization. Do this several times in order to make the most effective use of the strategy, as repetition is a key to retention of information. In addition, reading your textbook after each lesson and as you study will also help you to learn and to remember.

Beyond these simple strategies, you can get a bit creative. Form study groups with your classmates in which you teach each other different chapters of the material. You can do this through Skype or other online resource. The ability to hear the lessons being taught to you will help you to process them. Verbal learners thrive through the interpersonal connections offered in group work, as well. If you don’t want to form a study group of classmates, perhaps you can teach the information to a friend or family member. That would also be beneficial. You could also find lectures of others discussing the material online if you’d like chances to listen to someone discussing the topic. Incorporate mnemonic devices like rhymes, acronyms, poems or other such verbal tools to help you remember certain phrases or concepts related to the assigned material.

Now that you have an understanding of your preferred learning style, you can use some of the study tips for verbal learners discussed to begin studying in a proactive way that works for you. Feel free to get creative and personalize your techniques.

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