The Learning Styles – 5 Spanish Learning Style Strategies
What is your best learning style? What type of practice and learning tools maximize your Spanish learning progress? Learn strategies to maximize your learning productivity.
When you plan your Spanish study routine, you can:
- determine your best learning style
- focus on your preferred type of practice
- choose sources and learning tools for your style
Everyone learns differently. What is interesting is that the learning styles overlap with the language skills. Knowing your preferred learning style will maximize your skill-building progress, saving you a lot of time.
Determining Your Learning Style
Schools have one style – textbooks and tests. This doesn’t mean that this is what works best for you. It’s important to figure out your learning strengths. This will make learning more productive and enjoyable for you. You will be much more motivated to accomplish your Spanish goals.
Learning Style Quiz
This short quiz will tell you what your preferred learning style is:
http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
The results may surprise you. Once you get your results for your learning preference, follow the recommendations below as you put together a Spanish learning plan.
Comparing the Language Learning Styles
There are four learning styles:
Visual / learn through seeing
Auditory / learn through hearing
Kinesthetic / learn through movement
Read-Write / learn through words
Best Practice for Your Learning Style
The most productive Spanish practice will focus on your learning strengths.
1. Visual Learners
You prefer learning by sight.
Spanish Practice for Visual Learning Styles
Visual learners are on the lookout for meaningful design. You organize your thoughts visually with the use of space and details. Creating a mental image of a concept is helpful. The use of symbolism, different formats, and layouts make statements.
Practice turning your spoken and print words into visuals and vice versa.
Spanish Learning Visual Activities
- Use art as a source for skills practice
- Draw things
- Label and diagram grammar patterns
- Refer to pictures, graphs, diagrams, and maps
- Use color, special characters, and text formatting
2. Auditory Learners
You prefer learning by listening.
Spanish Practice for Auditory Learning Styles
Auditory learners enjoy talking. Discussions are important in the learning process. This includes being able to ask questions and listen to the answers. Verbal instructions are easy to follow.
Reading and writing may be more challenging for you. If these skills are important for your goals, then be sure to include them in your practice routine. Consider writing what you hear and say. Also, read aloud from a print source.
Spanish Learning Auditory Activities
- Dramatic read-aloud from books
- Retell the facts or story of what was read (narration)
- Record and replay the reading
- Sing along with the music
- Chant information to a rhythm
- Give a presentation
- Debate a topic
3. Kinesthetic Learners
You prefer learning by doing.
Spanish Practice for kinesthetic Learning Styles
Kinesthetic learners value experience and practical application. You want everything to be real, even your images, stories, and activities. You learn by observation and experimentation, so written and verbal instructions are not necessary. You can connect senses to your visual and audio sources.
Practicing the skills must be connected to reality. The more intense movement is used in practice, the more effectively it sticks in memory.
Spanish Learning Kinesthetic Activities
- Apply new learning to real-life conversations
- Watch videos of real things
- Give presentations on practical topics
- Telling stories
- Use examples for concepts
- Role-playing
- Field trips and demonstrations
- Hand gestures for expression
- Project-based learning
- Play games
4. Read-Write Learners
You prefer learning through printed words.
Spanish Practice for Read-Write Learning Styles
Read-write learners are naturally good readers and writers. You will be able to turn visual and audio sources into writing. Print sources are your strength, both in comprehension and expression of words. Your focus is on accuracy and clarity.
Conversations take second place, so be sure to include plenty of practice listening and speaking.
Spanish Learning Read-Write Activities
- Use a variety of sources
- Listen, observe, read and write
- List and categorize things
- Correct mistakes
- Define interesting words with details
- Take notes and outline from a source
- Summarize information
- Research and report the facts
5. Multiple Style Learners
You may have a preference for more than one learning style. Combining them is equally effective.
Learning Tools for the Learning Styles
Choose the Spanish learning tools that match your learning styles:
Good visual sources include videos, pictures, diagrams, graphs, maps, and artwork.
Good auditory sources include audiobooks, podcasts, music, lectures, videos, and radio.
Good kinesthetic sources include videos, biographies, documentaries, transcripts, hands-on activities, interviews, projects, challenges, and real-life conversations.
Good read-write sources include dictionaries, glossaries, books, encyclopedias, lists, notes, handouts, print, and text on the screen or on paper.
These are some learning tools to add to your Spanish practice routine. Try something new.
Now it’s your turn! Please answer these questions in the comments: What is your best learning style? What new learning tools are you going to try? How did it go?
Your Next Step
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