Types of Learners: Auditory Learners

by Ayesha Mirza

So here I am as promised, to share a few words on different kinds of learners. When I was a child, my father used to make me write down answers from chapters various times. This was to ensure that I retained the study information well. This did help to a degree, but not as much as dad desired. At that point, neither of us knew why exactly I was unable to score that high despite so much of an effort. But now we seem to know the answer. 

The simple answer is; each individual has different learning styles. What works for dad doesn't necessarily have to work for me too. So, in order to make best use of your time, it is important to know what your learning style is. There are primarily three types of learners: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. I will discuss the first category of learners in this post.

Auditory learners remember best the things they learn by listening. They can remember songs, for instance. They can recall their professor's lectures easily. They like to read out loud in order to remember things. They, if given the choice, prefer to listen to an audio tape instead of reading from a book. They are good in study groups and enjoy explaining things to themselves and others. I, for instance, enjoy acting as participant of a heated discussion on the topic I have to prepare for an exam. Auditory learners are also good at remembering tongue twisters. They are better at following spoken instructions instead of written ones. 

Does any of it ring a bell in your mind? If yes, you can bring a remarkable difference in your grades by making only few changes in your study habits. You can:

• audiotape your written notes,
• create chants, rhymes and word associations to remember facts,
• read out in a loud voice,
• repeat words/facts out loud with eyes closed,
• participate in group discussions,
• teach your class fellows who cannot understand the lessons well,
• listen to audiotapes on the topic, or watch related videos, or,
• record her lectures if your professor allows

So much for auditory learning, I will be posting about the other two kinds of learners soon.

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