You Move Me

Next, we explore kinesthetic learning. This form of intelligence is often considered antithetical to language learning. After all, haven’t we all been trained from a young age to sit still, listen to what we are taught and then asked to regurgitate facts, figures, or conjugations? How does movement factor into language learning?

Those of you who drawn to kinesthetic or tactile learning probably recognize that:

• You have trouble sitting still for long periods of time. You shift endlessly in your seat, lean back and rock forward, become bored without movement, beat your pen or pencil on an imaginary drum, find chewing and popping gum irresistible.
• You want to “see” things with your hands instead of simply seeing them.
• You speak through facial gestures and hand movements.
• You love to try new ways of learning, especially if they involve getting up and moving.
• You learn best by performing or experiencing something directly.
• You tend to be extraverted and expressive in your communication with others.
• You best memorize things that are done rather than spoken or seen.
• You may be good at learning how to play musical instruments and are passionate about music.
• You have a habit of spreading out notes and books in the process of learning.

For the kinesthetic / tactile learner, there is a natural tendency to act out in classroom settings, or to have difficulty containing the desire to move. For this type of learner, it is really incumbent on the teacher/instructor to facilitate methods of learning to help student.

·         Principally, the learner needs to accept that this is a predominant method of learning, embrace it and negotiate more physical activities in classroom settings.

·         However, knowing that persistent movement can be distractive to other learners who are not as kinesthetic, and that sometimes there are lectures that have to be sat through, bring extra paper and use doodling as a way to both concentrate and move at the same time. There have been a number of studies that have shown that drawing anything, or doodling, dramatically improves concentration and retention of information for tactile learners.

·         At home, make labels on objects around the house. Move around the house as you learn the new nouns.

·         Write dialogs that involve phrases and activities that you need to learn. Act them out.

·         Encourage a roommate, spouse, family member or friend to act out scenarios with you. Make your scenarios relevant to the language learning experience: workplace, shopping, casual encounters, etc.

·         Learn to spell using sign language, and spell out new words using your hands.

·         Go for long walks and mentally label objects and actions using your target language. Build sentences and phrases while walking.

·         Use your natural outgoing nature to get to know classmates. Invite them to join you on your walks to learn language together.

·         Where other types of learners may have difficulty with putting themselves out there, Kinesthetic learners often learn languages best by simply using them in situations.

·         For teacher of kinesthetic learners, don’t be afraid to set up a mock market or restaurant and have these students get physically involved in using a new language as in a scene from a play.  

·         Find scripts (there are several places online with free scripts of films) in your target language and act them out.

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/10Things.html

http://www.imsdb.com/language/French

http://www.simplyscripts.com/non_english_scripts.html

Or look up film scripts under Google and the language.

For kinesthetic and tactile learners, language learning can be a lot of fun, and a physical experience. Don’t allow a conventional classroom setting to slow you down. Get up out of your seat. Keep moving and…

Keep learning –

Tim 

Check out our book “The GO Method” on Amazon.

I hear what you’re saying

We always want to keep in mind that these methods of learning are not meant to create a box for yourself. We don’t want you to pigeonhole your learning process. Instead, these are simply a framework to lean on if you find that you have a preference in the way you learn. Many people find that they do best when they consider all the ways of learning as a sort of buffet. Take what works best for you from here and there, and savor the new language.

That said, the next stop on our multiple intelligences tour is the auditory learner, or the musical learner. If you have discovered that this is one of the best ways to learn for you, then you won’t be surprised that:

• You seek out sound patterns and rhythms and have a good sense of rhythm.
• You often respond to people by saying, “I hear you.”
• You are attracted by sounds and often subconsciously mimic them.
• You may constantly have a song circulating in your head.
• You may be drawn to accents and often mimic them.
• You often combine dancing and singing as a way to remember things.
• You easily memorize phrases and words in foreign languages.
• You may be good at learning how to play musical instruments and are passionate about music.
• You have a high level of understanding of musical structure, notes and tones

So how do you apply this method of learning to language acquisition? For musical / auditory learners it’s all about listening and enjoying as the information washes over you.

·         Simply exposing yourself to native speakers, attending seminars, classes, lectures, etc. on subjects that interest you can be an enormous help. Remember that there are a plethora examples of Ted Talks, documentaries and other English-language discussions of almost every type of information via Youtube.

·         There are also many Youtube videos that help with accent acquisition; something musical learners do very well.

·         Listen to music with lyrics in your target language. Create an earworm in your head by listening to the same song several times.

·         After listening, do fill-in-the gap exercises that help you remember new vocabulary.

·         Use a metronome to create rhythm and cadence and assist with memorizing. For detailed information on where to find online metronomes or how to use them, look for detailed tips in The Go Method by Gerhard Ohrband.

·         Poetry with strong rhyme structures is often very helpful for musical learners. A particularly helpful poem for English learners is The Chaos by Gerard N. Trenite.

8:54

The Chaos! A poem about English by Gerard N Trenité American English Pronunciation

·         Learn and use tongue twisters in your target language to help develop liguistic dexterity and to simply have fun with the language.

·         Have target-language films on while doing other things so that you are constantly exposed to the sounds of the target language.

·         Listen to sound recordings of books in your target language.

·         Practice pronunciation through repetition of intonation in your head or aloud.

·         Create chants and use other sound mnemonics to help you remember vocabulary, word order, and sentence structure.

·         Study with music in the background. Create pleasant associations with music that you like.

Musical and auditory learners are never without many resources when it comes to learning a new language. Slip on those headphones, or slip into a seminar given in your target language, and let the learning begin.

Keep learning –

Tim 

Check out our book “The GO Method” on Amazon.