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.

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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.