If you’re wondering how to learn Japanese or what’s the best way to learn it, you might be interested in exploring your language learning style.
Language learning styles are part of a larger category known as ‘Learning Styles’ which are divided into four major groups: visual, auditory (also called ‘verbal’), kinesthetic (also called ‘tactile’) and reading/writing.
Learning styles are kind of a touchy topic. Currently, there is no research-based evidence to support them, which is why you will find mixed views from teachers, language educators and psychologists.
But something educators and psychologists would agree on is that students learn more when information is presented in a variety of ways compared to when only a single method is used.
And let’s be honest, how many of us feel like we learn more Japanese when watching TV shows with subtitles than when memorising grammar rules?
While they both have their place in language learning, many people would agree that how well we absorb a language depends on the person and the way we learn it!
Language learning styles can be particularly useful when you’re starting out learning Japanese on your own. You can use them as a guide to help you select language learning activities that you not only learn best from, but enjoy doing!
We’re going to break down the four major language learning styles today so you can decide which ones might help you learn Japanese better.
Visual
You guessed it – learners who vibe with the visual learning style prefer to see the language written down.
You might be thinking uh… who doesn’t need to see how a language is written when learning it? Especially Japanese, because it’s totally different to English!
Well, it’s not just the seeing that visual learners need to help them understand and learn the language.
It’s the presentation of the language in different visual formats like diagrams, lists and tables that helps visual learners to memorise and process information.
This could be anything from using a timeline when teaching the tenses (past, present and future) to making tables and flowcharts when teaching vocabulary and grammar.
How to learn Japanese as a visual learner?
Japanese is a very visual language, with three different writing systems and all that kanji, so if you’re a visual learner, you’ll never be short of methods to help you learn it!
Vocabulary and grammar are key starting p