Do you seem to most often have a "song in your head?" Do you find yourself regularly strumming your fingers or tapping your pencil? Can you sing well or play a musical instrument? Have others commented that you have strong musical abilities? When you hear certain songs, does it evoke strong emotions? If this describes you, then you most likely have an aural learning style.
A person with an aural learning style may often say these phrases:
- That sounds good to me.
- That name rings a bell.
- Your voice is "music to my ears."
- I am "tuning you out."
- I hear you loud and clear.
Implications for learning
So what does being an "aural" person like this mean to you as you attempt to learn new things? One of the most often used advantages is that aural learners can "set facts to music" which helps them to learn the information. Aural learners can often "make up a song" about a concept to serve as a memory aid. Examples of this include "The President's Song" or "The Alphabet Song" which young learners use early in their education.
Another useful technique is to have music playing in the background as you are studying. Aural learners often report that they can focus much better when music is present than in silence. Some even report that during a test they can recall a song that was playing while they were learning certain facts.
Even persons with low levels of aural learning styles may find it useful to think of a popular jingle from a television commercial and "put the facts to music" using the rhyme and rhythm of the jingle as a memory aid.
A final strategy for aural learners is to identify music that motivates them. Perhaps it is a song like "Eye of the Tiger" which stirs motivation. Then when beginning an exam or learning activity, the person can be humming that song to themselves to boost their motivation and confidence.