"Know Thyself"
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
I came across an interesting article yesterday and realized that the way I learn has evolved.
In this article, 8 different ways to learn are highlighted.
1. VERBAL-LINGUISTIC (WORD SMART): If you are word smart, try listening to videos of native English speakers and transcribing them word-for-word. Then repeat each phrase out loud before moving onto the next line.
2. LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL (LOGIC SMART): Since logic smart people like to find out how things work, start by copying down a grammatically correct sentence written by a native English speaker. You can easily find these on news or advertisement sites. Next, break up the sentence into its components (subject, verb, object, conjunction, prepositions, etc.) and label them carefully. Write down the rules for why a verb is written with or without an -s or -ed ending or why it is followed by a certain preposition.
3. VISUAL-SPATIAL (PICTURE SMART): If you’re picture smart, you’re very good at imagining shapes and images in your mind. The key is to explain what you see well enough for others to understand. Try to describe what an animal looks like to someone who has never seen it before (eg. “An elephant is tall and wide. It has very rough skin. It has four legs which are as thick as trees.”)
4. AUDITORY-MUSICAL (MUSIC SMART): The best way for music smart students to learn is by singing! Listen to songs and repeat them to learn their pronunciation. But it may be difficult to know what some singers are saying since they don’t articulate their words well. For that, you can try different resources online that can make things much easier!
5. BODILY-KINESTHETIC (BODY SMART): People who are body smart have great control over their movements. Take advantage of this by learning how to control your mouth placement when trying to pronounce new words. If you can master how to shape your lips, teeth, tongue, and breath properly, it’s possible to make any sound in any language. Luckily, once you’ve learned that, there are systems like the International Phonetic Alphabet which can help you learn pronunciation much quicker.
6. INTERPERSONAL (PEOPLE SMART): Having good interpersonal skills means you’re good at sharing information. The best way for you to learn is by teaching others what you know. Take a topic and have a friend be your student. But don’t just teach from a textbook! Create your own diagrams or Powerpoint slides so that your brain has a chance to “digest” and “reprocess” the information.
7. INTRAPERSONAL (SELF SMART): Since self smart people are good at understanding their emotions, it should be quite easy for them to describe their experiences to others. Start by writing in a diary about past events that had a strong impact on you (eg. “When I was 12, I had my first kiss. I was very nervous but also excited because I was in love. My heart was beating very fast but I could not control my breathing.”).
8. NATURALISTIC (NATURE SMART): If you are nature smart, you clearly love nature. Try sharing your passion with your friends and family while improving your own speaking skill. Give tours of the outside world and give examples of how everyone can help protect the environment.