They like to work with sound and music. They will usually have a good sense of pitch and rhythm. Typically, they can sing, play a musical instrument, or identify the sounds of different instruments. Certain music evokes strong emotion. The auditory person will notice music playing in the background of movies, TV shows and other media. Often they will be humming or tapping a song or jingle. The auditory person may find playing, conducting, or composing music, and sound engineering (mixing and audiovisual work) compatible career choices. The auditory learner’s characteristic is usually to prefer to listen without taking notes and prefers group discussion and/or study groups.
Techniques/Strategies for Auditory Learners
- Tape record lesson or notes for re-listening later: make use of the pause and counter; when you are in lecture and something is confusing, write down the counter number and make reference to it in your notes to review later
- Discuss concepts/facts/aspects with friend immediately after learning; make use of a “study buddy”
- When studying by themselves, talk out loud to aid recall
- Create your own audiotapes by reading your notes or textbook into the tape recorder
- Set information to rhyme, rhythm, or music to aid retention
- Use auditory mnemonics
- Use different voices to study (like creating a script or acting out a play)
- Remember where information is located in auditory field (recalling “who said that”)
- Use TV/video/radio supplements for obtaining information
- Use background music to study to help with concentration; although some prefer a quiet study environment
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
