English humorist and novelist Douglas Adams once said: “You live and learn. At any rate, you live.” He must have meant that learning is a lifelong process, and this is especially true when picking up a new language. You can never fully master one (even if you’re a native), but even the process itself can become a pleasure with the numerous exercises you can do and the right tools at hand. However, you have to know what kind of learner you are first.
For visual learners, the most important aspect is what they see, while auditory learners prefer the spoken word. Reading and writing learners find the most comfort in texts, whereas kinesthetic learners enjoy physical activities above all else. While all are equally valid, visual learners are the most spoiled in an age where we spend so much time in front of screens. For these students, heavily image-focused language learning apps are ideal.
How Do Visual Learners Learn a New Language?
For a visual learner, analyzing pictures, drawings, charts, and mindmaps is the most beneficial. If a teacher explains more through drawing and writing than speaking, visual learners process the information easier, as they learn best when they have to associate words, phrases, and sentences with pictures. It's no surprise then that a language teacher or an app can grab a visual learner’s attention with eye-pleasing activities.
The best software for this type of learner is the one placing heavy emphasis on association, immersion, and deduction, where the three work together: association makes them approach problems creatively; immersion encourages them to dive deep into what interests them but solely in the new language, and deduction helps them to quickly understand the language’s context for a more effective learning. Most apps provide the visual stimulation at a beginner’s level through flashcards, but fail to do so for the more advanced levels. However, visual learners need constant visual stimulation, not just at an entry level. Luckily, some language learning apps providers have this in mind and offer various tools catered to visual learners across the full program. Plus, since students may also benefit from associating words with faces, videos showcasing the country and its culture can significantly help – especially if they also want to speak like a local.
Recommended Language Learning Apps for Visual Learners
Babbel
For those interested in learning through play, Babbel is an excellent choice. The company offers 13 different languages, and uses an immersive technique that ranges from the more common ‘match the words to the pictures’ exercises to minigames and videos. It also teaches about the given language’s culture, people, and their history, while firstly (and most importantly) honing language skills. Babbel is quite accessible in terms of price, and you can opt between signing up for just one language or the full experience that grants access to all courses. If you’re just experimenting, you can try one lesson for free or take advantage of the 20-day money-back guarantee.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone offers 24 immersive and interactive language courses. Students don’t see a single word in their mother tongue while participating in a course. Instead, they must learn by associating pictures with words. The same image will come up repeatedly, ensuring that the student memorizes the new vocabulary. Short sentences soon follow, where it becomes fairly easy to figure out what the verb is, as you’ve already learned the noun. The app isn’t the cheapest one around, but you can save up to 60% with a two-year plan. There’s a 3-day free trial, and it’s possible to take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.
Busuu
Busuu offers up a little bit of everything with its 10-minute lessons. It uses flashcards to initiate the learning process, throwing in images in quick succession. After that, it encourages you to memorize what you just learned through activities such as quizzes. A typical lesson ends with a native speaking the words out loud, which is useful for improving pronunciation. The app offers up an attractive free plan. If you’re just interested in learning with flashcards, this subscription is more than enough, but if you’re intrigued by the other features as well, Busuu’s paid plans are reasonably priced.
Best Study Tips for Visual Learners
Do you stick post-its all around your home when you have to remember something? Then you’re a visual learner. Putting notes at various places in the house can help a lot, as you’ll bump into them even when you aren’t actively trying to learn. No matter how difficult the language is, taking notes will help you absorb the information.
Learning by doing may sound like a method for kinesthetic learners, but sometimes it applies to visual learners, too. Hobbies like drawing or painting are especially beneficial. Imagine learning the word ‘snowman’ in Japanese, after already having learned some basic aspects of Japan’s history and culture. So, you start by writing the word in Japanese script, and then draw a snowman holding a katana (a samurai sword), and wearing an ajirogasa (a wickerwork hat).
You can also increase your cultural knowledge by watching a movie or documentary, preferably in the language you’re learning. If a film is overwhelming, try streaming a short series. If you prefer reading a book about the country’s culture, you may want to use highlighters. Or better yet, read on a screen and use a highlighting app.
Additional Resources for Visual Language Learners
Visual learners enjoy learning alone and in complete silence. It’s best to read in complete silence, too. So, why not combine the two and learn by reading a comic book or graphic novel in your new language to boost your skills without any noise? Visual learners are also excellent organizers, meaning that they often use approaches such as mindmaps. Luckily, you can create these in most text editors and there are a multitude of mindmap apps out there. Finally, a visual learner can greatly benefit from making to-do lists. There are many programs available that can help tracking your studying goals. Some of them, like Asana, even offer a free version.