Types of learner

I’ve taught lots of different people. Every student has their own motivations, needs, and preferences, but over time, I have noticed a few patterns. Which one of these is true for you?

1.   You want grammar! Maybe you think that if you understand grammar, you you’ll be able to speak the language (you’re wrong. Sorry). Maybe you see grammar as an island of stability in the sea of chaos and nonsense, and you use grammar as a psychological crutch to help you deal with frustration(this one is me). Or maybe you’re just a nerd, and like memorizing paradigmatic tables (thumbs up!).

2. You don’t care about grammar. You just speak and hope. Maybe you just like to talk, and want to make friends, or maybe you want to get by while traveling abroad. (this strategy works well in the short term, but you put a lot of stress on your listeners, and there’s the danger that you’ll develop bad habits).

3. No! Before you start speaking, you have to make sure your sentence is PERFECT! You’re afraid people will laugh at you. (this means you will never say anything, and you won’t get practice. Try to find people who won’t laugh at you).

4. You can just listen to the language and absorb it unconsciously without working. (Nope. You can’t. Sorry.)

5. You are preparing for something specific, like a test or an interview, with clear goals in mind. (horray! I wish I was you!)

So what kind of learner are you? Go here to take the test and find out!