This week my blog will discuss the effect of LL apps depending on what your learning style is. After taking a test that helped me determine my best suited style of learning and studying, I discovered that I am a fairly balanced learner, I can adapt to most styles, however I leaned more towards active, sensing, visual and sequential.

The app I will be reviewing is “Memrise”. A language learning app that utilizes visual and audio tools to help you grow your vocabulary and also places importance on the semantics of certain phrases and words.

Even during secondary school I noticed I always found it easier to learn and study a subject where I had a teacher that was engaging and who kept my attention. Working in groups where we had to discuss what we were learning really suited me. Active learning was a really important way of studying a subject for me in school, some of my teachers really emphasized it. I find the “Memrise” app extremely engaging and the use of its audio as well as its visual really helps me. Its constant quizzing helps me retain the information.

I would personalise my app to be along the same wavelength. I would want an app that is suited to those who are active learners, where it takes up your full attention. I also would use audio e.g. as you are reading sentences/phrases/words a clip of a spanish speaker saying it is also being played. Visuals of what you are reading would also be available to help you remember the vocabulary you would learn. I would use daily quizzes to test you on the vocabulary you would be given, for example, the day before to help you practice and rehearse all the information.

I am definitely a more “sensing” learner. I find it a lot easier to learn a fact than grasping abstract concepts. In a way I actually think the app “Memrise” would suit intuitive learners as well because it requires you to connect the dots when dealing with the context and semantics of certain linguistic situations. Even though I have a sensing learning style I think this part of the app is really effective.

In my LL app I would include this type of semantics teaching but I would also have a dictionary type explanation of words. If you search a word, it would show the different meanings a word can have in different contexts. I would also use examples to emphasize it.

When it comes to visual or verbal learning, I can definitely adapt to either one or the other. I can learn through pictures, diagrams and visuals but I also find it really effective to be taught through explanations and discussions, especially considering I study languages. The app “Memrise” caters equally to both learning styles, if you prefer to only study visually you are able to edit the settings so you don’t have to answer the questions that require you to hear a sound file.

As a sequential learner I like to learn things in steps, little by little, rather than a global learner who can jump from topic to a topic and learn in big chunks all at once. The app “Memrise” focuses on a small amount of new voabulary or grammar daily, which I think is more suited to a sequential learner. Global learners absorb material randomly, like an “a-ha” moment compared to a sequential learner who will not always understand fully the material but will be able to make sense of what they are doing.

That is all for my blog this week, see you next week !