Imagine you are looking down on top of your head and are able to see through your skull to the thinking brain within. What you would see is that the thinking brain (or neo cortex) consists of two distinct halves. These are the Cerebral Hemispheres. The two halves are connected by a rich bundle of nerves. We usually call these the left and right hemispheres of our brain.
Research suggests that each hemisphere, or half of the brain, tends to have its own style of processing information and this is what interests me…
How can we use both sides of our brain more effectively to accelerate or make our language learning more effective?
Research suggests that each hemisphere, or half of the brain, tends to have its own style of processing information and this is what interests me…
How can we use both sides of our brain more effectively to accelerate or make our language learning more effective?
Very simply:
- The left brain emphasizes words, logic, numbers, mathematics, sequence. It processes information in an analytical and sequential way, looking first at the pieces and them putting them together to get the whole.
- The right brain emphasizes rhyme, rhythm, music, pictures and imagination. It processes information in a non-verbal and intuitive way, using pictures rather than words.
The best illustration of this is to listen to people give directions. The left brain person will say something like “From here, go west three blocks and turn north on x Street. Go three or four kilometres and then turn east onto x Street.”
The right brain person will sound something like this: “Turn right (pointing right), by the church over there (pointing again). Then you will pass a service station and a Seven 11. At the next light, turn right toward the station.”
Can you ‘hear’ the difference?
The right brain person will sound something like this: “Turn right (pointing right), by the church over there (pointing again). Then you will pass a service station and a Seven 11. At the next light, turn right toward the station.”
Can you ‘hear’ the difference?
| While we have a natural tendency towards one way of thinking, the two sides of our brain work together in our everyday lives. There is no right or wrong - it is merely two different ways of thinking. One is not better than the other. What is important is to be aware what your natural preference is so that you can pay attention to your less dominant side. This will strengthen it and also improve how you learn. |  |
BTW, if you are unsure of your natural preference, there are plenty of tests on the internet to see which side you prefer. (Just type in left and right brain test.)
So how can we use our whole brain when we are learning our language?
To give you an example of whole brain learning let me explain what happens when we listen to a song - the left brain basically attends to the words and the right brain to the melody. As your whole brain is actively involved you tend to learn the words to popular songs very easily.
So how can we use our whole brain when we are learning our language?
To give you an example of whole brain learning let me explain what happens when we listen to a song - the left brain basically attends to the words and the right brain to the melody. As your whole brain is actively involved you tend to learn the words to popular songs very easily.
If we know that you learn more effectively when the left brain and right brain are both involved, it seems like a good idea to try using your non dominant side when learning your language.
- If you have a right brain preference, actively try to ‘see’ the structure and patterns of your new language.
- If you have a left brain preference, actively use visualisation when learning new words and phrases.
Try something new and I’d love to hear what you discover about yourself and the way you learn. If you want any ideas, send me an email or have a chat when I am in one of the centres. I’m always happy to personally give you some ideas of how to make your language learning easier and more effective.
Happy language learning.
Jo
Ref: http://brainmadesimple.com/left-and-right-hemispheres.html
Happy language learning.
Jo
Ref: http://brainmadesimple.com/left-and-right-hemispheres.html
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