The Different Types of Learners: Myth or Reality?

The theory of learning styles has long been considered a cornerstone in the fields of education and training. According to this idea, each individual has a preferred way of learning: some are visual, others auditory, kinesthetic, or verbal. This classification has piqued the interest of  teachers, trainers, and even learners themselves, but does it rest on solid scientific foundations? And more importantly, are learning styles truly useful when learning a foreign language?

Learning Styles in Education

What Are the Different Types of Learners?

In all these years of discussing learning styles, they have evolved and multiplied several times over. In addition to visual or auditory learners, some say there are active and reflective learners! However, the most well-known and common typologies come from models like Fleming’s (VARK model) or Kolb’s. These typically include:

• Visual learners: They prefer learning through images, diagrams, videos, and colors.

• Auditory learners: These learners best retain information by listening; enjoy discussions and recordings.

• Verbal learners: They love reading, writing, speaking, and playing with words.

• Kinesthetic learners: They learn through movement, manipulation, and hands-on experimentation.

• Logical learners: These learners prefer understanding rules, structures, and underlying logic.

The idea behind this classification is simple: by adapting teaching methods to the learner’s dominant style, learning becomes more effective. It seems intuitive: learning in a certain way to retain more and progress faster is exactly what we all want! This makes it incredibly tempting to believe in the importance of learning profiles… but reality is far more nuanced.

Learning Styles: An Appealing, but Disputed Model

Numerous scientific studies have tested the validity of learning styles. Do students actually learn better by sticking to one specific style? The findings are clear: there’s no strong evidence that adapting teaching to a student’s “learning type” significantly improves their results. In an interview with Radio Canada, Jimmy Bourque, an associate professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Moncton, even stated:

“In the end, academic results are the same, whether or not teaching is adapted to these supposed learning styles.”

Some researchers warn against rigid categorization, as it can limit the development of other learning skills. Believing that one learns better only through a specific style is an oversimplification.

In reality, these styles are neither stable over time nor exclusive. A learner may prefer visual input in one context but opt for listening or hands-on practice in another. Furthermore, as learners discover new learning styles, their profiles can evolve or improve. Thinking you can only learn effectively through one channel may hinder motivation and curiosity.

Learning Styles in Language Learning

What Are the Different Types of Learners in Language Learning?

When it comes to language learning, the limitations of the learning styles approach become even more evident. Mastering a language requires engaging multiple complementary skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and interaction. You need to work not only on written and oral comprehension, but also on written and oral expression . Focusing only on a supposed learning style—say, just listening or just reading—is not enough for balanced progress.

Take the example of a learner who identifies as “visual”: they might prefer subtitles, flashcards, or grammar diagrams. That is a good starting point. But to truly master a language, they also need to train their ear to pronunciation, dare to speak, and understand auditory messages in real contexts.  This is why second-language teachers encourage using a wide range of learning resources, such as reading, listening to audio files, and speaking the target language.

In reality, variety in learning approaches is far more beneficial than being locked into a single style. The more ways you find to learn a language, the better your progress will be. It is best to combine multiple learning profiles!

Learning Effectively: Toward a More Flexible and Personalized Approach

Instead of clinging to a fixed learning style, it is best to speak in terms of preferences or learning strategies. Each learner undoubtedly has habits and affinities, but also areas that need strengthening. For example, some people focus better when highlighting their notes, but that will not help them improve their pronunciation. That is why a multimodal approach, combining different types of resources and activities, is more effective.

In language learning, a multimodal approach could mean:

• Listening to podcasts or songs to immerse oneself in the language and improve listening comprehension.

• Reading news articles or books to build vocabulary and strengthen reading skills.

• Speaking with a language partner to boost fluency and oral expression.

• Writing regularly (journal entries, emails, summaries) to structure thoughts and practice writing skills.

Ultimately, goals, level, context, and motivation should guide the choice of methods, not a supposed learning style. From the beginning of your learning journey, share your goals with your language teacher so they can adapt the course plan and their teaching methods accordingly.

How Sapere Offers Different Learning Styles

Here at Sapere, we understand that learners often feel more comfortable when adhering to  a particular learning style. We are not here to take that advantage away from them, but we also do not want them to take the easy way out and slow down their progress. That is why our AI-powered learning platform offers various educational methods tailored to different learning profiles.

Our exercises are based on a wide range of learning styles, as to suit all learners:

• Visual learners can benefit from lexical fields to build vocabulary, and multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank exercises for practice.

• Auditory learners will enjoy our listening comprehension activities.

• Verbal learners will thrive in written expression exercises.

• Kinesthetic learners are also supported through role-play exercises, generated based on their profiles and fully adapted to their daily life and personal/professional goals.

With these varied exercises, learners study in fun and diverse ways. They retain lessons over the long term, put their knowledge into practice, and progress more quickly. By offering the best of each learning style, Sapere offers a truly comprehensive educational platform.

Learning styles are not entirely useless: they can help raise awareness of one's preferences and inspire variety in learning methods. However, they should not confine learners or serve as an excuse to stick to a single method. In language learning, as in many other fields, diversity, adaptability, and consistency make a real difference. Rather than asking how you prefer to learn, it is often more relevant to ask under what conditions you learn best; give yourself permission to explore new ways of learning!