Language Learning Style Inventory

This is a collection of language learning style inventories. They are designed to help you to understand yourself as a learner. This is not a test of language learning aptitude. Every aspect of our personality will confer advantages and impose disadvantages upon you as language learner. These inventories can help you to become aware of these things.

The idea of an inventory generally is to help you see patterns in your preferences and opinions. Then we can look at those patterns, and connect them to your language learning practices. Currently there is not a lot of help in interpreting your results; this will be developed in the future. In the meantime, you're intended to discuss your results with a language coach.

You can go straight through all the parts of the inventory, or jump around. For the more psychological bits, it's probably best to go with your first response rather than revisiting your previous answers.

The inventory will take about thirty minutes to complete. Once you finish the questions, go to the “Results” tab to see your results. Then click the, “Save my results” button to download your results. Send that file to whoever you want to see your results. You can also load your results under “Load my saved results.”

Sources

None of these resources was developed by LCP, and in fact LCP did not even select these resources. The selection of resources is taken from the document “Personal Learner Profile” by Carol J. Orwig, which is available various places online. Some of the inventories are included directly in that document, whereas others have been culled from various unrestricted web sites (i.e., from Google searches). In each case an automatic tallying system was added to make the inventory less onerous. The original source of each inventory is identified at the bottom of each page.

Privacy

This web site does not store any of your test results. It does however store results in your web browser (i.e., on your computer) for 90 days. If you'd like to clear these results, go to the “Results” tab, click the “Clear my answers” button, and close the browser window.

Your Language Learning History

What is your first language?
What other languages do you speak?
Where did you learn them, in a formal setting, such as school, or informally, by living among people who speak that language, or both?
Do you feel that this was a successful learning experience? Why or why not? (Please answer for each language you've learned.)
What language (or languages) do you want to learn in the foreseeable future?
What sorts of activities will you be carrying out using this (these) language(s)?

Source: “Personal Learner Profile” by Carol J. Orwig. Available on various web sites.

Your Language Learning Self-Image

Do you think you are a pretty good language learner? A poor language learner? Come on, now, be honest! No false modesty!
Have you ever taken any sort of language aptitude test, such as the MLAT?
What were the results? Did you agree with them?
Have you ever been told by a teacher or other person that you did or did not have aptitude for learning other languages? On what basis did they make that determination?
How do you honestly feel about your ability to learn another language? On what do you base this?

Source: “Personal Learner Profile” by Carol J. Orwig. Available on various web sites.

Language Learning Attitudes

I think I’m a pretty good language learner.

I find it easy to “put myself in other people’s shoes” and imagine how they feel.

I feel a resistance from within when I try to speak in a foreign language, even if I’ve practiced.

You have to understand people’s culture and value system before you can really be sure whether some actions are right or wrong.

I want to learn the language of the community where I’ll live so that I can fit in and participate in the life of the community as much as possible.

I kind of enjoy figuring things about as I go along and always being ready to throw away my old ideas or to modify my model of how things work.

I find it hard to make conversation even with people who speak my own language, much less another one.

I’d call myself a risk-taker, at least when not in dangerous or life-threatening situations.

I think I need to learn another language to do my job well.

As long as I can accomplish goals that are important to me, using English or another language I already know, I think it would be a waste of my time to spend a year or more learning yet another language.

I don’t worry a lot about making mistakes. I just go for it.

Learning a language may be important to my goals, but I expect it to be really hard.

It annoys me when people don’t give me a clear-cut answer, but just beat around the bush.

It would be nice to learn another language, but fortunately most of the world learns English as a second language, so I don’t really need to learn another language well.

I know I’ll get some things wrong and that people will probably laugh, but that doesn’t really bother me much.

I think it is more important to be accurate than to speak quickly.

I don’t mind being up in front of people, speaking or performing.

There is a right and a wrong way to do almost everything, and I need to figure out which is which and do it right.

I like to mimic other accents, and people say I do it well.

My language learning aptitude is probably pretty high.

I see many issues in shades of gray. When I have to make up my mind about something and act on it I do so, but I often have a nagging question left in my mind about my choice.

I think that I could learn pretty much any language I really put my mind to, given the right circumstances.

Speaking the language of the community where I’ll be living will let me help people more than I could otherwise.

I can do impersonations of famous people pretty well, even if I would never make it on the stage.

In school, if I didn’t know an answer for sure, I’d sometimes answer out loud in class anyway.

I end up trembling and practically in a cold sweat when I have to talk in front of people.

I often think out loud, trying out my ideas on other people.

I think I sound weird if I try to put on an accent and sound like somebody else.

You should say “yes” straight out if you mean yes and “no” if you mean no. Not to do so is dishonest.

I would find it hard to be an actor and be convincing in a role different from myself.

I took a foreign language in school but didn’t do well, so I think I just don’t have a gift in that area.

I don’t have a clue about how to learn a language.

I am who I am and I can’t really be like anybody else and don’t particularly want to try to act as though I could.

When playing a game I tend to be more conservative and try not to lose rather than take a big risk in order to try to win.

I want to have everything worked out in my own head before I answer.

The important thing is to be able to get ideas across to another person in some language. It doesn’t really matter if I learn their language if they know mine.

Source: “Personal Learner Profile” by Carol J. Orwig. Available on various web sites.

Hemispheric Dominance

Are you usually running late for class or other appointments?

When taking a test do you prefer that questions be

When making decisions

When relating an event to a friend

Do you have a place for everything and everything in a place?

When faced with a major change in life, you are

Your work style is like this

Can you tell approximately how much time has passed without a watch?

Which is easier for you to understand?

It is easier for you to remember people’s names or to remember people’s faces

When learning a new piece of equipment

When someone is speaking, do you respond to

When speaking, do you use few or many gestures? (Do you use your hands when you talk?)

What is your desk, work area, or laundry area like?

When asked your opinion, You

Do you do your best thinking sitting at your desk or walking around or lying down?

When reading a magazine do you

When you’re shopping and see something you want to buy

If you were hanging a picture on a wall. Would you

Source: http://capone.mtsu.edu/studskl/hd/hemispheric_dominance.html

Meyers-Briggs Personality Type

When the phone rings do you

Are you more

Is it worse to

With people are you usually more

Are you more comfortable in making

Is clutter in the workplace something you

Is it your way to

Waiting in line, do you often

Are you more

Are you more interested in

In making up your mind are you more likely to go by

In sizing up others do you tend to be

Do you prefer contracts to be

Are you more satisfied having

At a party, do you

Do you tend to be more

Do you like writers who

Which appeals to you more

If you must disappoint someone are you usually

On the job do you want your activities

Do you more often prefer

Does interacting with strangers

Facts

Do you find visionaries and theorists

In a heated discussion, do you

Is it better to be

At work, is it more natural for you to

Are you more comfortable

Do you tend to

Common sense is

Children often do not

When in charge of others do you tend to be

Are you more often

Are you prone to

In most situations are you more

Do you think of yourself as

Are you more frequently

Do you speak more in

Which is more of a compliment

Which rules you more

When finishing a job, do you like to

Do you prefer to work

Are you the kind of person who

Are you inclined to take what is said

Do you more often see

Is it worse to be

In trying circumstances are you sometimes

Do you tend to choose

Are you inclined to be more

At work do you tend to

Are you more likely to trust

Are you more inclined to feel

Do you think of yourself as a

Do you value in yourself more that you are

Do you usually want things

Would you say you are more

Do you consider yourself

Do you prize in yourself

Are you drawn more to

Which seems the greater fault

Are you swayed more by

Do you feel better about

Is it preferable mostly to

Are you inclined to be

In stories do you prefer

Is it easier for you to

Which do you wish more for yourself

Do you see yourself as basically

Do you tend to notice

Are you more

Source: http://www.keirsey.com/

Lingenfelter-Mayers Cultural Inventory

I would not feel comfortable working for a large organization because I would never see the whole picture of what I was working on.

I seek out friends and enjoy talking about any subject that happens to come up.

I avoid setting goals for fear that I might not reach them.

I am more concerned about what I have accomplished than I am with the position and title of my job.

I seldom think much about the future. I just like to get involved in things as they turn up.

I feel things are either right or wrong; discussion of "gray" areas makes me uncomfortable and seems to compromise the truth.

When making a decision, I feel that more than one of the options can be a right choice.

When I set a goal, I dedicate myself to reaching that goal, even if other areas of my life suffer as a result of it.

I am always one of the first to try something.

I tend to associate only with people of the same social status.

I feel strongly that time is a scarce commodity, and I value it highly.

When my car needs tuning, I go to the dealer rather than let my neighbor who works out of his garage do the job. With professionals, I know it will be done right.

I like performing before an audience because it pushes me to perform better.

My primary criteria for buying a car are low price and a record of quality and reliability; I do not let family or friends influence me to spend more for a "name brand."

My work or desk area is very organized. There is a place for everything, and everything is in its place.

I attend lectures and read books by experts to find solutions to issues of importance to me.

If offered a promotion which entailed moving to another city, I would not be held back by relationships to parents and friends.

I find it difficult to relate to people who have a significantly higher occupational or social position than mine.

I always wear a watch and refer to it regularly in order not to be late for anything.

I feel very frustrated if someone treats me like a stereotype.

I tend not to worry about potential problems; I wait until a problem develops before taking action.

When waiting in line, I tend to start up conversations with people I do not know.

I hate to arrive late; sometimes I stay away rather than walk in late.

I get annoyed at people who want to stop a discussion and push the group to make a decision, especially when everybody has not had a chance to express their opinions.

I plan my daily and weekly activities. I am annoyed when my schedule or routine gets interrupted.

I do not take sides in a discussion until I have heard all of the arguments.

Completing a task is almost an obsession with me, and I cannot be content until I am finished.

I enjoy breaking out of my routine and doing something totally different every now and then to keep life exciting.

When involved in a project, I tend to work on it until completion, even if it means being late on other things.

I only eat in a few select public places outside of my home, where I can be sure the food is the best quality and I can find the specific items I enjoy.

Even though I know it might rain, I would attend a friend's barbecue rather than excuse myself to repair the damage a storm has done to my roof.

I always submit to the authority of my boss, pastor, and teachers, even if I feel they may be wrong.

I feel that there is a standard grammar of my national language and that all of my fellow citizens should use it.

To make meals more interesting, I introduce changes into the recipes I find in cookbooks.

I argue my point to the end, even if I know I am wrong.

I do not feel that anything I have done in my past matters much; I have to keep proving myself every day.

When starting a new job, I work especially hard to prove myself to my fellow workers.

When introducing important people, I usually include their occupation and title.

I talk with others about my problems and ask them for advice.

I avoid participating in games at which I am not very good.

Even if in a hurry while running errands, I will stop to talk with a friend.

I have set specific goals for what I want to accomplish in the next year and the next five years.

I like to be active with many things so that at any one time I have a choice of what to do.

When shopping for a major item, I first get expert advice and then buy the recommended item at the nearest reasonable store.

I enjoy looking at art and trying to figure out what the artist was thinking and trying to communicate.

I feel uncomfortable and frustrated when a discussion ends without a clear resolution of the issue; nobody wins the argument.

I resist a scheduled life, preferring to do things on the spur of the moment.

When leading a meeting, I make sure that it begins and ends on time.

Adopted from documents claiming to reproduce the inventory from Sherwood G. Lingenfelter & Marvin K. Mayers. Baker Books, 1986.

Sensory Modality Preference

I remember information better if I write it down.

Looking at the person helps keep me focused.

I need a quiet place to get my work done.

When I take a test, I can see the textbook page in my head.

I need to write down directions, not just take them verbally.

Music or background noise distracts my attention from the task at hand.

I don’t always get the meaning of a joke.

I doodle and draw pictures on the margins of my notebook pages.

I have trouble following lectures.

I react very strongly to colors.

My papers and notebooks always seem messy.

When I read, I need to use my index finger to track my place on the line.

I do not follow written directions well.

If I hear something, I will remember it.

Writing has always been difficult for me.

I often misread words from the text, i.e. “them” for “then”).

I would rather listen and learn than read and learn.

I’m not very good at interpreting an individual’s body language.

Pages with small print or poor quality copies are difficult for me to read.

My eyes tire quickly, even though my vision check-up is always fine.

I start a project before reading the directions.

I hate to sit at a desk for long periods of time.

I prefer first to see something done and then to do it myself.

I use the trial and error approach to problem-solving.

I like to read my textbook while riding an exercise bike.

I take frequent study breaks.

I have a difficult time giving step-by-step instructions.

I enjoy sports and do well at several different types of sports.

I use my hands when describing things.

I have to rewrite or type my class notes to reinforce the material.

Source: https://www.brookhavencollege.edu/studentsvcs/learningstyle/Pages/modality_test.aspx

My Language Learning Theory

People over 40 will probably find it very hard to learn a second language.

If you don’t have a special aptitude it will be really hard to learn one well.

It's really important to have your errors corrected from the start when you are learning a language, or you'll never speak correctly.

Grammar drills are very important in mastering a second language.

You can learn a second language more easily if you like the people who speak that language.

The best way to learn another language is to forget about lesson plans or grammar, but just spend time with people who speak the language.

You shouldn’t say anything in a new language until you can say it correctly.

Some languages are by their nature harder than others.

Attitude contributes as much as intelligence to language learning success.

If you can analyze how a language works, you'll be able to speak it well.

You are learning a language if you can understand what people are saying, even if you can't yet speak well.

It is easier for someone who already speaks a foreign language to learn another.

It is easier to speak than to understand a foreign language.

It is important to listen a lot before starting to speak.

Learning a second language is different from learning other academic subjects.

It is important to repeat and practice a lot.

It is important to understand what the parts of a sentence mean when you are learning to say it.

At some point you need to spend a year or so in a country where the language is spoken in order to become really fluent.

Memorizing dialogues is a good way to learn a language.

Being anxious is usually harmful when learning a second language.

Source: “Personal Learner Profile” by Carol J. Orwig. Available on various web sites.

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History Questionnaire

Self-image Questionnaire

Language Learning Attitudes

This is an inventory of attitudes that can affect your language learning. A person whose “blob” filled the hexagon is expected to have the easiest time, whereas a person whose blob was smaller is expected to have more to overcome.

Read some discussion about this inventory

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Brain Dominance

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Meyers-Briggs

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Lingenfelter-Mayers

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Sensory Modality

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Learning Theory

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Interpreting your results

This is probably more information than you are interested in absorbing in one sitting. It's included here to make this a standalone resource, but it may be more helpful to sit down with someone to discuss your results. For elements of the inventory to do with your own history and attitudes, the important thing is for you to (a) process your previous experiences with language learning with a view to moving forward positively, (b) think about concrete steps you can take to make your language learning more effective.

This text was not developed by LCP. It has been selected from various web sites, which make it available without restriction (i.e., from Google searches). Sources are identified at the bottom of each page. It has been aggregated here only for the convenience of our learners, to avoid having to visit multiple web sites and the broken links that result.

Language Learning Attitudes

Self-image

If your score in self-image came out low, it sounds as though you have a pretty poor image of yourself as a language learner. Ask yourself on what this image is based. Is it because you didn’t do well in a language class in school? Did your teacher or someone else tell you that you’d never succeed in learning a language well?

There are a number of reasons why some people don’t do well in language classes in school. They may not be motivated, because they don’t have any real need (or indeed any opportunity) to use the language. A language classroom usually doesn’t provide enough practice with native speakers due to the sheer size of the classes, nor is there time to develop real fluency. Most important of all, the language is not experienced in a natural cultural setting.

If you are now planning to learn a language because you are going to live in a country where it is spoken, you have a much better chance of success than in the situation just described. Your motivation is probably much higher, because you’ll need the language to survive. You’ll experience it in natural contexts, get lots of opportunities to practice, and not have as much time pressure to learn.

You may find that being able to use strategies to learn your own way makes a big difference in your success. It may be that before, the teacher’s style and yours didn’t fit.

Remember that you can learn another language, even if you don’t learn as quickly as someone else.

You’ll be more likely to succeed if you stop telling yourself you’re a bad learner. That could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Anxiety and Inhibition

If your scores are high for anxiety and inhibition (i.e., a small number on this inventory) you may have problems in getting enough communication practice, unless you figure out a strategy that works for you. Anxiety is usually harmful to your language learning progress, because it keeps you from being able to take in language input from which you could otherwise learn. Make a plan ahead of time as to how you can deal with anxiety and reduce your inhibitions. Here are some suggestions you might put into your plan:

  1. Decide to delay speaking for a while, if possible, and work on comprehension vocabulary first. This is usually less threatening than trying to speak.
  2. Plan to try to make a “culture friend” with whom you will feel comfortable, and to whom you would like to talk and spend time with. You may find yourself more at ease in speaking with someone you get to know than with the general public.
  3. Decide to practice communication situations in your mind before going out to do them for real. For example, rehearse going to the post office or shop. Ask yourself “What will I say?”, “What do I expect the clerk or salesperson to say?”, “What will I answer?”, etc.
  4. Plan on doing some role-play with your culture friend or language associate before going into real communication situations. If role-play makes you more nervous than real situations, then don’t include this in your plan.
  5. Develop a strategy for reducing physical stress signs by exercising, doing needlework, listening to music, or whatever means you find most helpful to relax.

You should find your anxiety diminishing already, if you know you are prepared to deal with anxiety should it occur.

Risk-taking

Is it a good thing to take risks? It depends on how often your gamble pays off. If you are always taking reckless risks, it is probably a bad thing. If, on the other hand, you are afraid to do anything for fear of failing, you won’t accomplish anything.

Taking risks wisely is important in language learning as in other areas of life. What are the risks in making conversation? That you’ll make mistakes and be misunderstood or laughed at. Nobody really enjoys such an experience, but it bothers some people so much that they are unwilling to speak at all for fear of making a mistake. The trouble with this is that they miss out on conversational opportunities and a lot of comprehensible input.

If you are not a conversational risk-taker, what can you do to encourage yourself to speak more? First of all, you can accept the fact that you can’t learn to speak a language well without making some mistakes and that mistakes can be valuable learning experiences. Try to think of yourself as testing hypotheses and getting data in return. That may help you to be willing to experiment more with language. To minimize your risks you should probably plan to spend more time listening to people talk before you start trying to speak.

If you are a person who takes conversational risks too readily you may find yourself making lots of mistakes because you just blurt things out without thinking. If you continue to make mistakes without correction they may start to sound right to you. Here’s something you can try to make yourself think twice before taking a conversational risk: play a game with yourself, where you award yourself a point for every guess that turns out to be right and deduct two points for every guess that is wrong. (If you are not a natural risk-taker, weigh the scoring the other way round!) See whether you win or lose the game with yourself.

Ego Permeability

This topic sounds rather painful, doesn’t it? Actually it’s a term used to refer to how easy it is for you to take on another rôle or to sound different from the way you are used to speaking. People who like taking rôles in dramatic performances, who empathize easily with others, who can do impersonations or mimic foreign accents are said to have high ego permeability. Those who have low ego permeability find it hard to sound “funny” or unlike themselves.

If you are one of these relatively impermeable people, you may find it hard to develop a good pronunciation in your new language, unless you really work on trying to listen to and mimic native speakers.

Here are some tips:

  • When you get to your language area, try to find some people who seem to have more of the same personality characteristics or ways of thinking as you than do some other members of the speech community. For example, if you are quieter and more introverted, there may be some people like you even if the general tendency in the culture is to be noisier and more outspoken. Or vice versa. It is easier to try to sound like someone with whom you can identify than with someone who seems really different.
  • You may have developed this aversion to sounding funny during adolescence when you wanted to fit in with your peer group. If you really want to fit in with the new society you will probably be more open to sounding like them.
  • Remember: the important thing is to be understandable to people and speak in a way that doesn’t annoy them or hurt their ears. If you never sound like a native speaker but show real respect for the people and their culture, they will probably not mind so much how you speak.

Motivation

Integrative/ Instrumental

There are various kinds of motivation a person can have to learn another language. One kind has to do with the desire to get to know people and to belong to a community. That is called Integrative Motivation.

Another kind of motivation has to do with the perception that we need to learn a language to accomplish some task or goal important to us. This is called Instrumental Motivation.

Some studies have indicated that Integrative Motivation may be a stronger force than Instrumental Motivation, but not in every case. The crux seems to be how important the goal is to you, personally.

Internal/External

Another way of talking about motivation is whether it is Internal or External; in other words whether you are personally motivated or whether someone else thinks you should want to learn. Not surprisingly, if the motivation is your own, coming from within, it is a stronger force in influencing your actions.

Importance

Why is motivation so important to language learning? Because it takes perseverance to change something as fundamental to yourself as the way you think and speak. At the beginning there are bound to be frustrations and miscommunications and if you don’t really feel the need to learn another language, you probably won’t, unless you are one of those fairly rare people who like to learn languages for fun. Actually, in their case, the fun is their motivation.

Feeding

You can start off being motivated to learn a language and then find that your motivation has faded. Or your motivation can increase as you go along. The important thing is to keep reminding yourself of why you want to learn another language and keep coming back to that when you are tired or frustrated. If you find yourself not really motivated, then ask yourself if you really do need to learn this language. If not, maybe you should be doing something else. But if the answer is yes, then think up ways to feed your motivation. Here are some suggestions:

  • find ways to make the process more enjoyable. Make sure that your learning program fits your learning style and personality.
  • keep a list of all the reasons you want to learn this language
  • write down a list of things that are discouraging you or reducing your motivation and try to address them.

Tolerance of Ambiguity

If you tend to see the world in black and white, instead of in shades of gray, if you like clear “yeses” and “noes”, and don’t like things left up in the air, you may have some frustration in a new language and culture. This is partly because the learning process itself inevitably involves ambiguity. Categories are fuzzy for a long time; you are not sure what you heard or what it means. You are unsure of how people view the world. The familiar context in which you are used to dealing with people is no longer there, and it is hard to judge people’s intentions, values, and actions. You may even become unsure of what constitutes right and wrong behavior in this culture, and this may be very upsetting to you.

Wanting a resolution to ambiguities can work in your favor in some ways. You are likely to want to get things right and to continue to search for answers when other people stop caring about the details. The trick with this personality trait, as with others, is to make it work for you and not against you.

The danger is that your frustration may either cause you to give up or to have negative feelings about the speakers of the language. It’s important to guard against both of these possibilities by reminding yourself that the ambiguity decreases as you continue to learn and that you’ll understand and probably like people better when you understand what they are thinking and how they tick.

On the other hand, some of the values of the new culture may be quite different from your own, and this is a cause of stress that doesn’t necessarily go away with time, especially if the values on which you differ are very important to you. Remind yourself that there are values in your own culture with which you may not agree. Try too, to think about the values you admire in the new culture.

Go to my results

Source: “Personal Learner Profile” by Carol J. Orwig. Available on various web sites.

Brain Dominance

Left-brain dominant

Type of Cognitive ProcessingBrief Description
LinearProcessing information from part to whole in a straight forward logical progression.
SequentialProcessing information in order from first to last.
SymbolicProcesses symbols an pictures; likes to use letters, words and mathematical symbols.
LogicalProcesses information piece by piece using logic to solve a problem.
VerbalProcesses thoughts and ideas with words.
Reality-BasedProcesses information based on reality; focuses on rules and regulations

Right-brain dominant

Type of Cognitive ProcessingBrief Description
HolisticProcessing information from whole to part; sees the big picture first, not the details.
RandomProcessing information with out priority, jumps form one task to another.
ConcreteProcesses things that can be seen , or touched - real objects.
IntuitiveProcesses information based on whether or not it feels right know answer but not sure how it was derived.
NonverbalProcesses thought as illustrations.
Fantasy-OrientedProcesses information with creativity; less focuses on rules and regulations

Details

In general the left and right hemispheres of your brain process information in different ways. We tend to process information using our dominant side. However, the learning process is enhanced when all of our senses are used. This includes using your less dominate hemisphere. Listed below are information processing styles that are characteristically used by your right or left brain. Read the information below to help you understand how your brain processes information. Pay attention to your less dominant style so that you can learn how to improve it. If you want to jump through the list, click on the choice that you wish to examine.

Linear vs. Holistic Processing

The left side of the brain processes information in a linear manner. It process from part to whole. It takes pieces, lines them up, and arranges them in a logical order; then it draws conclusions. The right brain, however, processes from whole to part, holistically. It starts with the answer. It sees the big picture first, not the details. If you are right-brained, you may have difficulty following a lecture unless you are given the big picture first. Do you now see why it is absolutely necessary for a right-brained person to read an assigned chapter or background information before a lecture or to survey a chapter before reading? If an instructor doesn't consistently give an overview before he or she begins a lecture, you may need to ask at the end of class what the next lecture will be and how you can prepare for it. If you are predominantly right-brained, you may also have trouble outlining (you've probably written many papers first and outlined them latter because an outline was required). You're the student who needs to know why you are doing something. Left-brained students would do well to exercise their right-brain in such a manner.

Sequential vs. Random Processing

In addition to thinking in a linear manner, the left brain processes in sequence -- in order. The left-brained person is a list maker. If you are left-brained, you would enjoy making a master schedule and doing daily planning. You complete tasks in order and take pleasure in checking them off when they are accomplished. Likewise, learning things in sequence is relatively easy for you. For example, spelling involves sequencing; if you are left-brained, you are probably a good speller. The left brain is also at work in the linear and sequential processing of math and in following directions.

By contrast, the approach of the right-brained student is random. If you are right-brained, you may flit from one task to another. You will get just as much done but perhaps without having addressed priorities. An assignment may be late or incomplete, not because you weren't working, but because you were working on something else. You were ready to rebel when asked to make study schedules for the week. But because of the random nature of your dominant side, you must make lists, and you must make schedules. This may be your only hope for survival in college. You should also make a special effort to read directions. Oh yes, the mention of spelling makes you cringe. Use the dictionary, carry a Franklin speller, or use the spell checker on your computer. Never turn in an assignment without proofing for spelling. Because the right side of the brain is color sensitive, you might try using colors to learn sequence, making the first step green, the second blue, the last red. Or you may want to "walk" a sequence, either by physically going from place to place or by imagining it. For the first step of the sequence, you might walk to the front door; for the second, to the kitchen; for the third, to the den, etc. Or make Step One a certain place or thing in your dorm room or study place and Step Two another. If you consistently use the same sequence, you will find that this strategy is transferable to many tasks involving sequence.

Symbolic vs. Concrete Processing

The left brain has no trouble processing symbols. Many academic pursuits deal with symbols such as letters, words, and mathematical notations. The left-brained person tends to be comfortable with linguistic and mathematical endeavors. Left-brained students will probably just memorize vocabulary words or math formulas. The right brain, on the other hand, wants things to be concrete. The right-brained person wants to see, feel, or touch the real object. Right-brained students may have had trouble learning to read using phonics. They prefer to see words in context and to see how the formula works. To use your right brain, create opportunities for hands-on activities. Use something real whenever possible. You may also want to draw out a math problem or illustrate your notes.

Logical vs. Intuitive Processing

The left brain processes in a linear, sequential, logical manner. When you process on the left side, you use information piece by piece to solve a math problem or work out a science experiment. When you read and listen, you look for the pieces so that you can draw logical conclusions. Your decisions are made on logic--proof. If you process primarily on the right side of the brain, you use intuition. You may know the right answer to a math problem but not be sure how you got it. You may have to start with the answer and work backwards. On a quiz, you have a gut feeling as to which answers are correct, and you are usually right. In writing, it is the left brain that pays attention to mechanics such as spelling, agreement, and punctuation. But the right side pays attention to coherence and meaning; that is, your right brain tells you it "feels" right. Your decisions will be based on feelings.

Verbal vs. Non-verbal Processing

Left-brained students have little trouble expressing themselves in words. Right-brained students may know what they mean but often have trouble finding the right words. The best illustration of this is to listen to people give directions. The left-brained person will say something like "From here, go west three blocks and turn north on Vine Street. Go three or four miles and then turn east onto Broad Street." The right-brained person will sound something like this: "Turn right (pointing right) by the church over there (pointing again). Then you will pass a McDonalds and a Walmart. At the next light, turn right toward the BP station." So how is this relevant to planning study strategies? Right-brained students need to back up everything visually. If it's not written down, they probably won't remember it. And it would be even better for right-brained students to illustrate it. They need to get into the habit of making a mental video of things as they hear or read them. Right-brained students need to know that it may take them longer to write a paper, and the paper may need more revision before it says what they want it to say. This means allowing extra time when a writing assignment is due.

Reality-Based vs. Fantasy-Oriented Processing

The left side of the brain deals with things the way they are--with reality. When left-brained students are affected by the environment, they usually adjust to it. Not so with right-brained students; they try to change the environment! Left-brained people want to know the rules and follow them. In fact, if there are no rules for situations, they will probably make up rules to follow! Left-brained students know the consequences of not turning in papers on time or of failing a test, but right-brained students are sometimes not aware that there is anything wrong. So, if you are right-brained, make sure you constantly ask for feedback and reality checks. It's too late the day before finals to ask if you can do extra credit. Keep a careful record of your assignments and tests. Visit with your professor routinely. While this fantasy orientation may seem a disadvantage, in some cases it is an advantage. The right-brained student is creative. In order to learn about the digestive system, you may decide to become a piece of food! And since emotion is processed on the right side of the brain, you will probably remember well anything you become emotionally involved in as you are trying to learn.

These are just some of the differences that exist between the left and right hemispheres, but you can see a pattern. Because left-brained strategies are the ones used most often in the classroom, right-brained students sometimes feel inadequate. However, you now know that you can be flexible and adapt material to the right side of your brain. Likewise, those of you who are predominantly left-brained know that it would be wise to use both sides of the brain and employ some right-brained strategies.

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Source: http://capone.mtsu.edu/studskl/hd/hemispheric_dominance.html and associated pages

Meyers-Briggs

The Meyers-Briggs inventory is widely used. There are too many web sites to list, much less reproduce their content. Here are some starting points.

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Lingenfelter-Mayers

This inventory is widely used for various purposes by a variety of organizations with various goals. Many resources can be found with a search engine.

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Sensory Modality

Visual

  • Visual learners learn through seeing. With their primary perceptual preference being visual, they can typically recall what they have read or observed.
  • They prefer to look at illustrations, or watch others doing something, rather than listening only.
  • They are the learners that usually take and make lists.
  • In addition, they tend to be more productive when their environments are neat.

Auditory

  • Auditory learners prefer to listen.
  • They are usually able to memorize what they hear and tend to be very attentive when information is presented in this way.
  • They search for meaning and interpretation in lectures or speeches by listening to tone of voice, pitch, speech, and other special signals.
  • These learners need to be told what to do rather than having them read directions.

Tactile/Kinesthetic

  • Kinesthetic learners need to write things down.
  • They like to incorporate their fine motor skills.
  • They are the learners that like to take notes as they listen, and keep their hands busy.
  • Kinesthetic learners need to use their bodies in the learning process. They need to do, not just watch or listen, to gain understanding.

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Source: https://www.brookhavencollege.edu/studentsvcs/learningstyle/Pages/tips_modality.aspx