Do you have that one or two students in a class that always speaks well, tells great stories and starts discussions that make you say, wow! The type of student you are thinking about is called a Verbal/Linguistic learner and they are just one of nine student intelligences.

Okay, so you have this type of learner in your classroom, but who are they and what are their strengths?

This learner communicates through language which includes listening, reading, writing, and speaking. They will have a good vocabulary, tell great stories, always know what to say and when to say it. This student likes to talk, but they do not waste a breath. They learn best through verbal presentations, reading, writing, discussions, explaining, conducting interviews, and listening to lectures. They have a great command of language. They like to talk, tell stories, argue, debate, read, discuss, interpret, and re-think.

This student enjoys reading, but I want to clear something up first.  Just because the verbal/linguist student enjoys reading, does not mean that we should have them read the chapter out loud during class. Reading the textbook aloud in class is not teaching. It is ok to ask the verbal/linguistic student to read a key point and draw attention to something specific such as a definition, but that is it.

Now that we understand what reading isn’t, what does it mean for this student?

Let them know what is coming up so that they can read ahead. Point out the sidebars in the textbook such as the “Did You Know”, “Here’s a Tip” and “Cautions” to this learner type. If you don’t have time to discuss those in your lecture, find the time and discuss them with the student after class.

Refer the student to articles or blog posts they can look up on their own time that will support what you are talking about in class.  By the way, MiladyPro is a great source of information. In class, ask the verbal/linguistic student to share a blog post with the group.

Incorporate group discussions, brainstorming, Q&A and group reviews. Ask this student to explain a concept back to you.  Bring in guest speakers our use Ted Talk videos so they can hear from industry professionals.

Use workbooks, crossword puzzles, word searches, flash cards, mnemonics, and word clouds. Take advantage of the pronunciation tools in Milady’s Instructor Support Slides and MindTap to help them learn the correct pronunciation of key terms.

In the student salon to work better with a verbal/linguistic student, here are a few things to focus on.

Don’t just demonstrate a procedure, be sure you talk a student through the procedure and explain specifically what you are doing.  When checking a service, explain what you are looking for as you check the service and clearly explain what you find and are correcting.

Ask them their opinion. Encourage the verbal/linguistic student to re-read procedures before they perform a service and to read through the client’s history prior to the service.

After the service ask them to write down what they did. Identify what worked and where they could improve next time.

These are just a few teaching methods you can incorporate into your toolbox to better reach the verbal/linguistic student.  Remember that not all students will be verbal/linguist learners, so although we want to incorporate these ideas, we want to make sure that this isn’t all we are doing.

Be sure to check back for future posts to see how to reach the other 8 intelligences.