Posted by TTL on July 13, 19102 at 10:22:56:
Topic 116
People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you?
The effectiveness of learning method varies from person to person and also from activity to activity. Learning by doing things, learning by reading about things and learning by listening to people talk about things all have their own benefits. Personally, learning by reading is the method that works best for me.
Although learning by doing works has many advantages, it is restricted in some ways. Participation in an activity gives a learner first-hand experience, and it is time-saving. You can learn how to ride a bicycle just by practising several times. But if the work requires lots of high techniques and abstruse knowledge, learning by doing seems unhelpful. For instance, you cannot be a good doctor only by trying to anatomise your patients!
Learning by listening can be enjoyable. Lively debate is interesting, and interesting things are usually easier to learn about. However, like doing, listening is not practical with elaborate problems. Besides, when listening, we have to consider whether the information is misinformed. Wrong information can be of great harm. What will happen if a child is told that the sun is moving around the earth? And if listening is the only way of learning to you, you are easily to become an imitator.
Learning by reading about things is time-comsuming but it's certainly worth it. Books, magazines, the Internet, and other means are oceans of information, whose boundaries continue to extend with the endless contribution of the numerous streams of knowledge. Either you are a student or a specialist, you can find the information you need by reading. The information varies from basic to difficult, and is always very systematic. There are books about sciences, books about arts as well as the books written about sports or entertainment. Learning by reading, you do not only learn new things, but also learn how to think of a problem, how to solve it independently. As an example, to do a research, you have to work out not only a single book but also lots of other sources as well. Then, you have to select the appropriate information and put them together systematically. Frankly, I can't think of a better way for long-term learning than reading.
When it comes to learning, I believe that every method is suitable for a specific situation. However, reading is the method that goes with my life.