Plain English Meaning
People who learn best by hearing things rather than by reading or doing them.
Full Definition
Students who absorb and retain information most effectively when it is presented through sound — spoken explanations, discussions, recordings, or verbal instructions — rather than primarily through reading or hands-on practice.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when discussing how instructors adjust teaching methods for different students.
Derivation
From the Latin 'audire,' meaning 'to hear.' The same root gives us 'audio' and 'audience.' An auditory learner, then, is literally a 'hearing learner' — one whose strongest channel for taking in information is the ear.
Why Pilots Care
Instructors who recognize an auditory learner can adjust their teaching — using verbal briefings, talking through procedures aloud, or encouraging the student to verbalize checklists — which speeds up and .