Learning by heart How do people do that? G'day G'day Folks, Have you ever wondered what it means to learn something by heart? At first I wondered if the expression came from faulty biology. There was after all a time when a distinguished physician promulgated the notion that the function of the brain was to cool the blood. Experience, however, has shown me that dismissing ideas out of hand leaves many stones unturned and from time to time I have found my attention drawn back to the phrase, "Learning by heart." as though there might be something of deep educational significance there. What I have noticed is that the phrase appears to be used for auditory learning. It seems to be commonly applied to poetry or other prose where the form is as important as the content. Another example where form is as important as content is tables. Some people learn tables by heart. How many of us learnt "times tables" by heart? Chemistry students may well have learnt the periodic table by heart. So there seems to be a strong auditory component. where form matters as well as content. Music can be learnt by heart. Now this is different from learning by ear. So learning by heart is not all auditory. My guess is that a visual component is required to hold the form. People who learn music by heart read music. the tables are read and recited, the periodic table is pictured and described etc. For many people learning by heart involves reciting which captures a rhythm, as in learning an alphabet. Of course, learning by heart doesn't appear to be an efficient way of learning vast amounts of information in this information age. At least I wouldn't recommend it as a first choice to my students and yet .... it seems to have some personal value to the learner. Having learnt some things by heart seems to give people a structure, some certain knowledge, a tried and true path past the glitches. Have you noticed how, old folks find it easy to recall what they have learnt by heart. Now, for the sake of generating an original thought, let's turn that statement on its head. Maybe people who at sometime have learnt some passionate poem or deep and meaningful story by heart improve their chances of living to a hearty old age. Well there's my thought for you to chew over today.