Relay column | Picture or language thinker? Probably both!

Fleur Digital Learning Specialist

Hi Thiemen,

Thanks for your question! I find visual thinking and language thinking a very interesting topic please tell more about it.

You’ve probably heard of picture thinkers and language thinkers: some associate “Christmas tree” with the word itself, while others immediately envision an image of a decorated tree in the corner of the living room. But reality is less black and white. Our brain is far too complex to simply fit into two categories. The terms “picture thinker” and “language thinker” do not do justice to the versatility and subtlety of human thinking. How exactly does this work? And what does this mean for the way we communicate and learn?

No black and white story

Everyone moves somewhere on the spectrum between visual and linguistic thinking. Some tend more toward the visual, while others have a stronger preference for the linguistic – and this preference can even vary by situation. For example, you use your visual thinking skills to figure out what your decorated Christmas tree will look like (just to stay in the Christmas spirit), while you use your linguistic and analytical skills to determine where the red baubles will fit best. So your thinking style is not something static. Every brain works differently, and although we often have a natural predisposition to a particular way of thinking, in practice we always make use of both styles. Moreover, you can train your brain in this. It is the combination of both thinking styles and the flexibility to switch between them that makes our brain so powerful!

Nuances in practice

Thinking styles influence not only how we approach certain tasks – such as decorating a Christmas tree – but also how we communicate and learn. This goes beyond just forming words or images in your head. Language learners often need structure and a linear roadmap. Logic and rules fit well with their preferences. Image-thinkers, on the other hand, work from a holistic set of associations; they see the big picture first and get the gist from there. Let’s apply this to a concrete example: Suppose you want to make a shrimp cocktail for Christmas dinner. As a language thinker, you probably like to follow a thought out, structured recipe, step by step. Image-thinkers take a different approach: they watch videos on preparing sauces and combining flavors, for example, and then intuitively get to work with their insights gained. Of course, a combination is also possible. For example, you can read through a few recipes, pick out the parts you find interesting, and make your own version of them – a combination of creativity and structure!