Memorization of information by frequent repetition, namely rote learning, plays a role in many education systems. To what extent do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

There are different methods of learning. Two

such

methods are ‗

rote

learning‘ and ‗meaningful learning‘. Both have their own pros and cons. There are many advantages of

rote

learning.

To begin

with, it is very helpful where quick memorization is required,

such

as learning one line in a play or memorizing a telephone number. It is

also

needed where verbatim recall of definitions or numbers is required. We all know that we need to remember phone numbers, mathematical formulae and definitions as

such

. If we don‘t cram them

then

we will not be able to reproduce them when needed and if any small part is changed

then

the whole thing goes wrong.

Rote

learning is the only way to learn certain things like irregular verbs and the vocabulary of a foreign language. There is no logic behind irregular verbs and so we need to memorize them by heart.

Finally

,

rote

learning is used by many students to pass exams.

On the other hand

, there are some disadvantages of

rote

learning.

Firstly

, the knowledge acquired by

rote

is not retained for long. If a person does not repeat information learnt by

rote

for

few

Correct article usage

a few

show examples

days

then

the whole thing can be forgotten.

Moreover

, information learned by

rote

cannot be applied

in

Change preposition

to

show examples

a wide variety of new problems or concepts.

For example

, if we learn something by

rote

in math

then

we cannot apply it in other subjects like physics. In meaningful learning the transferability of knowledge is high.

Finally

, it can be very boring to learn everything by

rote

. Definitely,

rote

learning should not be the only method of learning. Meaningful learning is a must if we want to progress in life and apply our skills in varied fields.

However

,

rote

learning has its own importance in some situations. So, the education systems should incorporate both

rote

and meaningful learning. To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, rather than viewing

rote

learning as something opposed to understanding, it can be viewed in a complementary role. As the left hand is to the right, so is memory to understanding and reason.