NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP) NLP is a pseudoscientific approach based on neural connections, specifically, on how they

process language. It has become popular among alternative approaches to personal

Article #1: Neuro-Linguistic Programming in Learning and Education
development or self-help. According to the NPL Empowerment Partnership page, NLP is

What makes the human brain process and understand language? Where in the brain are “learning the language of your own brain” or “a user manual.” It is based on three parts:

words we learn stored? Why do words come to mind when we sometimes forget them? “neuro,” which is the neurological system, “linguistics,” which is the message, both verbal as

People who speak more than one language, what prevents them from interfering with each well as non-verbal, that is sent to the brain; and “programming,” which is how the mind

other? All these processes are thanks to neurolinguistics, which is in charge of studying processes these messages.

how language is represented in the brain. This area studies how and where the brain

stores language knowledge in its different presentations: spoken, signed, or written. Article #2: Neuro Linguistic Programming in ELT

Although intertwined with psycholinguistics, which is the study of understanding and ● Those teachers who incorporate elements of suggestopedia, community language

producing language in its spoken, written, and signed forms, neurolinguistics focuses on the learning, music, drama and body language into their lessons are already drawing on

brain’s mechanisms. NLP as it stood twenty years ago.

The brain stores information in neural networks that connect to the parts that control The roots of NLP

movements, such as speech, and internal and external sensations, such as sound. NLP, with its roots in psychology and neurology, is about the way the brain works and how

Knowledge or skill learning occurs when new connections are made, and existing ones are the brain can be trained for the purpose of betterment. It encompasses or is related to 'left

strengthened. / right brain' functions, 'visual / auditory / kinaesthetic' learning styles, multiple

In the 1970s, Richard Bandler and John Grinder, researchers at the University of California, intelligence and other areas of research which are attempting to identify modes of learning

Santa Cruz, theorized that thought patterns explain successful people’s achievements whilst recognising the importance of the individual learner.

within these brain connections. For years, Bandler and Grinder analyzed education, ➔ NLP is about recognising patterns.

business, and whatever successful therapy people had in common, including communication ➔ NLP is concerned with process rather than content.

habits. At this last point, they realized that successful people involve body language, and ➔ NLP provides a model of how we communicate with ourselves and others.

that is how researchers began to create thought models to improve their physical and In NLP, information arrives via the senses, and 'six modalities' are identified as ways that

emotional states. This is known as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). different individuals perceive the messages. These modalities are:
● Visual Remembered
● Visual Constructed
 ● Auditory Remembered ➔ Learners make decisions based on beliefs and value judgements. They are often in a
● Auditory Remembered state of conflict because their previous learning experiences do not coincide with
● Auditory Digital their current learning environment.
● Kinaesthetic ➔ Values provide the basis for decisions about what is right and wrong, what they want
/ need to know and don't want / need to know. In certain cultures, some beliefs are
These clearly form the basis of what we now know as 'VAK' – the identification of visual, disabling, in that they prevent learners from adopting strategies such as risk-taking
auditory and kinaesthetic learners and the need to cater for different learning styles in the which teachers would like to encourage.
classroom. ➔ Memories and prior decisions create beliefs which affect our current behaviour.
As externalities arrive, our perception of these is modified by three major elements - Learners often revert to previously adopted strategies and require deconditioning,
deletion, distortion and generalisation. These processes are instantly recognisable in while it can be argued that adult learning patterns merely replace earlier learning
language learners: strategies which have been forgotten.
● Deletion
There is too much information for the learner to handle. Learners delete or omit some NLP in the Classroom
information in order to make input manageable. From the teacher's point of view, we have
Teachers using music to create atmosphere and stimulate creativity, or using mime and
already learnt not to present too much new language at once, and the principle of 'less is
more'. drama techniques to build confidence and add body language to speech acts are already

● Distortion drawing from the NLP repertoire. Only recently, however, have classroom activities
Language learners will distort information into forms which are understandable and
specifically and overtly based on NLP been developed by ELT practitioners.
learnable. This process is both negative, in that it produces errors and misunderstandings,
and positive in that it contributes to learnability and motivation. Many of these activities also integrate the skills and are extensions or modifications of

● Generalisation existing techniques such as storytelling, guided fantasy, role-play and simulation. Areas
This is one of the ways that we learn, by taking the information we have and drawing broad
where NLP can have a real impact, however, are those which explore the relationships
conclusions. At its worst, over-generalisation occurs, causing misuse of rules and poorly
formed hypotheses. between students and between students and teacher, and those which help to create a

healthy and positive learning environment:

However, what is actually learnt by individuals is dictated by their own personal filters. NLP
● Creating rapport → Rapport is the sense of ease that develops when people are interacting
identifies these as 'beliefs', 'values', 'decisions' and 'memories', broadly defined as the way
someone handles information. with others they feel comfortable with, and is essential for meaningful communication to take

In NLP, these filters affect our model of the world and our behaviour. In language learning, place. Rapport is most likely when like-minded people interact. In the classroom, mingle and
they explain a wide range of learning styles and strategies:
'getting to know you' activities, as well as continuous negotiation between teacher and

students foster rapport, while communication gap activities and group work reinforce it.
● Mirroring → One way of establishing good rapport is to mirror the behaviour of those we and collaborative games, jokes, songs and anecdotes, personalisation and well-structured

wish to influence or to be influenced by. Mirroring of posture, gestures, facial expressions information gap activities all help to maintain flow.

and even breathing can easily be practised in the classroom, while simple drilling achieves the ● Pacing and leading → A set of strategies requiring the listener to 'tune in', accept and

same results with phonological features of connected speech and key lexical phrases. To correctly state the speaker's point of view (pacing) before suggesting an alternative point of

achieve natural communication, verbal and non-verbal aspects need to be combined in view (leading). Acceptance of an argument will be accompanied by the listener's mirroring of

communicative activities. Learners may be asked to mirror the behaviour of characters on the speaker's behaviour. Activities involving listening without response, turn-taking,

television before mirroring each other and the teacher. planning and decision-making are useful for raising awareness of this process.

● Creating positive states and anchoring → This is about motivation and maintaining positive ● Perceptual positioning → This is an extension of mirroring used in NLP for resolving conflicts

attitudes to learning. In NLP, a positive state is created through a mental image formed by the and involving a neutral third party as a mediator in disputes. An ELT application here would be

process of achieving something mentally or physically, and this state is anchored by a gesture, in a reading or storytelling lesson, where one position is taken by the writer / teller, another

expression or body movement which is repeated to maintain or recall the state. Guided by a character in the story, and a third by a reader or neutral observer of events.

fantasy may be used to create the state, and a movement or sound selected to represent it. ● Modeling good practice → NLP asks us to mirror what others do well. In ELT, much of this is

Some teachers, often subconsciously, opt for different positions in the classroom to carry out about learner training, particularly when learners discover each other's strategies or adopt

certain actions, such as give instructions, teach grammar or tell a story. In ELT this is a type of new study skills, for revision and examination preparation for example.

anchoring by which students automatically know what is going to happen next in a lesson, Videos:

and are prepared for it.

- What is NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming?
- NLP for Teachers: What is Neuro Linguistic Programming?
● Maintaining flow → NLP fits in nicely with 'Flow Theory', the notion that learning flows like
- NLP Ep1 How useful is it for Teaching and Learning
water and that the best learning takes place when uninterrupted. For the purposes of lesson

planning, flow is achieved when there is a balance of skills development and new

challenges, clear task goals and the need for concentration. Successful learning takes place

when learners feel a sense of control over what is happening in the classroom, do not feel

self-conscious, and receive positive feedback from each other and the teacher. In good

lessons, time seems to pass quickly. There are clear messages here about balance of activities,

interest, attitude to errors, confidence building, learner training and autonomy. Competitive