In the last class, we mentioned NLP techniques.

Firstly, we talked about what NLP is

and what NLP stands for. Secondly, we touched on the brief history of NLP, the four pillars of
NLP, the basic action model; and finally, we mentioned about presuppositions, core concepts
and implications.

Firstly, Neuro-Linguistic Programming is an approach to life. It is a combination of

techniques, patterns and strategies for assisting effective communication, personal growth
and change, and learning which we are particularly interested. The neuro part of NLP is the
way we use our senses to understand what is happening around us. The linguistic part is the
way we use language; and the programming part is the way we arrange our ideas and
actions.

Secondly, we mentioned the four pillars of NLP. The first one, outcomes, is the goals
and objectives. As a teacher, I should know what I want. The second pillar is rapport which
enables a positive and effective communication. My duty here is to maximize similarities and
minimize differences between students. Another pillar is sensory acuity, which means
noticing what another person is communicating by observing carefully. The last pillar,
flexibility, means trying another way if what I am doing isn’t working.

We also talked about the basic action model. Each step of this model is related to one
of the four pillars. The first step means knowing your outcome. The second step means doing
something about it. The third step is to notice the response, and the fourth step is to respond
flexibly.

Thirdly, we mentioned some implications.

1. The most important person in the classroom is the student. Each

student is important, but teachers are as important as students.
2. The responsibility for learning lies with the teacher. In the classroom
there should be cooperation between students and the teacher. They should
share the responsibility.
3. There is no one right way to teach or learn anything. Every learner,
every teacher and every atmosphere are unique because of diversity. Different
students learn in different ways so teachers should teach the way students
learn not the way they learn.
4. Learning is a serious business. It is absolutely important and that can be
done in a funny way.
5. Mistakes are good. That’s the point, I think! Teachers should make students
feel comfortable in the class. Students should know it is not problem to make
mistakes. They shouldn’t feel anxious and insecure; and they shouldn’t be
afraid of taking risks while they are learning.
6. The teacher’s job is to teach the subject. Teachers should help students
to find their own ways while teaching language.
7. You should leave your private life outside the classroom. The teacher
should put his/her problems outside the classroom like an actor/actress acting
on stage even if he/she feels bad. Moreover, the teacher should encourage
learners to do same.
8. It is essential to teach grammar to language learners. Teachers should
teach anything that helps students to learn to use the language more
adequately.
9. ‘Chalk and talk’ is still the most efficient way to teach. It is not a good
and effective way to teach. Teachers should teach in a communicative way.
10. The teacher should know all the answers. Teachers and students should
know that teachers do not know everything. They are human beings not
 machines. They don’t have to know everything. As we discussed in the
previous lessons, honesty is the best policy. That’s another point!

Then we talked about presuppositions of NLP.

1. Mind and body are interconnected. According to this presupposition, mind and
body affect directly each other. If your state of mind is good, you feel good
physically too. Therefore, teachers should do physical activities as much as they can
in the classroom. They should encourage smiling and laughing in the class to keep
learners healthy and help them to learn. They should also deal with problems and
reduce anxiety.
2. The map is not the territory. This presupposition claims that different people
believe different things and think differently. Our beliefs and values influence what
we do. Teachers should be aware that students are all different from each other.
They should respect learners and try to learn their maps instead of guessing them.
3. There is no failure, only feedback. This presupposition makes all outcomes as
feedback. If the things don’t go the way teachers want them to go, this is used as
feedback to adjust their behavior. Teachers should consider mistakes as a source of
learning. They shouldn’t be too harsh and self-critical. They should give positive and
constructive feedback.
4. The map becomes the territory. This presupposition is about the power of belief
and self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe honestly something to be true, you make
it true. Teachers should give positive messages instead of negative ones. They
should help students to believe they can do things. They should create an
appropriate atmosphere in which students laugh with each other not at each other.
5. The resources we need are within us. According to this presupposition, we have
the resources we need to make the changes we want to. It is important to become
aware of our resources. Teachers should be aware of their strengths instead of
focusing their weaknesses. They should also help learners to be aware of what they
are good at.
6. Communication is non-verbal as well as verbal. This claims that using body
language, voice and words effectively is very important. Teachers should be aware
of the importance of nonverbal communication. In teaching process, their verbal and
nonverbal message should be the same.
7. Communication is non-conscious as well as conscious. People mostly learn
and recover information non-consciously. Teachers should try to communicate
consciously with the non-conscious minds of their students.
8. All behaviour has a positive intention. This is concerned with dealing with
disruption (which means handling with pupils who cause problems in the class) and
reframing (which means trying to see students positively).
9. The meaning of my communication is the response I get. This presupposition
suggests that if students don’t seem to understand teachers and learn from them,
teachers shouldn’t presume it is students’ fault. They should try another approach
and do something different. That’s to say, Mea Culpa! “No matter what you do, you
cannot get the resolution you want!”

Finally, we talked about a core concept of NLP: How we experience the world.
Human beings experience the world differently and through their five senses. These senses
are called representational systems or VAKOG which include Visual (Images), Auditory
(Sounds), Kinaesthetic (Touch and internal-feelings), Olfactory (Smell) and Gustatory (Tastes).
Students possessing the visual representational system learn through using their eyes or
activities such as pictures, diagrams etc. Students possessing the auditory representational
system learn through using their ears or activities such as listening, repeating etc while
students possessing the kinaesthetic representational system learn through using their hands,
bodies or emotions. Therefore, teachers should teach by taking into consideration these
senses.