Enhancing Lifelong Learning by Using NLP in the

Enhancing Lifelong Learning by Using NLP in the ELT Classroom International Language Symposium, Brno, Check Republic. 1 - 3 June, 2017 Nazan Özçınar Sırel ÖZYEĞIN UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Session Outline • • • Background Info about me and you What is NLP? Background Information about NLP Class Activities Some guidelines for using NLP in class

Background Info about me: q Graduated in 1987/ Master’s and DELTA and Teacher Training Courses q Looking for something new in 2000. (no children, no husband. . . ) q Longman opened a summer course q Attended NLP certificate programmes for 2 Summers (each 36 Hours) in 2001 & 2002. q Trainer: Judith Baker q RESULT: My life changed

What about you? Do you. . • Click your fingers when the answer is YES • When the answer is NO wave your hands

What about you? Do you. . • • teach at a primary or secondary school? teach at university level? try out new things in class? reveal some info about yourself in class? use music in class? have good relationship with students? give a VAK test at the beginning of a class? • use NLP activities in class?

• I have been using some NLP for about 17 years in my classes. WHAT IS NLP then? ? ?

What does NLP stand for:

Neuro Your Thinking Process: the way you use your senses (VAKOG) to understand what is happening around you Linguistic Your Words: the way you use language and how it influences you and those around you Programming Your Behaviour: the way you organise your ideas and actions in order to reach positive achievements

History of NLP: • In the early 1970 s, an American Professor of linguistics, John Grinder and a psychology student, Richard Bandler wanted to find «the difference that makes the difference» between losers and people who excel. They studied amazingly successful therapists (like Virginia Satir, Erickson and Perls). They all: q followed similar patterns with their clients q used the same kind of language q all had similar beliefs

NLP in the Past and Now: • It originated in the field of psychotherapy. • NOW: its ideas are incorporated into approaches to COMMUNICATION, LEARNING, and CHANGE : personal development, management, sales and marketing and finally education. ( many famous people took NLP courses, such as Britney Spears, Kevin Kostner and Fatih Terim)

Let’s play UP, UP

WHAT IS NLP? Background Information about NLP is an attitude to life. It is also a collection of techniques, patterns, and strategies for assisting effective growth communication, personal g_______and change, and learning. It is based on a series of underlying assessment ass______about how the mind works and how people act and interact. The aim of NLP is to enhance the quality of people’s lives and ac______their achieve outcomes and to interact moreeffectively eff______with others. It is a means of intra-personal and inter-personal excellence. (Revell, J & Norman, S. 1997. In Your Hands. NLP in ELT)

NLP. . . • is the science of excellence to get outstanding results. • can be helpful in every aspect of personal and interpersonal relations to become better communicators. • enables better empathy and cooperation. • is an enabling tool of Emotional Intelligence which is an aspect of MI. • enables flexibility of behaviour. • is about THINKING, OBSERVING and DOING to get what you want out of life.

WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT NLP? Our Instructors’ Views on NLP: Yes, but. . . what do I actually do with NLP in the classroom?

Affective filters, relaxation and flow. Fuzzy, kind of up in the air, insufficiently practised. Not related to ELT all the time. Theraphy and connectionism From negative waters towards positive waters

A prestigious word. Many people talk about it in academic environment but I haven’t seen many people using it. Can it be a part of learning to learn? I agree with Selçuk.

Let me start with a question: • What does USB stand for?

Unidentified Sleeping Beings: • Are they self-motivated?

30 years ago it was like this: Students were hungry for knowledge.

NO NO NO ! • Teaching has never become that DIFFICULT • What is the cause of this? • Information technology: • Knowledge is being produced at an increasingly rapid rate and it has become more difficult to motivate students. NLP is one of the SOLUTIONS !!!!

So, how can we make use of NLP in our classes, then?

Four Pillars of NLP: NLP is based on these 4 pillars: NLP = THE STORY OF EXCELLENCE

• Outcomes: is similar to goals / objectives. NLP is an achievement oriented technology. Knowing precisely what you want helps you to get it. • Rapport: is the heart of successful communication. It is a way of maximising similarities and minimising differences. Without this, communication will fail. Having a good rapport with people will make you reach your goals better. • Sensory Acuity: using your senses in order to make accurate observations about what other people are doing and not making quick assumptions. • Flexibility: doing something different if what you are doing is not working.

NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF MY NLP ACTIVITIES WITH YOU

THE FIRST PILLAR of NLP: OUTCOME If you know exactly what you want, it is easier to get it.

OUTCOME ACTIVITY: A: What do you want? B: I want to be happy B: And if you are happy, what would that do for you? A: I would feel good about myself. B: And if you feel good about yourself, what would that do for you? A: I would. . . .

Goal Setting Activity that I use with my classes at OZU: • After the first week, I buy some «Pencils» for my students. • I also distribute some fancy letter papers to them and ask them to write a MIRROR LETTER to themselves: Dear me, This is me. Today I feel. . . Because. . . • Answer the following questions while writing the paper: 1. What are your ideas about the 1 st week? 2. What would you like to achieve this semester? 3. What do you want to achieve in life?

THE SECOND PILLAR of NLP: RAPPORT We cannot change others, we can only change ourselves. The meaning of your communication is the response that you get

• MIRRORING ACTIVITY • MASSAGE ACTIVITY

We all do some kind of NLP activities in our classes. Students will remember HOW you reacted towards them, WHAT you did in class, HOW you affected them. We can only achieve these by PAYING attention to each and every student and NOT by only COVERING SOME PAGES FROM OUR COURSE BOOKS.

THE THIRD PILLAR of NLP: SENSORY ACUITY Any kind of VISUAL, AUDITORY and KINEASTHETIC activity

GUESSING ACTIVITY • Now the teacher will show you something. Look at it and guess what it is and make sentences: • It might be. . . • It could be. . • It must be. . No, no, it can’t be. . .

Finger technique: • Look at the following words and memorize them: GROUP A: Open your eyes Group A: rapport / flexibility / outcome /

Finger technique: • Look at the following words and memorize them: GROUP B: Open your eyes Group B: confidence / curiosity / relationship / When / How can you make use of this activity in your classes?

BACKWARDS SPELLING • Two volunteers on the board. • The teacher spells words from the back and they write it. • Their groups have the chance to make guesses as well. • The group that shouts out the words first, gets 1 point.

Spelling Activities: • • • Activate both parts of the brain Create fun time for students Make kineasthetic students active Good for visual learners Revise words from previous day rather than starting the with «open your books. . »

NLP means: • Getting to know your students better. • Paying attention to VISUAL, AUDITORY and KINEASTHETIC students. • Understanding students better. • Touching students’ hearts. • Focusing on their learning more.

THE FOURTH PILLAR of NLP: FLEXIBILITY If you continue to do the same things, you will get the same results.

HOW TO USE NLP in CLASS: • Create a good rap_______ with your students starting from the 1 st day of class. GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS BETTER FIRST. • Focus on their family backgrounds and try to understand them. • Make use of mus______ in class. • Try to use more sto_____ in class. • Try to use guided fantasy more. • Try to create a positive atm_____. • Try to use the finger technique / spelling technique for VOCAB PRACTICE.

• • Do not gen______ students Focus on each ind______ student. Pra_____ students more often. Focus on students’ succ______ rather than failures • MODEL other teachers in order to reach excellence • Pay attention to VAKOG students and va______ your activities.

«The resources we need are within us» «If you do anything with love and passion, you will get different and hopefully better results» «How a teacher teaches is more important than what he teaches»

NLP BOOKS • In Your Hands. NLP for Teaching and Learning. 1997. Jane Revell & Susan Norman. Sapphire Press. • Handing Over. NLP-Based Activities for Language Learning. 1999. Jane Revell & Susan Norman. Sapphire Press • Whose Life are you Living? 2003. Tony Humphreys. Gill & Mac. Millan • Myself, My Partner. 2005. Tony Humphreys. Gill & Mac. Millan • A Different Kind of Teacher, Self-esteem the Key to your Child's Future. 1995. Tony Humphreys. Gill & Mac. Millan