Neurolinguistics in learning foreign languages

It’s time to get back in the saddle after the winter holidays!

The beginning of each year is the time to make plans and set goals. Let’s not delay them for too long and dive into learning at once, like our English Tutor Katsiaryna did. The year has just begun, but she has already completed a course on Neurolinguistics. Let’s find out what’s so special about this field of knowledge.

—Why Neurolinguistics?
Perhaps because the prefix -neuro is used more and more widely in our lives, the idea of emotional intelligence is gaining popularity, and life coaches keep telling us that “the brain’s capabilities are endless”. I got curious as to which principles of neurolinguistics I could use when teaching English.

— And which principles can you share with us?

Let’s go through the main ones:

1) Practice the language in a field that is important to the student (we have that covered, so we keep moving forward to gain new knowledge and improve what we already know)

2) Neurolinguists create a personalized roadmap aimed at reaching short-term goals (here I can add that this is precisely the individual approach we practice in Exposit, where the roadmap is the upcoming lesson plan for a student, aimed at studying and practicing a given skill: interview preparation, report writing practice etc.).

3) Brain-friendly communication —language skills are acquired more effectively in a calm and friendly environment; neural bonds are strengthened when the student speaks in a relaxed atmosphere (note: relaxed doesn’t mean slack).

4) No textbooks — the whole learning process is built on speaking and real-life cases

5) Concurrent work with triggers that stand in the way of learning (“it’s not meant to be”, “I understand everything but I’m too scared to speak” etc.). This is an interesting topic that also requires a personal approach, as learning is not just pedagogy, but also psychology, and that leads to neurolinguistics.

— What advice do you have for students based on what you’ve learned?

Set short-term goals, then speak, speak, and speak. Your teacher is not an examiner who will flunk you, but a partner who will gladly talk to you and share something new, be it a new word, grammar structure, or just an interesting story. So welcome to our classes!

By the way, all learning in our company is done only on an individual basis and aimed at developing fluent speech. Our teachers find a personal approach to each student based on their interests.
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