Neuro Linguistic Programing (NLP) is a controversial and relatively new branch of psychology concerned with how we communicate with others and how we communicate with ourselves. Fundamentally, NLP was designed to facilitate changing a persons beliefs and understandings about themselves or the world around them by directly influencing the unconscious mind. It was originally intended as a therapeutic practice, and is often used in combination with hypnosis. NLP is perhaps most commonly learnt by people in sales and advertising, as it is primarily concerned with communication for persuasion and change of perception.
In NLP, the mind processes information through the main sensory modalities or 'representational systems' which are visual (sight), auditory (sound), kinesthetic (touch) olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste). Whilst we use all these sensory modalities, we are likely to use certain senses more than others, to process information internally. When it comes to learning, the most important senses are of course visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. According to NLP theory, we use these senses internally to communicate to ourselves, whether it is recalling information or translating conceptual information into an understanding, and an experience into a memory.
For example, when you try a new type of cheese, you will see what it looks like, feel it when you pick it up, smell it as you bring it towards your mouth, taste it as you place it on your tongue, and hear the sound of your teeth grinding it up.
If there was no actual cheese in front of you, but someone described what the cheese was like by using nothing but words (as I did in the paragraph above and will do in more detail throughout this paragraph) your senses can still be utilised now that you think about eating cheese. In fact, right now, as you sit there reading these words on the screen, you can comfortably allow your unconscious mind to call on your senses. Your senses can generate an imaginary experience of what it would be like to see the cheese with your eyes. There are lots of different types of cheeses you could picture, so what does the one you are picturing now look like? What was the size, shape and colour you just visualised? And when you imagine your hand reach out to touch the cheese with your fingers now, what does your mind tell you that it feels like? When you imagine your fingers picking up the cheese and bringing it towards your open mouth right now, as it passes momentarily underneath your nostrils, do you allow yourself to smell the cheese? And as you slowly place it on your waiting tounge, and close the rest of your salivating mouth around the cheese, you feel it pressed between your tounge and the roof of your mouth. And as you allow yourself to slowly feel it melting now, you might even start to notice that it tastes good doesn't it. That's right. Now, as you imagine chewing it up and enjoy it's texture slowly melting between your teeth and swirling around your mouth...as you listen to your teeth crunching and allow yourself to hear the cheese sloshing around with your saliva - how does it sound now inside your head....inside your mind?
When people either take in new information, recall existing knowledge or are in the process of linking the two together, we are generally either creating an image in our mind, connecting sounds or feelings together. This becomes especially important as we tend to prefer using certain senses over others in the learning process, especially the sense of sight, touch and sound. Of one of the most fundamental steps in assessing a persons learning style therefore becomes finding out which senses they prefer when learning. At a very basic level, people can be categorised into either 'visual learners', 'kinesthetic learners' or 'auditory learners'.
Picking Up On Sensory Preferences: Language
As the description about eating cheese above demonstrates; the way in which words are used to invoke various senses are therefore, a very important part of the communication process.The language a person uses to express themselves may also give you clues about the senses they are using unconsciously as well. When someone says "I see what you mean" or "I hear what you're saying" or even "I think I can get a grasp on that" their choice of wording may give you an indication about the senses they are using to process what you are communicating to them.
Some common examples of visual, auditory or kinesthetic language that people may use to express when they don't understand something could include:
Visual: "I just can't picture that happening." "That doesn't look right to me."
Auditory: "That doesn't sound right to me." "It doesn't ring a bell."
Kinesthetic: "That doesn't sit right with me." "I can't put it together."
Other than paying fine attention to the language a person uses, there are several physiological indivations that people may give when communicating, that can help you detect their prefered learning style.
Picking Up On Sensory Preferences: Physiology
Visual people are likely to breath more shallow, speak faster and look up when they are thinking, listening or trying to process information. Kinaesthetic people are likely to breath more deeply (belly breathers), speak slower and look downwards when thinking or processing information. The breathing, speaking and direction they look when auditory people are communicating however is probably in between those of visual and kinaesthetic people. These descriptions are very broad of course, as each learner may be different.
Using Sensory Language To Communicate
Irrespective of how your students may use sensory language to express themselves, you may find it very useful to use sensory language when communicating to them. There is always more than one way of saying something, so once you feel confident you have detected your students preferred learning styles, you can always throw the right sensory language in for more powerful communication. Sensory language is so effective, it is often used in advertising, sales techniques and clinical hypnosis as it is thought to 'speak directly' to the unconscious mind.
To learn more about how to use NLP for communication, teaching and tutoring, see the private tutoring website.
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Knut Holt is an Internet marketer and business consultant with a focus on the health field. Please see his web-site to find more health information. There are also presentations of products to improve health, fitness products and also of hobby items. http://www.abicana.com/ 
