The secret of motivation lies in the language you use, say Jane Revell and Susan Norman.
Do you know what makes you tick? What gets you up in the morning? What is it that actually gets you started on those tasks you don’t want to do? Do you prefer working alone, or do you like working as part of a team? Are you the sort of person who plans everything, who sets specific time limits – and sticks to them? Or do you just start working on the easy bits and then see how the job evolves – maybe working through the night to meet yet another deadline? It is worth remembering, once again, that people are different. As the traditional saying goes, ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison’. Different people are motivated by different things and in different ways. The same person might be motivated in different ways in different contexts. What motivates you might have no effect on someone else. The more you understand about how people can be motivated, the better you will be at motivating students to learn. And once again, the language you use can be a crucial factor. What works for one, won’t necessarily work for another. So how can you speak to a class in ways which motivate them all? Why not start by finding out more about yourself and what motivates you by doing the Motivation Quiz on the next page? You might think about it in relation to other people you know, too – your students, perhaps?
Metaprograms
We are bombarded with a huge amount of sensory information all the time and we can’t possibly take notice of it all. Our brains filter the information we receive and bring to our attention those things which seem to be of importance to us. Have you noticed how you can be totally absorbed in a conversation at a noisy party and still hear your name spoken in a normal tone of voice across the room? You didn’t even know you were listening to that conversation. And you weren’t, consciously. Our brains habitually use nonconscious filters to select relevant information from our sensory experience. Once our brain finds a way of behaving which works, it tends to repeat it, so that it becomes a habit, or a ‘program’. Our preferred ‘programs’ are called ‘metaprograms’ in NLP. Metaprograms in their current form derive from Roger Bailey’s Language and Behaviour (LAB) Profile created in the early 1980s, which in turn was based on ideas from NLP developed by Leslie Cameron-Bandler and others. Bailey reduced the original 60 patterns to 14 and developed specific questions to determine each metaprogram. The percentages given later in this article are from Roger Bailey and apply to the work context in North America. They certainly give an indication of the sorts of factors you should consider, even if the precise percentages are likely to vary slightly in different contexts. So practically, how do you know what motivates people? You can often tell by the language people use and the way they describe things. One way of getting into really good rapport with people is to notice the things they say and respond by using similar motivational language. This is relatively easy to do on a one-to-one basis. When dealing with groups, however, as most teachers do, it is important to be flexible and use language that appeals to all the metaprograms that different individuals might have. Your aim is to reach – and motivate – every individual in the group. The following are five of the basic metaprograms – in the order of the Motivation Quiz. Notice what they are and approximately how many people fall into each category. Try to relate the different patterns to people you know. Think about what it might mean in practical terms – how do they actually behave? We offer suggestions for specific language which might be appropriate to use for students with different metaprograms. Choose the language you could profitably use with your students.
ACT FIRST or THINK FIRST
Some people (15-20%) are proactive: they act first (sometimes without thinking); they make things happen. Some people (15-20%) are reactive: they respond to situations or other people, they often think and plan before they act. Most people (60-65%) are both: they initiate action, while being prepared to respond to changing circumstances. You’ll probably recognise the students who can’t wait to get started on a task, and the others who want to have all the ground rules clearly sorted out before they commit themselves. Since most people can work in both modes, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep the strongly opposed types apart for collaborative projects. You should find the following expressions helpful for motivating all types of students:
Proactive: Do it. Go for it. Get it done. Don’t wait. Start as soon as possible. Reactive: Think about it carefully. Make sure you really understand. Both: Have a (quick) think about it first, jot down some ideas if you need to, and then get on with it.
INTERNAL or EXTERNAL
Some people (40%) are internal: they evaluate and make judgements for themselves (regardless of what other people think). Some people (40%) are external: they need feedback from others to evaluate things. Some people (20%) are both: they use both internal and external feedback.
Where would you place Margaret Thatcher when she said, ‘I feel sorry for the other 49′? (She was the only one of 50 Commonwealth leaders to oppose sanctions against South Africa during apartheid.)
OPTIONS or PROCEDURES
Some people (40%) have an options program: they like to have lots of choices about what they do and how they do it. Some people (40%) have a procedures program: they like to know the ‘right way’ to do something, what the correct steps are. Some people (20%) have both.
Because of the likelihood of a roughly equal distribution, you need to cater for both types of program. Give rules to learn and steps to follow, and at the same time allow for choice. Make sure you give clear step-by-step instructions for group activities (unless you thrive on chaos), and then offer choices by saying something like: ‘OK. I’ve just described the task and the steps are on the board – either work through them as they stand, or you can go about it in your own way. You have 15 minutes.’ There are various other ways of building in choice too, for example choosing different tasks for homework, different groups working on different things, choosing 10 out of 15 questions on a text, choosing 10 words to learn from a list of 30, and so on.
TOWARDS or AWAY FROM
Some people (40%) are towards: they are motivated by what they want. Some people (40%) are away from: they are motivated by what they don’t want. Some people (20Powerful language III The secret of motivation lies in the language you use, say Jane Revell and Susan Norman. Do you know what makes you tick? What gets you up in the morning? What is it that actually gets you started on those tasks you don’t want to do? Do you prefer working alone, or do you like working as part of a team? Are you the sort of person who plans everything, who sets specific time limits – and sticks to them? Or do you just start working on the easy bits and then see how the job evolves – maybe working through the night to meet yet another deadline? It is worth remembering, once again, that people are different. As the traditional saying goes, ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison’. Different people are motivated by different things and in different ways. The same person might be motivated in different ways in different contexts. What motivates you might have no effect on someone else. The more you understand about how people can be motivated, the better you will be at motivating students to learn. And once again, the language you use can be a crucial factor. What works for one, won’t necessarily work for another. So how can you speak to a class in ways which motivate them all? Why not start by finding out more about yourself and what motivates you by doing the Motivation Quiz on the next page? You might think about it in relation to other people you know, too – your students, perhaps? Metaprograms We are bombarded with a huge amount of sensory information all the time and we can’t possibly take notice of it all. Our brains filter the information we receive and bring to our attention those things which seem to be of importance to us. Have you noticed how you can be totally absorbed in a conversation at a noisy party and still hear your name spoken in a normal tone of voice across the room? You didn’t even know you were listening to that conversation. And you weren’t, consciously. Our brains habitually use nonconscious filters to select relevant information from our sensory experience. Once our brain finds a way of behaving which works, it tends to repeat it, so that it becomes a habit, or a ‘program’. Our preferred ‘programs’ are called ‘metaprograms’ in NLP. Metaprograms in their current form derive from Roger Bailey’s Language and Behaviour (LAB) Profile created in the early 1980s, which in turn was based on ideas from NLP developed by Leslie Cameron-Bandler and others. Bailey reduced the original 60 patterns to 14 and developed specific questions to determine each metaprogram. The percentages given later in this article are from Roger Bailey and apply to the work context in North America. They certainly give an indication of the sorts of factors you should consider, even if the precise percentages are likely to vary slightly in different contexts. So practically, how do you know what motivates people? You can often tell by the language people use and the way they describe things. One way of getting into really good rapport with people is to notice the things they say and respond by using similar motivational language. This is relatively easy to do on a one-to-one basis. When dealing with groups, however, as most teachers do, it is important to be flexible and use language that appeals to all the metaprograms that different individuals might have. Your aim is to reach – and motivate – every individual in the group. The following are five of the basic metaprograms – in the order of the Motivation Quiz. Notice what they are and approximately how many people fall into each category. Try to relate the different patterns to people you know. Think about what it might mean in practical terms – how do they actually behave? We offer suggestions for specific language which might be appropriate to use for students with different metaprograms. Choose the language you could profitably use with your students. [image 1] ACT FIRST or THINK FIRST Some people (15-20%) are proactive: they act first (sometimes without thinking); they make things happen. Some people (15-20) are reactive: they respond to situations or other people, they often think and plan before they act. Most people (60-65) are both: they initiate action, while being prepared to respond to changing circumstances. You’ll probably recognise the students who can’t wait to get started on a task, and the others who want to have all the ground rules clearly sorted out before they commit themselves. Since most people can work in both modes, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep the strongly opposed types apart for collaborative projects. You should find the following expressions helpful for motivating all types of students: Proactive: Do it. Go for it. Get it done. Don’t wait. Start as soon as possible. Reactive: Think about it carefully. Make sure you really understand. Both: Have a (quick) think about it first, jot down some ideas if you need to, and then get on with it. INTERNAL or EXTERNAL Some people (40) are internal: they evaluate and make judgements for themselves (regardless of what other people think). Some people (40) are external: they need feedback from others to evaluate things. Some people (20) are both: they use both internal and external feedback. Where would you place Margaret Thatcher when she said, ‘I feel sorry for the other 49’? (She was the only one of 50 Commonwealth leaders to oppose sanctions against South Africa during apartheid.) Remember to give generous praise for work well done. Even people who rely primarily on their own judgement usually respond well to praise. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of concentrating more on what’s wrong rather than on what’s right. You are likely to have fairly even numbers of students with an ‘internal’ or an ‘external’ metaprogram. In order to cater for both groups, allow room for selfevaluation as well as feedback from you and from other students. Get students to check through (and maybe also grade) their own work; their personal estimate and record of progress can be compared with yours. As a trainer working with groups, you need to ‘give permission’ for individuals to go either way, by saying things like: All the research backs up this idea and I’ve found it really useful in my own teaching, but of course you’ll want to make up your own minds. OPTIONS or PROCEDURES Some people (40) have an options program: they like to have lots of choices about what they do and how they do it. Some people (40) have a procedures program: they like to know the ‘right way’ to do something, what the correct steps are. Some people (20) have both. Because of the likelihood of a roughly equal distribution, you need to cater for both types of program. Give rules to learn and steps to follow, and at the same time allow for choice. Make sure you give clear step-by-step instructions for group activities (unless you thrive on chaos), and then offer choices by saying something like: ‘OK. I’ve just described the task and the steps are on the board – either work through them as they stand, or you can go about it in your own way. You have 15 minutes.’ There are various other ways of building in choice too, for example choosing different tasks for homework, different groups working on different things, choosing 10 out of 15 questions on a text, choosing 10 words to learn from a list of 30, and so on. TOWARDS or AWAY FROM Some people (40) are towards: they are motivated by what they want. Some people (40) are away from: they are motivated by what they don’t want. Some people (20) are both: usually dependent on context. Note particularly that it’s pretty much an equal split between the two groups, so you really need to consider both types at all times. Which strategies are these students using? Towards (T) or Away From (AF)? a My goal is to get 100 in the exam. ( ) b I don’t want to stay on at school. ( ) Which strategy is this teacher appealing to in each case? c This will help you not to make some of the common mistakes. ( ) d When you’ve done this activity, you’ll understand it more clearly. ( ) Which words are likely to appeal to which type? e attain, get, achieve, obtain ( ) f avoid, steer clear of, get rid of ( ) [Answers: a=T b=AF c=AF d=T e=T f=AF] SAMENESS or DIFFERENCE A very few people (5) have a strong sameness program: they notice what is the same about things and they tend to like stability. Some people (only 20) have a difference program: they notice what is different about things, and they love change. Most people (65) have a sameness with exception program: they notice what is the same about things and the exceptions, and they like a certain amount of stability with the occasional change. A small percentage (10) have a sameness with exception and difference program: they like both evolution and revolution. You need to combine a certain amount of routine (sameness) with some variety (difference) in order to satisfy most of the people most of the time. People with a ‘sameness’ program are helped if we link new teaching with something they are already familiar with, by saying things like: ‘This is like X that we did last term’. The language you use to help people with a strong ‘difference’ program is likely to alarm 80 of your students, e.g. ‘This is completely new and it isn’t like anything you’ve ever done before’. As a teacher or trainer, you need to be able to use ‘sameness’ language and ‘difference’ language simultaneously. How? You say something like: ‘This is completely new, but it’s a bit like X!’ Some sameness language: like, same as, identical, in common, very similar to, familiar, as before, links in with, connects to, reminds us of … Some difference language: new, different from, not like, unlike, unique, in a class of its own, special, original … Putting it into practice These are only five of numerous metaprograms which influence how we all act and react in different ways. Did you recognise yourself in any of the examples? Did you recognise anyone else? Can you think of other behaviour patterns which might be the basis of metaprograms? It is helpful to think about why people (students) behave as they do. Use their natural tendencies to your (and their) advantage to help them learn. After three articles on language and NLP, we hope you now have some ideas about using language more effectively to improve your students’ learning. We have found that NLP has given us a whole new way to approach language, with the emphasis being on its meaning and effect on the listener, rather than simply on the nuts and bolts of grammar and vocabulary. Our students have enjoyed viewing it in that way too when we have shared it with them. At the very least, it is as well to be aware of the power of language as a teaching tool, and to use it wisely. There is an NLP saying which goes: The meaning of your communication is the response you get.We wish you positive responses from your students. Charvet, Shelle Rose Words that Change Minds Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Jane Revell and Susan Norman are both experienced teachers, teacher trainers and authors. They have recently published In Your Hands, a new book on NLP and ELT (Saffire Press, 1997). This article first appeared in English Teaching Professional, Issue 7, 1998 ) are both: usually dependent on context. Note particularly that it’s pretty much an equal split between the two groups, so you really need to consider both types at all times.
Which strategies are these students using? Towards (T) or Away From (AF)? a My goal is to get 100% in the exam. ( ) b I don’t want to stay on at school. ( )
Which strategy is this teacher appealing to in each case?
c) This will help you not to make some of the common mistakes. ( )
d) When you’ve done this activity, you’ll understand it more clearly. ( )
Which words are likely to appeal to which type?
e) attain, get, achieve, obtain ( )
f) avoid, steer clear of, get rid of ( )
[Answers: a=T b=AF c=AF d=T e=T f=AF]
SAMENESS or DIFFERENCE
A very few people (5%) have a strong sameness program: they notice what is the same about things and they tend to like stability. Some people (only 20Powerful language III The secret of motivation lies in the language you use, say Jane Revell and Susan Norman. Do you know what makes you tick? What gets you up in the morning? What is it that actually gets you started on those tasks you don’t want to do? Do you prefer working alone, or do you like working as part of a team? Are you the sort of person who plans everything, who sets specific time limits – and sticks to them? Or do you just start working on the easy bits and then see how the job evolves – maybe working through the night to meet yet another deadline? It is worth remembering, once again, that people are different. As the traditional saying goes, ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison’. Different people are motivated by different things and in different ways. The same person might be motivated in different ways in different contexts. What motivates you might have no effect on someone else. The more you understand about how people can be motivated, the better you will be at motivating students to learn. And once again, the language you use can be a crucial factor. What works for one, won’t necessarily work for another. So how can you speak to a class in ways which motivate them all? Why not start by finding out more about yourself and what motivates you by doing the Motivation Quiz on the next page? You might think about it in relation to other people you know, too – your students, perhaps? Metaprograms We are bombarded with a huge amount of sensory information all the time and we can’t possibly take notice of it all. Our brains filter the information we receive and bring to our attention those things which seem to be of importance to us. Have you noticed how you can be totally absorbed in a conversation at a noisy party and still hear your name spoken in a normal tone of voice across the room? You didn’t even know you were listening to that conversation. And you weren’t, consciously. Our brains habitually use nonconscious filters to select relevant information from our sensory experience. Once our brain finds a way of behaving which works, it tends to repeat it, so that it becomes a habit, or a ‘program’. Our preferred ‘programs’ are called ‘metaprograms’ in NLP. Metaprograms in their current form derive from Roger Bailey’s Language and Behaviour (LAB) Profile created in the early 1980s, which in turn was based on ideas from NLP developed by Leslie Cameron-Bandler and others. Bailey reduced the original 60 patterns to 14 and developed specific questions to determine each metaprogram. The percentages given later in this article are from Roger Bailey and apply to the work context in North America. They certainly give an indication of the sorts of factors you should consider, even if the precise percentages are likely to vary slightly in different contexts. So practically, how do you know what motivates people? You can often tell by the language people use and the way they describe things. One way of getting into really good rapport with people is to notice the things they say and respond by using similar motivational language. This is relatively easy to do on a one-to-one basis. When dealing with groups, however, as most teachers do, it is important to be flexible and use language that appeals to all the metaprograms that different individuals might have. Your aim is to reach – and motivate – every individual in the group. The following are five of the basic metaprograms – in the order of the Motivation Quiz. Notice what they are and approximately how many people fall into each category. Try to relate the different patterns to people you know. Think about what it might mean in practical terms – how do they actually behave? We offer suggestions for specific language which might be appropriate to use for students with different metaprograms. Choose the language you could profitably use with your students. [image 1] ACT FIRST or THINK FIRST Some people (15-20%) are proactive: they act first (sometimes without thinking); they make things happen. Some people (15-20) are reactive: they respond to situations or other people, they often think and plan before they act. Most people (60-65) are both: they initiate action, while being prepared to respond to changing circumstances. You’ll probably recognise the students who can’t wait to get started on a task, and the others who want to have all the ground rules clearly sorted out before they commit themselves. Since most people can work in both modes, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep the strongly opposed types apart for collaborative projects. You should find the following expressions helpful for motivating all types of students: Proactive: Do it. Go for it. Get it done. Don’t wait. Start as soon as possible. Reactive: Think about it carefully. Make sure you really understand. Both: Have a (quick) think about it first, jot down some ideas if you need to, and then get on with it. INTERNAL or EXTERNAL Some people (40) are internal: they evaluate and make judgements for themselves (regardless of what other people think). Some people (40) are external: they need feedback from others to evaluate things. Some people (20) are both: they use both internal and external feedback. Where would you place Margaret Thatcher when she said, ‘I feel sorry for the other 49’? (She was the only one of 50 Commonwealth leaders to oppose sanctions against South Africa during apartheid.) Remember to give generous praise for work well done. Even people who rely primarily on their own judgement usually respond well to praise. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of concentrating more on what’s wrong rather than on what’s right. You are likely to have fairly even numbers of students with an ‘internal’ or an ‘external’ metaprogram. In order to cater for both groups, allow room for selfevaluation as well as feedback from you and from other students. Get students to check through (and maybe also grade) their own work; their personal estimate and record of progress can be compared with yours. As a trainer working with groups, you need to ‘give permission’ for individuals to go either way, by saying things like: All the research backs up this idea and I’ve found it really useful in my own teaching, but of course you’ll want to make up your own minds. OPTIONS or PROCEDURES Some people (40) have an options program: they like to have lots of choices about what they do and how they do it. Some people (40) have a procedures program: they like to know the ‘right way’ to do something, what the correct steps are. Some people (20) have both. Because of the likelihood of a roughly equal distribution, you need to cater for both types of program. Give rules to learn and steps to follow, and at the same time allow for choice. Make sure you give clear step-by-step instructions for group activities (unless you thrive on chaos), and then offer choices by saying something like: ‘OK. I’ve just described the task and the steps are on the board – either work through them as they stand, or you can go about it in your own way. You have 15 minutes.’ There are various other ways of building in choice too, for example choosing different tasks for homework, different groups working on different things, choosing 10 out of 15 questions on a text, choosing 10 words to learn from a list of 30, and so on. TOWARDS or AWAY FROM Some people (40) are towards: they are motivated by what they want. Some people (40) are away from: they are motivated by what they don’t want. Some people (20) are both: usually dependent on context. Note particularly that it’s pretty much an equal split between the two groups, so you really need to consider both types at all times. Which strategies are these students using? Towards (T) or Away From (AF)? a My goal is to get 100 in the exam. ( ) b I don’t want to stay on at school. ( ) Which strategy is this teacher appealing to in each case? c This will help you not to make some of the common mistakes. ( ) d When you’ve done this activity, you’ll understand it more clearly. ( ) Which words are likely to appeal to which type? e attain, get, achieve, obtain ( ) f avoid, steer clear of, get rid of ( ) [Answers: a=T b=AF c=AF d=T e=T f=AF] SAMENESS or DIFFERENCE A very few people (5) have a strong sameness program: they notice what is the same about things and they tend to like stability. Some people (only 20) have a difference program: they notice what is different about things, and they love change. Most people (65) have a sameness with exception program: they notice what is the same about things and the exceptions, and they like a certain amount of stability with the occasional change. A small percentage (10) have a sameness with exception and difference program: they like both evolution and revolution. You need to combine a certain amount of routine (sameness) with some variety (difference) in order to satisfy most of the people most of the time. People with a ‘sameness’ program are helped if we link new teaching with something they are already familiar with, by saying things like: ‘This is like X that we did last term’. The language you use to help people with a strong ‘difference’ program is likely to alarm 80 of your students, e.g. ‘This is completely new and it isn’t like anything you’ve ever done before’. As a teacher or trainer, you need to be able to use ‘sameness’ language and ‘difference’ language simultaneously. How? You say something like: ‘This is completely new, but it’s a bit like X!’ Some sameness language: like, same as, identical, in common, very similar to, familiar, as before, links in with, connects to, reminds us of … Some difference language: new, different from, not like, unlike, unique, in a class of its own, special, original … Putting it into practice These are only five of numerous metaprograms which influence how we all act and react in different ways. Did you recognise yourself in any of the examples? Did you recognise anyone else? Can you think of other behaviour patterns which might be the basis of metaprograms? It is helpful to think about why people (students) behave as they do. Use their natural tendencies to your (and their) advantage to help them learn. After three articles on language and NLP, we hope you now have some ideas about using language more effectively to improve your students’ learning. We have found that NLP has given us a whole new way to approach language, with the emphasis being on its meaning and effect on the listener, rather than simply on the nuts and bolts of grammar and vocabulary. Our students have enjoyed viewing it in that way too when we have shared it with them. At the very least, it is as well to be aware of the power of language as a teaching tool, and to use it wisely. There is an NLP saying which goes: The meaning of your communication is the response you get.We wish you positive responses from your students. Charvet, Shelle Rose Words that Change Minds Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company Jane Revell and Susan Norman are both experienced teachers, teacher trainers and authors. They have recently published In Your Hands, a new book on NLP and ELT (Saffire Press, 1997). This article first appeared in English Teaching Professional, Issue 7, 1998 have a difference program: they notice what is different about things, and they love change. Most people (65%) have a sameness with exception program: they notice what is the same about things and the exceptions, and they like a certain amount of stability with the occasional change. A small percentage (10%) have a sameness with exception and difference program: they like both evolution and revolution.