Neuro-linguistic Programming and its Applicability in EFL Classrooms: Perceptions of NLP-Trained English Teachers

The present study is an attempt to examine the applicability of NLP techniques in English Language Teaching (ELT), an under-investigated topic in the literature on EFL contexts. The researcher also attempts to examine the extent to which Iranian EFL instructors in language schools implement NLP techniques in their classrooms. In an effort to achieve the research aims, a sixteen-hour NLP training workshop for 20 conveniently chosen inservice EFL instructors was designed and held by the author. The workshop aimed at helping the participants to achieve a working knowledge of the concept of NLP. Prior to conducting the workshop, in order to gain a better understanding of the participants’ needs and the benefits of the implementation of the training program in teachers’ instructional practices, 60 class sessions of the 20 teachers were observed using a researcher-made observation checklist. To identify any changes in the teachers’ pedagogical skills and to assess any perceived learning outcomes from participating in the workshop, the researcher repeated the observations almost seven months after the last session of the workshop. Subsequently, in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the teachers’ perceptions of the topic under investigation. According to the findings of the thematic analysis, almost all the EFL teachers used NLP techniques to varying degrees in their language classes. The results of this study, provided at the end of the article, offer some valuable suggestions for different stakeholders in the field.