Using NLP-Based Instructional Activities to Reduce English Speaking Anxiety and Enhance Motivation among 8th Grade Students

Abstract

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) provides a set of mental strategies that help individuals enhance their communication skills and achieve their learning goals. It has been applied in various fields such as education, psychology, health, business, and marketing. In education, NLP emerges as an innovative instructional approach that enhances students’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement in learning. This study examines the systematic use of NLP techniques in teaching English as a foreign language and explores their effects on reducing eighth-grade students’ speaking anxiety and improving their motivation. As an action research study with 36 students at a public middle school in Türkiye, it integrated NLP-based activities into the Adventures unit of the 8th-grade English curriculum. Data was collected through written student feedback, students’ verbal statements, classroom observations, and the teacher’s reflective journal. The results indicate that students who initially avoided speaking activities became more willing to participate, gained confidence, and experienced reduced anxiety as implementation continued. The findings suggest that NLP has transformative potential for individual learner development, classroom interaction, and motivational dynamics.