The difference between Neurolanguage Coaching and Neurolinguistic Programming?
Let's pretend your name is Patricia Travolta. What one question would you be sick of hearing people ask you? All... The... Time?
"Any relation to John Travolta?"
I mean, you can’t blame them for asking - he’s famous!
When I introduce myself as a Neurolanguage Coach, there's one question (well, two*) I hear a lot. People often ask me about this other, more well-known method with a similar name: Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP).
Their names are super similar, aren't they? So aren't they also similar methods, then?
Hm, not really at all.
Let me stop for a second and let you know that if you've never heard of NLP, don't worry. This isn't for you. I'll let you decide whether you want to keep reading…
So I wanted to take a moment to explain: "What's the difference between Neurolanguage Coaching and NLP?"
Before I try my best to answer, I'll just say that I'm definitely not qualified to teach or 'do' NLP, and so whatever I say about NLP might not be quite accurate. My training is in Neurolanguage Coaching, and I'll explain how these methods differ to the best of my knowledge:
Their purposes are different. In a nutshell, Neurolanguage Coaching is a method to help adults (around 14+) learn a foreign language more effectively. NLP is a method to help adults change their thought and behaviour patterns to achieve a specific goal.
Their focus is different. Neurolanguage Coaching is exclusively intended for language learning, and it is not psychotherapy. NLP is applied to a breadth of areas from psychotherapeutic issues like phobias and addiction to other areas like leadership skills.
They're founded on different principles. Neurolanguage Coaching principles stem from neuroscience, language learning, and coaching. NLP principles stem from psychological theory and something the founders refer to as "the study of the structure of subjective experience". Many people regard NLP principles as unscientific - but I'm not here to judge.
NLP is older and more widely practiced. Neurolanguage Coaching was established as a certification around 2014, and currently has only about 1200 certified Coaches worldwide. NLP was developed in the 70s and has gained enough popularity that many people have heard of it. I couldn't find any estimates on how many NLP practitioners there are globally, though I'd imagine there are many more than 1200.
Only one of these methods is accredited and regulated! Neurolanguage Coaching is accredited by the International Coaching Federation, and every new Coach is certified by Efficient Language Coaching. NLP is taught by many people around the world, but it's not regulated which puts NLP in the ‘grey zone’ as a method for psychotherapy or coaching.
And of course, the methods themselves are different. From what I understand about NLP, there is some form of hypnosis involved. With Neurolanguage Coaching, we don't do that.
But maybe there is one thing they have in common.
From what I can tell, one similarity between the two methods is some idea of ‘programming’ or ‘reprogramming’ the brain. NLP seems to talk about this much more explicitly in their methods. But if ‘programming’ means changing the way you do something so you can do it faster and with less effort the next time around, then we do that in Neurolanguage Coaching, too.
These methods have confusingly similar names, and yet the purpose, intended audience, and principles behind them are vastly different.
So did my explanation make sense, or do you have unanswered questions about Neurolanguage Coaching? (For NLP inquiries, please ask someone else).
Feel free to send any further questions my way!
* The other question I hear even more often when I introduce myself as Hedvig is "Like the owl?" - Harry Potter fans will understand!
AUTHOR'S BIO
Hedvig is a language and learning coach on a mission to make language learning almost as normal as breathing. She is the founder of Abundate.org and host of the Abundate Podcast, where she interviews language learners, educators and researchers about the magic, power and beauty of language learning. She also shares her personal reflections on language learning in her newsletter. Learn more about private coaching in English or Norwegian, or her group programme for learners of any language.