“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind” , Rudyard Kipling.
The way we use our spoken language, can have a major effect on people. It can impact ones confidence, self esteem, self worth, mindset amoung many others areas. Yet, we have all, most likely, been culprit to its abuse.
Abuse ?
How can we abuse our spoken language ? Very easily. Did you know our use & understanding of language, operates largely on a subconscious level ? For example, American Psychologist, John Bargh, carried out a study with the aim to find out, if certain words could influence or prime our behaviour, thought patterns & even capabilities. Bargh found, after blindly exposing two groups of students to ‘Aggressive/Rude’ & ‘Passive/Polite’ primed words, the ‘Aggressive/Rude’ group showed extremely high levels of rude/impatient behaviour compared to that of the ‘Passive/Polite’ group, demonstrating how powerful, certain words can be.
My first awakening to the power of language came about during my training as a Speech Therapist. I often had to put together therapy plans for stroke victims & children with language difficulties. Doing this involved carefully reflecting my choice of words, making sure the client would understand me. My tone, intention, body language, gestures all played an important factor too. My (short lived) experience as a Speech Therapist, has strong links to my role now as an educator in violin. As educators, we must not only educate but also find effective ways to communicate with our students, to help gain access to their worlds and bring out the best in them.
Mental Imagery
Learning to find effective and better ways to communicate with my students has been an area I have wanted to know more about. It was by chance, on a trip to my local bookshop, I came across a book called The Pressure Principle by elite Sports Performance Coach Dr., Dave Alred. I got so excited when I opened the book to discover a chapter dedicated to language & performance. Dr., Alred talks about the many facets of language & the potential it can have on ones performance. One area that stood out most, was the impact mental imagery can have, merely through our choice of words. He uses the well known example, ‘Can I ask you not to think of a purple elephant’ ? Of course, the only thing we now think of, is the purple elephant ! By thinking about what not to do, we end up thinking about the actual thing we want to avoid.
Practical Implications
As an educator, I am becoming increasingly aware, of the impact negative language can have on my students performance. Dr., Alred talks about the importance of turning negative statements into effective ones. For example, instead of saying –
“dont lose concentration”
I can rephrase my remark by saying –
“continue counting right up until the double line. always use your foot to help tap out the beat & maintain a continuous pulse”.
This positive use of language would mentally cue my student to physically start tapping their foot as a result of the mental picture I created for them as apposed to creating a fear of loosing concentration.
Similarly, creating student awareness, around their own use of language is of equal importance. Our brains are negatively wired & can easily be triggered into thinking negatively from one or two bad experiences. I often hear in lessons “I always get this wrong” or “I am really bad at this passage” . I always stop a student here & explain how we can to restructure our thoughts, our use of language & compartmentalise things. So, instead of saying –
“I am really bad at this”
We can identify the problem area by saying –
“I find this part really tricky but with some working on it, careful planning & practice, it will get easier”
The way we use language is of utmost importance to shaping the right mindset in other people. As parents, teachers, performers, professional sports people alike, we are still vulnerable to underestimating how powerful language can be. Children and young adults, are more perceptive than we assume. It is our responsibility, to ensure when we teach someone, that we are not just showing them how to acquire a certain skill but that we are also developing a certain mindset, through the right choice of words, to help them achieve that skill.