The NsLLT and Viconic Language Methods

Adapted from: Lam, C. (2017). Literature Review of Neuro-education. In Arwood and Merideth, Neuro-Education: A Translation from Theory to Practice (Chapter 2). Portland, OR: APRICOT, Inc. ISBN: 0967972027

A Child's Learning System

Since 1990s, neural imaging studies on human language abilities have drawn the interest of many researchers and educators in the fields of language acquisition and special education. These research results have been transferred into classroom applications and educational theories, which seek to resolve problems and facilitate learning in students who have struggled in school. The Neuro-Semantic Language Learning Theory (NsLLT) integrates theories and scientific evidence and affords a four-stage model of how a learner acquires language for functional use (Arwood, 2011; Arwood, Kaulitz, & Brown, 2009). To translate the model to practice, Arwood (2011) suggests ways to consider the meta-cognitive thinking of the learner to acquire the meaning or thoughts for a healthy cognitive and social development. Each stage posited in NsLLT depends on scaffolding from previous stages. Specifically, the four neuro-semantic stages are:

(1) Sensory input: sensory receptors across the body receive inputs according to the input’s

properties, e. g., light waves and acoustic sounds;

(2) Perceptual patterns: as sensory inputs overlap in multiple forms to create patterns, the

cellular structures, mostly at the sub-cortical level, start to recognize patterns;

(3) Conceptual circuits: as various patterns continue to bundle and integrate to form large

patterns, the firing of cells moves the patterns along cerebral circuits where old and

new patterns connect to create layers of images, i.e., the creation of conceptual

meanings;

(4) Language network: concepts or neural circuits of meaning continue to layer deep within

cortex across hemispheres to develop patterns of meaning for language function.

The important notion in this theory is that concepts are created through layers of images within cerebral circuits and then across networks. Individuals with neurotypical brains can integrate information into multimodal images (i.e., visuals, sounds, tactile, etc.) with varying degrees of ease, depending on how well the learner’s system can relate to new information (for example, related experience). Comparatively, individuals with special needs may have various degrees of difficulty in integrating information into multimodal images; for example, acoustic signals may not be integrated with visual images to form larger concepts. Thus, for many students with special needs, auditory instructions often fail to lead to conceptual understanding, because most of these learners (around 95% of the general child and adult population) are visual learners.

Based on the NsLLT, various visual methods have been applied to ordinary classrooms for both neuro-typical and neuro-atypical learners to enhance their conceptual understanding. Some of the practice-proved methods, named the Viconic Language Methods (VLMs), were incorporated as part of the NsLLT. VLMs help the learner to utilize visual properties of language to facilitate visual language processes of thinking, and to help learners translate visual cognition into auditory English and vice versa.

The VLMs include cartooning, the use of oral viconic or relational language, hand-over-hand shaping of words, picture dictionaries, context creation by “I” Stories, adjustment of materials to create more visual context, and drawing concepts in real time (see Arwood, 2011 for details). As above mentioned, these methods take advantage of the learner’s learning systems to create images in their brain. By connecting the images with contextual information to create larger images, the learner develops higher thinking represented by improved language.

Note: Some of the above mentioned VLMs methods and worksheets will be posted on the STUDENT page of my website.

References

Arwood, E. (2011). Language function: An introduction to pragmatic assessment and intervention. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley.

Arwood, E., Kaulitz, C., & Brown, M. M. (2009). Visual thinking strategies for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: The language of pictures. Shawnee Mission, Kan.: APC.