About The Neuro-Semantic Language Learning Theory
Image © M. Brown; E. Arwood
The study of human learning is an ephemeral art and science that has exasperated academic theorists for centuries. Most recently, the field of cognitive neuroscience has entered into the conversation by showcasing how brain scanning technology can provide a glimpse of what might be occurring within the neurons that make up our neurobiology. Through these advancements, we now know there is a neurobiological component to learning: brain cells change, and constantly re-arrange to become more complex and efficient over time. Though much scientific progress in the study of learning has been made, many of the same conundrums remain that have puzzled philosophers and social psychologists alike. For example, why do some children mature and develop at expected rates while others lag behind their peers in milestone achievements? Or, how do some students learn how to ‘see the world’ from another person’s perspective, while others throw tantrums if they do not get their way?
The Neuro-Semantic Language Learning Theory provides sensible explanations for these questions and many more. Created by Dr. Ellyn Arwood as a grounded theory over the course of 30 years of observational data and scientific inquiry, the NsLLT sits at the intersection of all three areas of study inherent within Arwood’s Neuro-Education Model.
At its core, the NsLLT posits that language names our thinking; which means that humans advance their cognition and socialization through ever-increasing acquisition of functional language. Within this theory, learning and language hold a reciprocal relationship. The more a child can use their own natural language to make sense of the world, the more sophisticated and systematic the connections within their brain will become. This means that adults can facilitate long-term learning in all children by allowing young minds to be creative, problem-solve, and empathize with others. And, we can view the language that a child uses as a mirror into how they think.
In order to achieve all of this, the NsLLT argues that language acquisition follows a prototypical four-tier model within the brain and the body’s neurobiological learning system. The following image provides a brief snapshot of the primary features inherent within the NsLLT.
We encourage you to take a moment to view Dr. Ellyn Arwood’s video below as she explains just how unique and unparalleled the NsLLT remains within both educational and scientific discourse.
To learn more about the use of instructional strategies that have derived from the study of Neuro-Education, please see an explanation of Viconic Language Methods here.