SUGGESTOPEDIA

SUGGESTOPEDIA

A.   Background

Suggestopedia is the name of a method developed by a bulgarian scientist, Georgi Lozanov, Lozanov is a physician and psychotherapist at that time. He developed his method in bulgarian and the method was then introduced in the Soviet Union, Hungary and East German. This method has been used in a number of Bulgarian Schools for the teaching a variety of subject eventhough the principle area of concorns is teaching foreign language. The proponents of themethod claim that their method works equally well weither or not language learners spend time on outside study, and gifted and ungifted language learners study the target language succesfully.

Lozanov daims that memorization in learning by the suggestopedic method wiil beaccelerated 25 times over that in learning by conventional method. Suggestopedia can be used to teach both adults and children. His experiment with adults and children shows that in five weeks they achieved a basic conversational ease in either French, English, German, Spanish or rusian, had a working vocabularyof 2000 words with 90% accuracy in recognition recall.

Suggestopedia cannot be separated from the use of yoga, role play, hypnotizing and music. The method considers the function of analytical, linear left hemishphere of the brain and that of the intuitive, spaticially responsive right hemisphere in relaxed way which result in accelarated and highly motivated learning. This method has been adapted to the American scene but the method is stiil in accordance with the environment were it was originally developed: pleasant, cheerful, and decorated. The elements of the method that are worth considering are an attractive classroom, teachers with dynamic personality and a state of relaxed alertness in their students.

B.     PRINCIPLES OF SUGGESTOPEDIA

The principles of the method are derived from observations based on control experiments (Stevick, 1976: 42). The first principle is that people are able to learn at rates many time greater that what we commonly assume to be the limits of human performance. The second principle is that learning is global; it involves the entire person. The third principle is that people learn either consciously or unconsciously or both, either rationally or irrationally or both. The last principle is the one that many people do not always agree with.

In Lozanov method it is beliaved that people posses considerable metal reserves wich they rarely if ever tap under normal circumstances; it is alsobeliaved that human being uses 5-10% of his/her brain capacity at the most (Dorothy,1981: 25).

Among  the examples of human capacities that may be tapped to be optimally used are the ability to learn rapidly and recall with ease large number of  materials, solve problems with great rapidity and spontaniety, respond to complex stimuli with creativity. In order to reach the optimal use of brain capacity, the method suggests language learners to activate the reserve capacities of language learner. This can be done by “suggestion” . By suggestion, language teachers can create learning situation in whichthe optimal use of brain capacities can be achieved.

Suggestion can work well when the learners remove the prior automatic patterns and open the access to great potential of mental reserve. Without de-suggesting (removing) the patterns, it is hard for suggestionto function. The learners must be assured that they have anti-suggestive barriers and they have to remove them in order to open the access of the suggestion. The three anti-suggestive barriers are critical logical, intuitive-affective, and ethical (Lozanov,1982: 148). The first anti-suggestivebarrier is critical anti-suggestive barrier. This barrier rejects suggestion through reasoning. If the learners think that it is imposible to learn a foreign language as Lozanov believes, the possibleto be succesful learners is very slim. This barrier is the conscious critical thinking. The second anti-suggestive barrier is intuitive-affective barrie. This seems to be emotional barrier. This barrier is believed to come from anything that may produce a feeling of  lack confidence or insecurity. If the learners feel taht they will loose their confidence or self-esteem, they are likely not to reach the success in learning. The third anti-suggestive barrier is ethical barrier. The learners will reject everything that is not in harmony with the ethical sense they have. The ethical sense may have been established from family or society.

In Lozanov method it is also believed that learning involves the entire person. The response of a man to every stimulus is very complex. It also involves many unconscious processes which have become automatic responses. For example, when we begin to fall, we respond in many ways, physically, emotonally, and mentally. These responses are unconscious (Dorothy, 1981: 25). Such responses are largely patterned in many ways and individuals have peculiar ways. Their responses would tend to be automatic and typical for individuals. The differences in responding to learningstimuli are also unique and different people woould respond similar stimuli in different ways.

There are two basic kinds of suggestion in Lozanov method: direct and indirect. Direct suggestion is meant to deal with conscious processes and indirect suggestion to deal with unconscious processes. The examples of conscious processes are all activities that occur in direct learning-teaching interaction. The examples of indirect suggestion are communication factors outside our conscious awareness such as voice, tone, facial expression, body posture and movement, speech tempo, rhythms, accent, etc. Another factor in language learning that can be function as indirect suggestion is classroom arrangement, such as decor, lighting, noise level, etc. The two types of suggestion are often called two plenes of learning process.

§  Means of suggestions

To create effective learning environment there are several means of suggestion which are the most powerful and essential for language teacher. This suggestion may overcome the anti-suggestive barriers the learners have(Dorothy, 1981: 28)

1.      A careful orchestrated physical environment.

2.      The teacher is thoroughly trained in the art of suggestive communication-with a) a well developed sense of authority b) the abality to evoke are receptive, playful, child-like state in the student, c) a mastery of double-plane behavior, especially the abality to use appropriately and purposefully suggestive language, voice, intonation, facial and body expression.

3.      Music.

4.      Carefully integrated suggestive written materials.

5.      Visual stimuli.

It is clear that languagae teachers should be well trained in the Suggestopedia in order to present language materials through this method. The following are some of the characteristics expected from language teacher teacher.

1.      The teacher should love and master the subject.

2.      The teacher should have energetic, joyful, playful spirit.

3.      The teacher should have a well-integrated personality.

4.      The teacher should have well-developed sense of authority.

5.      The teacher should have balance self-esteem and esteem for others.

6.      The teacher should have well-developed feeling for music, especially classical.

7.      The teacher should have flexible communication: ability to respond and incorporate.

To teach a foreign language through the Suggestopedia, language teacher is also expected to have sense of drama and the theatrical and knowledge of visual arts. This sense is needed to create the learning environment conducive to learning success since through this knowledge the teacher may provide the language learners with suggestion.

C.    BASIC ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE

Event though Lozanov does not articulate a theory of language, the method emphasize  onmemorization of vocabulary and its native translation (Richards and Rodgers, 1986: 144 and 2001). The materials to teach seem to be texts with its translation, followed by explanations of grammar of the foreign language (Dorothy, 1981:1-22). The texts may comprise of dialogues, songsor pictures with words in a target language. In other words, the  method suggests that language is seen as a set of grammatical rules and its vocabulary. Grammatical rules and its vocabulary are presented in texts. Languagae teachers should present and explain the grammar and vocabulary but these components of the language are not the main activity of the teachers (Larsen-Freeman, 1986: 78 and 2000). Translation into mother tongue is not avoided as long as it makes the meaning clear. The texts are graded by lexis ang grammar. Language learners are expected to learn a vocabulary list consisting of new words in the target language.The textbook in the suggestopedic approach plays an important role. The text usually consists of alighthearted story with  a pleasant and emotional spot.

D.  BASIC ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE  LEARNING

Like other methods, the Suggestopedia also has assumptions about learning. Some of the assumptions seem to be different from other methods; they are not only psychological but also metaphysical.

1.      Learning involves the unconscious functions, as well as the conscious function.

2.      The norms of the society often block the processs of learning. Language learners are often blocked by the limitations which the society has suggested.

3.      In learning learner need some psychological and artistic tools. The psychological tools include liveliness, joy and cheerfulness in the learning environment.

4.      Related to the second assumption, removing the psychic tensions will accelerate the process of learning.

5.      Related to the consciousness andunconciouness, learning will  take place effectively when there is a unity of the conscious-paraconscious and integral brain activation.

6.      Activating learners’ imagination will aid learning. This  can be done by inviting the learners to take mental trip with the teacher.

E.  PROCEDURES OF SUGGESTOPEDIA

Lozanov suggests three principles of the suggestopedic lesson in aa foreign language: the pre-session phase, the session phase, and the post-session phase.

ü  The pre-session phase takes about 15 to 20 minutes. In this phase the students are made familiar with the key topics of the new materials for the first time. The organization of this “first encounter” is of particular importance in creating a positive mind set for reserve capacities. A great part of the material is memorized during this phase. The teacher explains the new material very briefly, i.e., deciphers the thematic dialogue in a few supporting points. In doing this, he must suggest through his behavior that the assimilation has begun and all is pleasant and easy. Already during the deciphering, which is a stage of giving the primary information, the  following stages should be noted: fixation, reproduction, and new creative production.

ü  The session phase compires the session itself, which has already been describe above. It lasts for 45 minutes, and with it the day’s lesson always come to an end.

ü  The post-session phase is devoted to various elaborations of the materials to active its assimilation.

ü  The elaborations comprise reading and translation of the text, songs, games, an extra text (a monologue), retelling, and conversation on given themes. All this merges into role-playing should take place only when the students themselves express the wish to do it. The activation must be spontaneous. Thus the teaching and learning acquires sense and meaning.

The principles suggested in the suggestopedic lesson can be developed in wide range of techniques.

The students are seated in cushioned armchairs that are arranged in a semicircle facing the front of the room. The lighting is dim. There is soft music playing. There are several posters on the walls. Most of them are travel posters. Some posters contain grammatical information.

The teacher  greets the students in the target language (German) tells them in English in that they are about to begin a new and experience in language learning.

With the music playing the teacher  invites the students to close their eyes and become aware of their breathing. She says almost in whisper “In, out, in out”. She then invites the students to take an imaginary trip with her. She tells them that they are going to Germany. She will be their guide. She describes the air plane flight, what they will see when they first land and how they will feel in the airport. She tells them to listen to the German all around them and to feel themselves replaying fluently in German to questions posed to them by the customs and immigrations officials. “Now”, she says” slowly bring your awareness back to this room, its sound and  its smells. When you are ready, open your eyes. Welcome to German” (Larsen-Freeman, 1986: 72-77 and 2001).

Next, the teacher tells that during the course the students will create an imaginary biography about the life of their new identify. But for now, she says they should just choose a profession to go with the new name. Using pantomime to help the students understand, the teacher acts out various occupations, such as pilot, singer, carpenter, and artist. The students choose what they want to be.

The teacher greets each student using his new name and asks him a few questions in German about  his new occupation. Through her actions the students understand the meaning and reply yes or no in German. She then teaches  them a short German dialog in which two people greet each other and inquire what each other does for a living. After practicing the dialogue with the group and with individual students, the teacher tells the class to pretend that they are each at a party where they don’t know anyone. The students stand up and walk around the room, greeting one another (Larsen-Freeman, 1986: 74 and 2000).

Lozanov also describes the main part of a Suggestopedia language class. This is the last part of the three distrinct parts in language class (cited in Richards and Rogers, 1986: 151).Suggestopedia has been criticized. As noted by Scovel (cited in Brown, 1987: 141), Lozanov’s experimental data on the success of language learning were highly questionable. The practicality of using Suggestopedia is also questionable since in this method language teacher requires comfortable chairs and music which are often not available. Scovel only suggest that language teachers must try to extract from the insights of the method and adapt those insights to their teaching contexts.

• You can see the video about suggestopedia in this link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rkrvRlty5M&noredirect=1