Suggestopedia is an educational approach developed by Georgi Lozanov that aims to tap into students' extraordinary learning capacities. It uses techniques like music, relaxation, and persuasive communication to allow students to learn large amounts of material quickly and enjoyably. Key aspects include an emphasis on language communication over vocabulary memorization, relaxing students, and portraying the teacher as an authoritative source of information. Suggestopedia claims to teach languages about three times faster than conventional methods. It focuses on activating students' mental potential and helping them take responsibility for their own language learning.

1. What is suggestopedia? It is an approach to education whose primary objective is to tap the extraordinary
reserve capacities we all possess but rarely if ever use, it is based on a modern understanding of how the human
brain works and how we learn most effectively and it is often claimed that it can teach languages approximately
three times as quickly as conventional methods. It was developed by the Bulgarian scientist and educator, Dr.
Georgi Lozanov he assumes that the only major linguistic problems in the language classroom are
memorization and integration so that´s why he uses music to relax learners, to structure and to punctuate the
presentation of linguistic materials, these method is taken from yoga and Soviet psychology. The suggestive
process allows students to go beyond previously held beliefs and learn great quantities of material with ease
and enjoyment and is focused on teaching effectiveness and persuasive communication, some other
characteristics of suggestopedia are:
Goes rapidly forward Gives creative solution Encourages relaxation Strengthens self-image
Arrangement of the Talks to all the senses Optimizes learning Propagates talent
classroom
Dramatizes material Include, pictures, music Addresses the whole person Un/conscious and
&movement concentration and altering
Suggestopedia has 4 principles, 1. Authority; (the idea is that people remember best when information comes
from an authoritative source, someone who knows what s/he presents or teaches) 2.Infantilization; it must be
understood as memories in the pure state of a child to whom someone is reading. 3. Double-planedness is
related to the effects of direct instructions and the environment in which the instructions take place. 4
Intonation, Rhythm, and Concert Pseudo-Passiveness; it has to do with variation in voice tone and rhythm to
avoid boredom and use of classical music background to relax students. In summary it directs students not to
vocabulary memorization but to act of communication, so the core is language communication.
Teacher´s role (Auto-hypnotist, Authority Figure): Teacher is the source of all information, shows
confidence, respect and encourages face-to-face exchange and activity participation. The student´s
role(Relaxer, True-Believer) is to respect and trust the teacher, in consequence students feel more
comfortable, secure and they learn better. The role of the abilities are 1.Listening which is focused on
relaxation through music, 2.Speaking which is focused on dialogues to improve communication, 3.Writing
which is presented explicitly and spontaneously and finally 4.Reading in which teacher reads several times to
student varying the tone and rhythm.
Relating the method with Brown´s principles we can make a connection with 1.Automaticity which give
importance to the unconsciousness to make student learn and make them use language by their own, it means
autonomy use of language, and 2.Language Culture Connection which promotes ways of thinking, feeling and
acting. The purpose is to make students reach communicative competence which is the goal of students of a
second language.
The advantages of Suggestopedia are: students feel more relaxed, language learning comes more effective
than conventional method, they learn 3 or 4 times quicker than conventional method, there is an affective
atmosphere, activates mental potential and student feel responsible for their own language, and the
disadvantages are: some can find classical music boring and irritating than stimulating, exaggeration of
rhythm may be perceived odd and illogical, there may be physical, financial and environmental limitations.
Summary of a Class
Based on the application of Psychological and instructional techniques.
Material presentation.
Primary activation (reviewing materials with different emotions).
Secondary activation (use of materials in new situations through games, singing, dancing, dramatization, and so
on).

2. Learner feelings. Much attention is devoted to learner feelings since confidence, relaxation, and security are
important toward reducing psychological barriers. Direct and indirect positive suggestions constantly enhance
self-confidence and convince learners that success is obtainable.
References
 Brown, H. Douglas (1987).Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey,
Prentice Hall
 KemaloĞglu, Elif (2005), “Suggestopedia”
 Lozanov, Georgi, and Evalina Gateva. The Foreign Language Teacher´s Suggestopedic Manual.
Montreux: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1988.
 Richards, Jack C., and Theodore S. Rodgers. Approaches and Methods in Language Learning. 2nd ed.
N.p.: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 100-107.
 Schiffler, Ludger. Suggestopedic Methods and Applications. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach Science
Publishers, 1992. 5-47.
Web
http://www.auburn.edu/~nunnath/engl6240/principl.html
http://www.yde.yildiz.edu.tr/uddo/belgeler/inca-ekemalog-sugg.htm
http://myenglishpages.com/blog/suggestopedia/
Javier Castro /Juan Carlos Maureira