sdb<sjhbsafrbhadkgbakdgbadgtnhlkantdhkñlaneñ

1. SUGGESTOPEDIA
Reporter: Christine Faith M. Cabanes

2. Introduction
• Theory of Language
• Theory of Learning
Approach
• Objectives
• Syllabus
• Learning and Teaching
Activities
• Learner Roles
• Teacher Roles
• IM’s
Design
Procedure

3. Dr. Georgi Lozanov
the Bulgarian
psychiatrist-
educator who
developed the
method
3

4. SUGGESTOPEDIA
▹ Derived from Suggestology which
Lozanov described as “a science
concerned with the systematic study of
the nonrational and/or nonconscious
influences that human beings are
constantly responding to.”
▹ Suggestopedia tries to harness these
influences and redirect them so as to
optimize learning

5. ▹ The most conspicuous characteristics of
Suggestopedia are the:
Decoration
Furniture and Arrangement of
classroom
Music
Authoritative behavior of the
teacher

6. SUGGESTOPEDIA
▹ [was said to] have a mystical air about it
because:
￭ (par) It has few direct links with
established learning or educational
theory in the West
￭ (par) of its arcane terminology and
neologisms

7. Hansen (2011), p.317
▹ The method was received with
incomprehension:
￭ Cannot be explained by the science
of the time
￭ Cannot be explained by its founder
since in the Communist regime, a
therapist only works from intuition
(following subtle indications that
emerged from interaction)

8. Hansen (2011), p.317
▹ but he was able to develop (through very
delicate suggestion) was a way of
resuscitating the very essence of life –
the polar opposite of hypnosis
￭ he gave his new therapeutic method
the new goal of teaching a foreign
language

9. Claims for Suggestopedic
Learning are dramatic:
▹ There is no sector of public life where
suggestology would not be useful.
▹ Memorization in learning by suggestopedic
method seems to be accelerated 25 times
over than in learning by conventional
methods.
▹ It works well whether or not students spend
time on outside study.
▹ He promises success through Suggestopedia
to academically gifted and ungifted alike.

10. A most
conspicuous
feature of
Suggestopedia is
the centrality of
music and
musical rhythm
to learning – uses
it for therapy.

11. One of the earliest attested uses
of music therapy is recorded in
the OLD TESTAMENT of the BIBLE:
▹ When the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul,
David took up his harp and played with his hand; so
Saul found relief; it was well with him, and the evil
spirit departed from him. [1 Sam. 16:23]
￭ (Lozanov): the use of music to assist the
liberation from discrete micro psychotrauma,
for destruction of incompatible ideas about
the limits of human capabilities – (in other
words) the relief provided by music will
vanquish the evil spirit.

12. Gaston (1968) defines 3
functions of music in
therapy:
1. To facilitate the establishment and
maintenance of personal relations
2. To bring about increased self-esteem
through increased satisfaction in
musical performance
3. To use the unique potential of rhythm to
energize and bring order

13. APPROACH
• Theory of LANGUAGE
• Theory of LEARNING

14. Theory of Language
▹ Lozanov does not articulate a theory of
language
▹ However, he does occasionally refer the
importance of experiencing language
material in “whole meaningful texts” and
notes that the suggestopedic
course directs the student not to
vocabulary memorization and
acquiring habits of speech, but to
acts of communication

15. Theory of Language
▹ He recommends home study of recordings of
whole meaningful texts(not of a fragmentary
nature) that are “above all, interesting.”
▹ These are listened to for the sake of the music
of the foreign speech
▹ The texts should be lighthearted stories with
emotional content In class, the focus of the
lesson is a dialogue – supported by music and
other soothing accompaniments, as
mentioned.

16. Hansen (2011) highlights the
roles of grammar in working
with texts:
▹ The major slot for overt grammatical presentation in the Lozanov cycle [of
imitation and reading] is in the first elaboration during the choral reading of
the text. After the repetition of a certain sentence, there will be a
momentary and apparently spontaneous (but carefully planned and
prepared) focus on a grammatical item. This must:
￭ Come from the text, so that the learner’s mind remains
focused on the drama rather than on the linguistic
structure
￭ Be brief so that the learners do not get a chance to switch
into analytical mode. Thus, it is never followed by an
exercise or drill, which may occur at a later stage
￭ Be incomplete so that there is still material for the
unconscious to puzzle over and work on; the mind is a
compulsive pattern maker, positively stimulated by
challenge.

17. “
Grammar never appears
to be dwelt upon for its
sake, but to arise
spontaneously as a
textual puzzle

18. Theory of Learning
▹ Suggestion is the heart of Suggestopedia
▹ Lozanov claims that his own views separate
Suggestopedia from the narrow clinical
concept of hypnosis as a kind of static,
sleeplike, altered state of consciousness
▹ He further claims that what distinguishes his
method from hypnosis and other forms of
mind control is that these forms lack a
desuggestive-suggestive sense and fail to
create a constant set up access through
concentrative psycho-relaxation

19. Theory of Learning
Authority Infantilization
Double-
planedness
Intonation
Rhythm
Concert
pseudo-
passiveness

20. Authority
▹ People remember best and are most
influenced by information coming from an
authoritative source.
▹ Lozanov talks of choosing a “ritual placebo
system” that is most likely to be perceived of
by students as having high authority.
▹ He appears to believe that scientific-
sounding language, highly positive
experimental data, and true believer teachers
constitute a ritual placebo system that is
authoritative appealing to most learners

21. Infantilization
▹ Authority is also used to suggest a teacher-
student relation like that of parent to child.
▹ In the child’s role the learner takes part in role
playing, games, songs, and gymnastic
exercise that help “the older student regain
self-confidence, spontaneity and receptivity
of the child”

22. Double-planedness
▹ The learners learn not only from the effect of
direct instruction but from the environment in
which the instruction takes place.
▹ [The bright décor of the classroom, the
musical background, the shape of the chairs,
and the personality of the teacher are
considered as important in instruction as the
form of the instructional material itself.]

23. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
▹ Varying the tone and rhythm of presented
material helps both to avoid boredom through
monotony of repetition and to dramatize,
emotionalize, and give meaning to linguistic
material.
￭ 1st presentation of linguistic material – 3
phrases read together with different
voice level and rhythm.
￭ 2nd presentation linguistic material is
given proper dramatic reading, which
helps learners visualize a context for the
material and aids in memorization

24. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
▹ Lozanov refers to the relaxed attitude by
music as concert pseudo-passiveness
￭ With this anxieties are relieved and
power of concentration for new
material is raised.

25. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
The type of music is critical to learning
success:
The idea that music can affect your body and mind
certainly isn’t new… The key was to find the right kind of
music for just the right kind of effect… The music you use
in superlearning [the American term for Suggestopedia]
is extremely important. If it does not have the required
pattern, the desired altered states of consciousness will
not be induced and results will be poor… It is specific
music – sonic patterns – for specific purpose.
(Ostrander, Schroeder, and Ostrander 1979:73 – 4)

26. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
▹ Lozanov refers to the relaxed attitude by
music as concert pseudo-passiveness
￭ With this anxieties are relieved and
power of concentration for new
material is raised.

27. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
▹ Lozanov recommends a series of slow
movements (sixty beats a minute) in 4/4 time
for Baroque concertos strung together into
about a half-hour concert. He notes that in
such concerts “the body relaxed, the mind
became alert” (Ostrander et al. 1979:74)
￭ Researchers of Suggestopedia from Karl
Marx University in Germany observed
that slow movements from Baroque
instrumental music featuring string
instruments gave the very best results.

28. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
▹ The rate of presentation of material to be
learned within the rhythmic pattern is keyed
to the rhythm.
￭ Superlearning uses an 8-second cycle for
pacing out data at slow intervals (1st four
beats – silence; 2nd four beats the
dialogue – “the material” is presented by
the teacher)

29. Intonation, rhythm, and
concert pseudo-passiveness
▹ Ostrander et al – Musical rhythms affect body
rhythms, such as heartbeat. “With slow heartbeat,
mind efficiency takes a great leap forward.”
￭ Several instances of the use of the 60 beats
per minute were studied by researches and
found them to have positive results. They
even have a study that not only human but
vegetable subjects thrive under sixty beat
stimulation. Plants grown in the chambers
given Baroque Music by Bach and Indian music
by Ravi Shankar rapidly grew lush and
abundant. The plants getting rock music
shriveled and died.

30. DESIGN
• Objectives
• The Syllabus
• Types of Learning
and Teaching
Activities
• Learner Roles
• Teacher Roles
• The Role of IM’s

31. Objectives
▹ Suggestopedia aims to deliver
conversational proficiency quickly
▹ Bases its learning claims on student
mastery of prodigious lists of vocabulary
pairs
￭ Suggests to the students that it is
appropriate that they set such goals
for themselves

32. Objectives
▹ He emphasizes that increased memory
power is not an isolated skill but a result
of positive, comprehensive stimulation of
personality
▹ The main aim of teaching is not
memorization but the understanding and
creative solution of problems

33. Objectives
▹ As learner goals, he cites increased
access to understanding and creative
solutions and problems
￭ However, because students and
teachers place a high value on
vocabulary recall, memorization of
vocabulary pairs continues to be
seen as an important goal of the
suggestopedic method.

34. The Syllabus
▹ The course lasts 30 days and consists of
10 units of study.
▹ Held 4 hours/day, 6 days/week
▹ Central focus of each unit is a dialogue
￭ 1,200 words or so
￭ With an accompanying vocabulary
list and grammatical commentary
￭ Graded by lexis and grammar

35. The Syllabus
▹ There is a pattern of work within each
unit and a pattern of work for the whole
course:
▹ Unit study is organized around 3 days:
1st Day
• Half day
2nd Day
• Full day
3rd Day
• Half day

36. a) The teacher discusses the general content of
the unit dialogue
b) the learners then receive the printed dialogue
with a native-language translation in a parallel
column
c) The teacher answers any questions of
interest or concern about the dialogue
d) The dialogue then is read a 2nd and 3rd time in
ways to be discussed subsequently
1st Day
• Half day

37. These are spent in primary and secondary
elaboration of the text
▹ PRIMARY elaboration – consists of imitation,
question and answer, reading, etc. of the
dialogue and of working with the 150 new
vocabulary items presented in the unit
▹ SECONDARY elaboration – involves
encouraging students to make new
combinations and productions based on the
dialogues
2nd Day
• Full day
3rd Day
• Half day

38. The Syllabus
▹ The whole course also has a pattern of
presentation and performance:
￭ 1st day
Step 1: A test is given to check the
level of student knowledge and to
provide a basis for dividing students
into two groups:
⬝ New beginners
⬝ Modified (false) beginners

39. The Syllabus
▹ 2 opportunities for generalization of
material:
middle of the course
–practice
• language in a
setting where it
might be used
(such as hotels and
restaurants)
last day of the
course
• performance in
which every student
participates;
students construct a
play and are
expected to speak
extempore rather
than from
memorized lines.

40. Types of Learning and
Teaching Activities
▹ The types of activities that are more
original to Suggestopedia are the
listening activities
￭ which concern the text and text
vocabulary of each unit
￭ part of the pre-session phase (1st day
of a unit)

41. Types of Learning and
Teaching Activities
▹ The types of activities that are more
original to Suggestopedia are the
listening activities
￭ which concern the text and text
vocabulary of each unit
￭ part of the pre-session phase (1st day
of a unit)

42. students look at and discuss a
new text with the teacher (who
answer and questions about the
dialogue)
2nd reading – students relax
comfortably in reclining chairs and
listen to the teacher read the text
in a certain way
3rd reading – the material is acted
out by the instructor in a dramatic
manner over a background of the
special musical form described
previously.

43. Learner Roles
▹ They are expected to be committed to
the class and its activities
￭ their mental state is critical to
success
▹ They must avoid distractions avoid
distractions and immerse themselves in
the procedures of the method
▹ They must not try to figure out,
manipulate, or study the material
presented but must maintain a pseudo-
passive state

44. Learner Roles
▹ They are expect to tolerate and in fact
encourage their own infantilization
▹ (to help them detach themselves from their past learning
experiences) they are given a new name and
personal history within the target culture
▹ Groups of learners are ideally socially
homogeneous, 12 in number, and divided
equally between men and women. Learners sit
in a circle, which encourages face-to-face
exchange and activity participation

45. Teacher Roles
▹ PRIMARY ROLE: to create situations in
which the learner is most suggestible and
then to present material in a way most
likely to encourage positive reception
and retention by the learner

46. EXPECTED TEACHER
BEHAVIORS
Show absolute
confidence in the
method
Display fastidious
conduct in manners and
dress
Organize properly and
strictly observe the initial
stages of the teaching
processMaintain a
solemn attitude toward
the session
Give tests and respond
tactfully to poor papers
Stress global rather than
analytical attitudes
toward material
Maintain a modest
enthusiasm.

47. The Role of Instructional
Materials
Materials consisting of direct
support materials, primarily text
and audio and indirect support
materials, including classroom
fixtures and music.
Textbooks should have
emotional force, literary quality,
and interesting characters.
Language problems should be
introduced in a way that does
not worry or distract students
from the content.
Traumatic themes and
distasteful lexical material
should be avoided.
Learning environment plays a
central role in Suggestopedia:
the classroom, the furniture and
the music

48. PROCEDURE

49. PROCEDURE
First, an informal, dramatized introduction to the vocabulary of the
text, is followed by two formal but very different “concerts,” (when the
teacher reads the text aloud slowly)
Second, the “elaboration” of the text begins, at first a decoding and then a freer
and more creative session.. each student takes on a new personality and name,
framed in the target language, for the duration of the course.
Teacher take on roles from time to time: authority figure, then fading into the
background as students gain confidence, and finally retreating to a back seat to
let them take over.
Third part – the séance or concert session – is the one by
which Suggestopedia is best known. To quote Lozanov: