1973. Dr. Suzuki “The man and his Philosophy” by Evelyn Hermann.

1.
Blanca
Arribas
Septiembre
2016
S u z u k i
V i o l a
T r a i n i n g
L e v e l
2
The
Law
of
Ability
and
the
Mother
Tongue
Method

2. 2
[THE
LAW
OF
ABILITY
AND
THE
MOTHER
TONGUE
METHOD
The Law of Ability and The Mother Tongue Method.
(1973)
Dr. Suzuki
“The man and his Philosophy” by Evelyn Hermann.
In the 30’s Dr. Suzuki realized that every child spoke their own language fluently even children that were
considered brainless or dull witted. (Dr. Suzuki point to the ability to speak not to the ability to handle to
the intricacies of grammar.)
But in the 30’s, Dr Suzuki thought, like all the people, that talent was inborn, but, his reflection about the
children’s ability to speak, did him to reflect about the “mother tongue” method.
They realized about some principles:
-­‐ The importance of the environment conditions and the influence on the baby
-­‐ The importance of the repetition.
-­‐ The attitude of the parents and how they transmit enthusiasm in the child and the
response of the child towards this enthusiasm
-­‐ The importance of the daily practice
At that moment, the “mother tongue method” was born based on:
-­‐ Enthusiasm of the child
-­‐ The natural process
-­‐ The constant practice
-­‐ Not anguish like traditional methods
-­‐ A way to communicate
-­‐ Joy in practice.
With all this statements, Dr Suzuki was aware about the outstanding potential of the “Mother Tongue
Method” to the development of human abilities.

3. The
Law
of
Ability
and
the
Mother
Tongue
Method
Blanca
Arribas
Suzuki
Viola
Training
3
First
effort:
Experimental
Class
at
Regular
School.
Dr. Suzuki tried to adapt this method to music education in young children and chose some children
without auditioning them and began to teach violin.
Results:
-­‐ The children progressed very well
-­‐ The children enjoyed the process
-­‐ Mother tongue method could be adapted to music education and other learning
Fifteen
years
later
A new school in Matsumoto accepted to use the “Mother Tongue Method” in the daily routine. Only a
group of children was chosen. The main rules were:
-­‐ No one should be failed
-­‐ No drop outs allowed.
-­‐ Evert child might develop this ability to the point where it becomes a part of him.
-­‐ No homework
-­‐ Knowledge was absorbed as an unconscious effort.
-­‐ The lesson in an enjoyable environment
-­‐ No child felt inferior.
Results:
-­‐ A child seemed to be retarded, but with the Method and four years later she was no
different of the other children of the class, and she achieved pass the entrance exam
for high school.
-­‐ It demonstrated that every child could develop his own abilities successfully.
The end:
-­‐ When the principal died, the class was abandoned and a conventional approach to
education came back to the school

4. 4
[THE
LAW
OF
ABILITY
AND
THE
MOTHER
TONGUE
METHOD
Second
attempt:
Experimental
pre-­‐school
in
the
Talent
Education
Institute
(Yoji
Gakuen)
founded
by
Dr.
Suzuki
in
Matsumoto.
In this school there wasn’t and there aren’t tests to accept the children.
Features of Yoji Gakuen:
-­‐ Every class has 60 children between 3 and 5 years.
-­‐ Children aren’t separated according to age because young children are stimulated
for old ones.
-­‐ They work a lot of disciplines
-­‐ They have children in waiting list that are yet unborn.
-­‐ They know the importance of developing an ability by repeated stimulation until
they make it his own. (It isn’t the same reaction to the cold climate of a child
raised in Alaska as a child that has a brief experience in Alaska)
Why
so
many
dropouts?
-­‐ Increasingly difficult material is forced on the children as a routine, some children
are unable to internalise it and they become discouraged and they have the
impression of being retarded.
-­‐ The parent haven’t a close relationship with the child. There is a failure of
education at home from the earliest age.
-­‐ Governments are interested in well being and not in ensure a proper development.
-­‐ All children must do the same activities and learnings regardless of their capacity
for developing an ability and making it a part of themselves. It also produces
frustrations for the teachers.
-­‐ Teach produces drop out, bring-up produces well balanced children and both must
be used to make a child’s ability his own.
-­‐ Children must learn very slow, they must begin with an easy material and they
haven’t mistakes, in this way, they build confidence and enthusiasm. Every child
must understand the material and made it with no mistakes.
-­‐ The attention of the children must be maintained thanks of changing of activity or
subject. Later, the children will be able to concentrate more time little by little.

5. The
Law
of
Ability
and
the
Mother
Tongue
Method
Blanca
Arribas
Suzuki
Viola
Training
5
A
report
on
his
experiment.
Fundamental:
-­‐ Every child could be developed.
-­‐ Every child born in the world has ability of one sort of another (with the exception
of those tragically retarded)
-­‐ The co-operation of the parents
-­‐ A child speaks his mother tongue long before he can read it.
-­‐ Look for a better atmosphere of understanding and peace, not look for the end
product.
The
law
of
Ability
-­‐ Life imparts ability during the growth process. The child responds to outside
stimulation and creates an ability
-­‐ People are born with hereditary physiological differences, but the abilities grow and
develop depending on stimulation from the environment. Talent isn’t inborn.
-­‐ Another example of the law of ability is a wild bird which can learn a beautiful song
if it is placed with a domesticated bird and vice versa.
-­‐ When a parent use a regime of scolding and bullying, the children develop their
own ability to be scolded and resistance. Parents think that their child was born
obstinate, but it isn’t. He has developed its own ability.
An
Appeal
of
a
World
Policy
of
Child
Development
-­‐ One of the most urgent problems today is children who develop a miserable or
twisted personality.
-­‐ Countries must establish policies for child training and care. We must create good
human beings with their respective abilities highly developed who create a good
society
-­‐ Parents must be taught by an instructor:
o On the best way to bring up the child in matters, in health and in the
development of its abilities from the beginning.
o How they must have a deep personal involvement with the child.
o To create a sense of responsibility in their children.
o Parents must be guided and assisted.
-­‐ Scholars and profesional educator can exercise great leadership in changing the
world. From my point of view, this is one of the principles that the governments
today don’t understand.