Suggestopedia — effective teaching
Would you like to teach your students easily, feel their love and acceptance? Learning 10 times faster is possible with liberating-stimulating communicative pedagogy on the level of the reserves of the human mind(statistics) — Suggestopedia (Reservopedia). The name is derived from the words “suggestion” and “pedagogy”. It was introduced by the Bulgarian psychotherapist, Georgi Lozanov, a creator of a new teaching method uniting the ideas of psychology and yoga.
Suggestopedia is based on Suggestology, which Lozanov describes as “a science … concerned with the systematic study of the non-rational and/or non-conscious influences”(citation) that human beings are constantly responding to.
Losanov claims the success in learning depends on a good relationship with the teacher, positive attitude to classmates, relaxing atmosphere in the class and most of all — on the strong belief in excellent results.
7 Laws of Suggestopedia
Love
Teacher’s humanistic love to students creates a warm and calm atmosphere during the lessons. It is felt like the love of a mother teaching a child to ride a bike. A child perceives mom’s support even when she does not hold his bike. This law is realized through games, humour and constant appreciation by the teacher. The teacher provides “unobtrusive guidance, modelling and tactful correction of the learners’ output”.
Freedom
Due to this principle the teacher can adapt a lesson plan to the needs of a group. The same as the student chooses the task to take part in, according to inner demands.
Conviction of the Teacher that Something Unusual is Taking Place
The teacher feels inspired and strongly believes in efficiency of teaching. Eventually, students subconsciously start using their hidden resources to get high results. The mastery of the teacher lies in the ability to resonate with students and transmit his confidence.
Manifold Increase of Input Volume
This law claims that suggestopedia stimulates the evolutionary development of people. Its lessons comprise minimum 2-3 times larger volume of information than any other course.
Global-Partial, Partial-Global; Partial through Global
The teacher introduces the general view of a topic and details at the same time. Words or grammar do not exist separately from the language, they are part of the speech.
The Golden Proportion
This rule emphasizes the importance of harmony in teaching. Parts and the whole, music, students interests, relationships — all need the proper balance at the suggestopedic lesson.
Use of Classical Art and Aesthetics
Classical art and aesthetics(examples) are the sources of subconscious stimuli which help the brain to tap the reserves and increase “acquisition state” in the student’s mind.
The Suggestopedic Cycle of Instruction
Introduction: The teacher introduces new grammar and lexis in a funny manner. He talks quickly but repeats own phrases from time to time naturally. Students can speak from the very first lesson using given patterns. For example, the students should be able to tell immediately their names, professions, where they come from, what transport means they prefer.
Concert session (active and passive): During the passive stage the teacher turns on pleasant music and reads slowly aloud with expression, the students listen and relax. In the active stage students stand up twice and read 1 or 2 pages together with the teacher. The teacher stops reading several times and lets his students enjoy the music.
Elaboration: The teacher uses games, puzzles to review and consolidate the material. He corrects mistakes imperceptibly according to the bicycle principle.
Production: The students make up dialogues without teacher’s interruption or correction. They role-play real-life situations.
Suggestopedia for kids is called preventive suggestopedia as it aims to “protect the children from many programming and restricting pedagogical influences of society”.
This method is sometimes criticized for using mostly placebo and for the passive role of a learner.(reason) Anyway, suggestopedia teaching method has proved its effectiveness and widely used in the world.
Individual online classes in Skyeng comply with most of the laws of suggestopedia.(fact) Our teachers believe in students’ success and create the best atmosphere for perfect results.
Преподаватель английского языка (TKT YL, TESOL 220 with TYL, TBE and TP), методист Skyeng
