Suggestopedia

Suggestopedia is a teaching method, which focuses on how to deal with the relationship between mental potential and learning efficacy and it is very appropriate to use in teaching speaking for young language learners (Xue, 2005). This method was introduced by a Bulgarian psychologist and educator, George Lazanov in 1975.

Key Features of Suggestopedia:

1.      Comfortable environment

2.      The use of music

3.      Peripheral Learning

4.      Free Errors

5.      Homework is limited

6.      Music, drama and art are integrated in the learning process

Suggestopedia in the Classroom

1.      Presentation
Presentation is the basis of conducting Suggestopedia in class successfully. The main aim in this stage is to help students relaxed and move into a positive frame of mind, with the feeling that the learning is going to be easy and funny. Desuggestion and suggestion happen at this stage at the same time.

2.      Concert

First Concert.

This involves the active presentation of the material to be learnt. The original form of Suggestopedia presented by Lozanov consisted of the use of extended dialogues, often several pages in length, accompanied by vocabulary lists and observations on grammatical points. Typically these dialogues will be read aloud to YLLs to the accompaniment of music.

Second Concert

The students are now guided to relax and listen to some Baroque music. The best choice of music according to Lozanov, with the text being studied very quietly in the background. During both types of reading, the learners will sit in comfortable seats, armchairs rather than classroom chairs, in a comfortable environment. After the readings of these long dialogues to the accompaniment of music, the teacher will then make use of the dialogues for more conventional language work. The music brings the students into the optimum mental state for the effortless acquisition of the material. The students, then, make and practice dialogue after they memorize the content of the materials.

3.      Practice

The use of a range of role-plays, games, puzzles, etc. to review and consolidate the learning.