1/6/2014 Teaching approaches: what is suggestopedia?

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Number one for English language teachers

Teaching approaches: what is suggestopedia?

By Tim Bowen

Lev el: Starter/beginner, Elementary , Pre-intermediate, Intermediate, Upper intermediate, Adv anced
T y pe: Reference material

An article discussing the concept of suggestopedia.

Often considered to be the strangest of the so-called "humanistic approaches", suggestopedia was originally
dev eloped in the 1 97 0s by the Bulgarian educator Georgi Lozanov . Ex trav agant claims were initially made for
the approach with Lozanov himself declaring that memorization in learning through suggestopedia would be
accelerated by up to 25 times ov er that in conv entional learning methods. The approach attracted both wild
enthusiasm in some quarters and open scorn in others. On balance, it is probably fair to say that
suggestopedia has had its day but also that certain elements of the approach surv iv e in today ’s good practice.

The approach was based on the power of suggestion in learning, the notion being that positiv e suggestion
would make the learner more receptiv e and, in turn, stimulate learning. Lozanov holds that a relax ed but
focused state is the optimum state for learning. In order to create this relax ed state in the learner and to
promote positiv e suggestion, suggestopedia makes use of music, a comfortable and relax ing env ironment,
and a relationship between the teacher and the student that is akin to the parent-child relationship. Music, in
particular, is central to the approach. Unlike other methods and approaches, there is no apparent theory of
language in suggestopedia and no obv ious order in which items of language are presented.

The original form of suggestopedia presented by Lozanov consisted of the use of ex tended dialogues, often
sev eral pages in length, accompanied by v ocabulary lists and observ ations on grammatical points. Ty pically
these dialogues would be read aloud to the students to the accompaniment of music. The most formal of these
readings, known as the "concert reading", would ty pically employ a memorable piece of classical music such
as a Beethov en sy mphony . This would not be in the form of background music but would be the main focus of
the reading, with the teacher’s v oice acting as a counterpoint to the music. Thus the "concert reading" could
be seen as a kind of pleasurable ev ent, with the learners free to focus on the music, the tex t or a combination
of the two. The rhy thm and intonation of the reading would be ex aggerated in order to fit in with the rhy thm
of the music.

A second, less formal reading would employ a lighter, less striking piece of music, such as a piece of Baroque
music, and this would take a less prominent role. During both ty pes of reading, the learners would sit in
comfortable seats, armchairs rather than classroom chairs, in a suitably stimulating env ironment in terms of
décor and lighting. After the readings of these long dialogues to the accompaniment of music, the teacher
would then make use of the dialogues for more conv entional language work. In theory at least, large chunks of
the dialogues would be internalized by the learners during the readings due both to the relax ed and receptiv e
state of the learners and to the positiv e suggestion created by the music.

There is, howev er, little ev idence to support the ex trav agant claims of success. The more obv ious criticisms
lie in the fact that many people find classical music irritating rather than stimulating (to some cultures
Western music may sound discordant), the length of the dialogues and the lack of a coherent theory of
language may serv e to confuse rather than to motiv ate, and, for purely logistic reasons, the prov ision of
comfortable armchairs and a relax ing env ironment will probably be bey ond the means of most educational
establishments.

In addition the idea of a teacher reading a long (and often clearly inauthentic) dialogue aloud, with
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ex aggerated rhy thm and intonation, to the accompaniment of Beethov en or Mozart may well seem ridiculous
to many people.

This is not to say , howev er, that certain elements of the approach cannot be taken and incorporated into the
more eclectic approach to language teaching widely in ev idence today . The use of music both in the
background and as an accompaniment to certain activ ities can be motiv ating and relax ing. Attention to
factors such as décor, lighting and furniture is surely not a bad thing. Dialogues too hav e their uses. Perhaps
most importantly of all the ideas, creating conditions in which learners are alert and receptiv e can only hav e
a positiv e effect on motiv ation. Whether these conditions are best created by the use of classical music and
the reading of dialogues is open to questions but there is no doubt that suggestopedia has raised some
interesting questions in the areas of both learning and memory .

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Readers' comments (4)

stev eh | Tue, 3 Sep 201 3 2:39 pm

Tim's description of 'classical' Suggestopedia is accurate enough ex cept that it leav es out a v ery
important component and that is: elaboration. Elaboration is when the content of the dialogues or tex t,
is practised. So the 2 concerts which Tim talks about are, in a sense, the presentation phase but the
language is activ ated through lots of carefully constructed games and tasks, focussing on the
communicativ e aspects of language rather than the formal grammar. I do agree that Lozanov 's claims
were quite ex aggerated but I also think that Suggestopedia, like other past approaches, still has
techniques to offer the 21 st c eclectic language teacher.

Anony mous | Mon, 5 Dec 201 1 4:1 0 pm

I find this method useful. It helps teachers av oid using still the same method of teaching (usually the
one that is suitable for them). I would like to now if the classical music could be replaced by other kind
of music. Thank y ou.

Dav e_Ev ans | Mon, 24 Oct 201 1 9:00 pm

I am just about to embark on a Suggestopdia lesson for my DELTA ex perimental practice, wish me luck!

Dav e_Ev ans | Mon, 24 Oct 201 1 9:00 pm

I am just about to embark on a Suggestopdia lesson for my DELTA ex perimental practice, wish me luck!

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