SUGGESTOPEDIA

 

SUGGESTOPEDIA

     Stimulates the whole person

     Undo blocks

     Goes rapidly forward

     Gives creative solution

     Encourages relaxation

     Strengthens self-image

     Talks to all the senses

     Optimizes learning

     Propagates talent

     Enhances learning

     Dramatises material

     Includes pictures, music and movement

     Addresses the whole person

·       Harnesses the power of positive suggestion.

·       Objective: Help the learners to reach communicative competence.

·       A teaching method based on the idea how the human brain works and how we learn most effectively. It includes a rich sensory learning, a positive expectation of success and the use of a varied range of methods like dramatized texts, music, active participation in songs and games, etc.

·       Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian doctor and psychotherapist: “Learning is a matter of attitude, not aptitude”

·       Classroom Set-up: Armchair, Light is comfortable; Everything is bright and colorful; Posters;  Music; The teacher speaks confidently; The teacher leads the class in various activities involving the dialog, for example, question-and-answer, repetition, and translation; The teacher should integrate indirect positive suggestion (there is no limit to what you can do) into the learning situation.

·        Classroom Technique:

ü  Fine Arts is one of the ways the students’ mental reserves are stimulated is through integration of the fine arts-music, drama, or paintings.

ü  The teacher gives the students the impression that learning is easy and enjoyable.

ü  The learners achieve a state of ‘infantilization’ so they will be more open to learning.

ü  Choosing a new identity

ü  This enhances students’ feeling of security and allows them to be more open.

ü  Positive suggestion: Direct suggestion Indirect suggestion

·       Role of the Learners: respect and trust the teacher -consequence students feel more comfortable -secure and they learn better

·       Teacher Roles: Teacher is the source of all information -shows confidence - respect and encourages face-to-face exchange and activity participation

·       Role of Materials: Texts, tapes, classroom fixtures and music. Texts should have force, literary quality and interesting characters.

·       Advantages: 1. Students feel more relaxed. 2. language learning comes more effective than method. 3. they learn 3 or 4 times quicker than conventional method 4. there is an affective atmosphere. 5. activates mental potential and student feel responsible for their own language.

·       Disadvantages: 1. some can find classical music boring and irritating than stimulating. 2. exaggeration of rhythm may be perceived odd and illogical, there may be physical. 3. financial and environmental limitations.

·       Conclusion: Learning is facilitated by environment and music. 2. Teacher is the authority. 3. Psychological barriers are removed. 4. In texts target language and its native language are given.

 

Community Language Learning (CLL)

 

Community Language Learning (CLL)

·       A humanistic, learner-centered approach developed by Charles A. Curran, a professor of psychology at Loyola University, Chicago. An American Jesuit priest.

·       Derives its primary insights from Rogerian counseling (Rogers 1951).

·       Patterned upon counseling techniques and adapted to the peculiar anxiety and threat as well as the personal and language problems a person encounters in the learning L2.

·       Treats language learning as a social, counseling-based process.

·       Consequently, the learner is not thought of as a student but as a client.

·       The native instructors of the language are not considered teachers but, rather are trained in counseling skills adapted to their roles as language counselors.

·       The students (clients) determine the content, while teachers (counselors) facilitate communication, lowering anxiety and encouraging autonomy through group interaction.

·       It prioritizes meaningful, real-life conversation, fostering a supportive community to build confidence. 

Methodology

·       In the basic form of CLL, a maximum of 12 students sit in a circle.

·       Portable tape recorder inside the circle.

·       The teacher (who is termed the ‘Knower’) stands outside the circle.

·       When a student has decided they want to say something in the foreign language, they call the Knower over and whisper what they want to say, in their mother tongue.

·       The teacher, also in a whisper, then offers the equivalent utterance in English (or the target language).

·       The student attempts to repeat the utterance, with encouragement from the Knower, with the rest of the group eavesdropping.

·       When the Knower is satisfied, the utterance is recorded by the student.

·       Another student then repeats the process until there is a kind of dialogue recorded.

·       The Knower then replays the recording, and transcribes it on the board.

·       This is followed by analysis, and questions from students.

Five Developmental Stages

·       Stage 1- Reflection                Stage 2 - Recorded conversation

·       Stage 3 – Discussion             Stage 4 - Transcription

·       Stage 5 - Language analysis

The Role of the Teacher

·       Knower’s job to provide the supportive and secure environment for learners, and to encourage a whole-person approach to the learning.

Advantages

·        Learners appreciate the autonomy CLL offers them and thrive on analysing their own conversations.

·        CLL works especially well with lower levels who are struggling to produce spoken English.

·        The class often becomes a real community, not just when using CLL but all of the time.

·        Students become much more aware of their peers, their strengths and weaknesses and want to work as a team.

Disadvantages

·        In the beginning some learners find it difficult to speak on tape while others might find that the conversation lacks spontaneity.

·        So much freedom and tend to intervene too much.

·        The learners may neglect their need for guidance.