By:Cristina Poveda U.Silvia Rodríguez A.

Amanda Vega S.

HistoryGeorgi Lozanov, is a Bulgarian psychologist,

researcher and medical doctor from Sofia University, who specializes in hypnosis (a high level of relaxation) and hypermnesia (a strong awareness from past memories).

HistoryBetween the decades of 1960 and 1970, he

published his thesis entitled “Sugestologiia” which focused on the study of suggestion and its potential applications to pedagogy.

HistoryYoga was included and adapted to

Suggestopedia from India, because it was found that these types of exercises increased mind reserves and improved and accelerates memory faculties.

HistoryNevertheless, in his teaching manual,

Lozanov cites over 896 sessions using Suggestopedia and his records sum up 1200 new words learned, with a following retention of 90% of the students.

HistoryHe funded in 1965 the Institute of

Suggestology with the help of Dr. Evalina Gateva, who introduced the fine arts into the method, such as the use of music.

HistoryAt last in 1978, the pedagogy committee from

UNESCO recognized the method, recommending its expansion and use for teachers’ training. Dr. Lozanov and Dr. Gateva kept making seminars about the method until 1979.

HistoryThey continued their scientific work at

Bulgaria, but then had to stay there for ten years during the Cold War; they were not allowed to go out since their democratic and spiritual profile may jeopardize political interests.

Finally in the 80s’ they published together “The Foreign Language Teacher’s Suggestopedic Manual” (1981), which did not contain however, basic points from his original thesis from the 60s’.

For more than twenty years Lozanov has been experimenting with accelerative approaches to learning, and wrote the book “Suggestology and the Outlines or Suggestopedia” (1997).

Teaching philosophy and principlesBased on the book of Ludger Schiffler

Suggestopedic Methods and Applications (1992); also, on the book Techniques and principles in language teaching (1986) by Diane Larsen-Freeman.

Hopes of the teacher:Accelerate the process of learning a foreing

languange.Students’ mental power must be tapped.Dessugest psychological barriers learners

bring with them.

Teacher’s Role and Student’s RoleThe teacher is the only authority in the

classroom.Students must trust and respect the teacher.

Characteristics of the teaching/learning processThe most important part of the suggestopedia classroom is

to make the students feel as much confortable as possible. It is highly recommended to have soft lights, music, comfortable chairs, posters with grammatical rules.

One particular characterisctic of the Suggestopedic approach is that students acquiere new identities by changing their names and occupations; so that later on they will create a new biography

The students work with dialogues presented in two concerts. The first concert is called the receptive phase, in this phase the teacher reads the dialogue trying to keep a rythim and pitch of the background music, activating both hemispheres of the brain.

For the sencond concert, the students just relax and listen to the teacher reading the dialogue at a normal and regular speed. The closure of the class involves several activities such as; role plays, songs, surveys, games, etc.

Teacher – student and student- student interactionThe teacher interacts at the very beginning of the

class with the whole group; then, with individuals. At the beginning of the class the students might answer only with body language of a few words; later on, the students develop more complex structures to answer. The student-student interaction takes place from the very beginning and is constant.

Feelings of the studentsIt is a fundamental principal of suggestopedia that

students must feel relaxed and confident, they do not need to try hard to learn the language because it will come naturally.

Areas and skills of language Vocabulary is emphasized, grammar is dealt with

explicitly but minimally. Speaking communicatively is emphasized, students also read in the target language the dialogues.

Native language RoleThe native language of the students is used to make

themeaning of a dialogue clear. The teacher can use it also to make clarifications.

EvaluationIt usually takes place while the student is in normal

class, teachers must evaluate their performance there are not formal tests.

Students’ errors reponseAt the beginning erros are not corrected; later on, the

teacher uses the correct form of the language during class.

Classroom TechniquesNew IdentityRole-playFirst and second concerts