Suggestopedia and Language Acquisition: Variations on a Theme

314 Pages·1999·2.8 MB·English

by  CBANCROFT

Suggestopedia and Language
Acquisition
Suggestopedia and
Language Acquisition
Variations on a Theme
W.Jane Bancroft
Scarborough Campus
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Gordon and Breach Publishers
Australia Canada China France Germany India
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Russia Singapore Switzerland
Copyright © 1999 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bancroft, W.Jane
Suggestopedia and language acquisition: variations on a
theme
1. Language and languages—Study and teaching 2. Second
language acquisition
I. Title
401.9'3
ISBN 0-203-98555-9 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 90-5700-525-5 (Print Edition)
To my Mother
and
in loving memory of my Father
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction Methods for Language 1
Acquisition
PART I SUGGESTOLOGY AND SUGGESTOPEDIA
1 The Lozanovian Theory of Suggestology 16
and Suggestopedia
2 The Original Suggestopedic Language 55
Class
PART II BACKGROUND AND COMPLEMENTARY
ELEMENTS
3 Suggestion and the Western Tradition 87
4 Yoga for Relaxation and Concentration 100
5 Musical Notations 110
6 Pygmalion in the Classroom 121
7 Research in Nonverbal Communication 127
8 Brain Waves and Hemispheres 154
PART III UNCONSCIOUS ASSIMILATION—
RELATED METHODS
9 Soviet Hypnopedia 184
10 Sophrology and Memory Training 192
11 The Tomatis Approach 204
vi
12 The Suzuki Method 217
PART IV SUGGESTOPEDIA—VERSIONS AND
VARIANTS
13 Suggestopedia: The Second Bulgarian 228
Version
14 Schuster’s SALT 243
15 Dhority’s ACT 253
16 A Personal View 265
Bibliography 278
Author Index 293
Subject Index 296
ILLUSTRATIONS
2–1 Institute of Suggestology 57
2–2 Suggestopedic language classroom 58
2–3 Members of the Institute of Suggestology 59
2–4 University of Sofia 60
4–1 Savasana posture 103
13–1 Suggestopedic song: Saluto il giorno 238
13–2 Suggestopedic song: Terra mia cara 239
16–1 Breathing/outward concentration 1 269
16–2 Breathing/outward concentration 2 270
16–3 Outward concentration on geometric shape 270
16–4 Outer/inner concentration 271
16–5 “Life-affirming” outer/inner concentration 271
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Since this book would not have been possible without them, I would
like to express my particular appreciation to the following: Georgi
Lozanov, Aleko Novakov, Evalina Gateva, Sheila Ostrander, Lynn
Schroeder, Bagriana Bélanger, Donald Schuster, Lynn Dhority,
Allyn Prichard, Owen Caskey, Charles Gritton, Micheline Flak,
Maud Forget, Jacques de Coulon, Jean Cureau, Alfonso Caycedo,
Yves Davrou, Léna Tomatis, Christine Besnard, Eli Bay, Brian
Morrissey, Sigrid Gassner-Roberts, Rupprecht Baur, Wil Knibbeler,
Dimitri Devyatkin, Nancy Ostrander and Christer Landahl.
Thanks are also owing to ALL the accelerated learning
researchers who have written books or published articles on the
subject over the years (especially in the Journal of Accelerative
Learning and Teaching and the ERIC [Educational Resources
Information Center] Documents on Foreign Language Teaching
and Linguistics).
And a final word of thanks to my editor Monica Glina for all her
support and encouragement.
INTRODUCTION
Methods for Language Acquisition
In the 1990s, in contrast to earlier decades, it is not considered
fashionable in some circles to talk about language methods.
Nonetheless, if one has occasion to peruse currently used
anthologies of “successful” language methods, one will notice that
many of these are largely based on what is termed implicit learning,
i.e., the student learns a second or foreign language by engaging in
physical or creative activity, through indirect attention or
unconscious assimilation. In many current communicative-
approach methods, language is not learned (or learned exclusively)
in an explicit manner through the presentation of drills and rules;
it is acquired implicitly in a manner similar to the way in which one
absorbs information by watching television. According to Stephen
Krashen language fluency comes from acquisition and this
acquisition process is largely unconscious (Krashen and Terrell,
1983, pp. 26–27). While there is, unfortunately, no such thing as a
“miracle method” which will guarantee native-like proficiency for
all students, a number of successful methods of language teaching
which lead to acquisition have been developed in recent years,
among them: Total Physical Response, the Natural Approach,
Counseling-Learning, Suggestopedia.
Methods for language acquisition emphasize the importance of
a “low-anxiety” environment, as well as the personality of the
teacher and student/teacher rapport. The classroom atmosphere is
non-threatening and there is constant positive feedback regarding
student achievement. Learning by these methods is “holistic” in that
the learning process contributes to the personal growth and
satisfaction of the student.
Language-acquisition methods are based on the way in which
children learn their native tongue, a “successful” approach in which
listening comprehension precedes speaking which, in turn, precedes
reading and writing. Such memory-enhancing and linguistic-