Desuggestopedia

According to Lozanov and others, suggestopedia is now called Desuggestopedia to reflect

the importance placed on desuggesting limitations on learning. We may be using only five to ten
percent of our mental capacity. In order to make better use of our reserved capacity, the
limitations we think we have need to be desuggested. Desuggestopedia, the application of the
study of suggestion to pedagogy, has been developed to help students eliminate the feeling that
they cannot be successful or negative association they may have toward studying and, thus, to
help them overcome the barriers to learning.
Let us see for ourselves how the principles of Desuggestopedia are applied to language.
In a university class in Egypt, where students on a beginning-level course are taught English
using this method. The class meets for two hours, three morning week. The first thing we notice
when we enter the classroom is how different this room is compared with all the other
classrooms we have been in so far. Everything is bright and colorful. There are several posters on
the walls. Most of them are travel posters with scenes from the United Kingdom; a view,
however, contain grammatical information. One has the conjugation of the verb to be and the
subject pronouns; another has the object and possessive pronouns. There is also the table with
some rhythm instrument on it. Next to them are some hats, masks, and other props.
The teacher greets the students in Arabic and explains that they are about to begin a new
and exciting experience in language learning. She says confidently, You wont need to try to
learn. It will just come naturally.
First, you will all get new names, English ones. It will be fun, she says. Besides, she
tells them, they will need new identities (ones they can play with) to go along with this neew
experience. She shows the class a poster with different English names printed in color in the
Roman alphabet. The students are familiar with the Roman alphabet from their earlier study of
French. There are mans names in one column and womens name in another. She tells them that
they are each to choose a name. she pronounces each name and has the students repeat the
pronunciation. On by one the students say which name they have chosen and the teacher appears
pleased with their choices.
Next, she tells them that during the course they will create an imaginary biography about
the life of their new identity. But for now, she says, they should just choose a profession to go
with the new name using pantomime to help the students understand, the teacher acts out various
occupations, such as pilot, singer, carpenter, and artist. The students choose what they want to
be.
The teacher greets each of the students using their new name and asks them a few
questions in English about their new occupations. Through her actions the students understand
the meaning of her questions and they reply yes or no. There is agreat deal o recycling of the
new language. She then teaches them a short English dialog in which two people greet each other
and inquire what each other does or living. After practicing the dialog with the group, they
introduce themelves to the teacher. Then they play various rhytm instruments that the teacher has
brought as they sing a name song.
Next, the teacher annouvnces to the class that they will be beginning a new adventure. He
distributes a twentypage handout. The handout contains a lengthy dialog entitled To want to is
to be able to, which the teacher translates into Arabic. On the right page are two columns of
print : In the left one is th English dialog, in the right, the Arabic translation. On the left page are
some comments in Arabic about certain of th English vocabulary items and gammatical
structures the students ill encounter in the dialog on the facing page. Througout the twenty pages
are reproductions of classical paintings.
Partly in Arabic, partly in English, and partly trough pantomime, the teacher outlines the
story in the dialog. She also calls her students attention to some of the comments regarding
vocabulary and grammar on the lefthand pages. Then she tells them in Arabic that she is going to
read the dialog to them in English and that they should follow long as she reads.
The teacher puts on some music. After a couple of minutes, in quiet voice, she begins to
read the text. Her reading appears to be molded by the music as she varies her intonation and
keeps rhytm with it. The students follow along with the voice of the teacher, who allows them
enough time to silently read the translation of the dialog in their native language. The teacher
pauses from time to time to allow the students to lisen to the music, and for two or three minutes
at a time, the whole group stands and repeats after the teacher, joining their voices to the music.
Following the musical session, the lesson pauses. When the students return, they see that
the teacher has hung a painting of calming scene in nature at the front of the room. The teacher
then explains that she will read the dialog again. This time she suggests that the students put
down their scripts and just listen. The second time she reads the dialog, she appears to be
speaking at a normal rate. She has changed the music. With the end of the second reading, the
class is over. There is no homework assigned; however the teacher suggests that if the students
want to do something, they could read over the dialog once before they go to bed and once when
they get up in the morning.

Reviewing The Principles
1. What the goals of teachers who use desuggestopedia
Teacher hope to accelerate the process by which students learn to use foreign
language for everyday communication. In order to do this, more of the students mental
powers be tapped. The accomplished by desuggesting the psychological barriers learners
bring with them to the learning situation and using techniques ti activate the paraconscious
part of the mind, just below the fully-concious mind.
2. What is the role of the teacher? What is the role of the students?
The teacher is the authority in the classroom. In the order the method to be succesful,
the students must be trust and respect her. The students will retain information better from
someone in whom they have confidence since they will be more responsive to her,
desuggesting their limitations and suggestion how easy it will be for them to succeed.
Once the students trust the teacher, they can feel more secure. If they feel secure, they
can be more spontanious and less inhibited.
3. What are some characteristics of the teaching/ learning process?
A desuggestopedic course id conducted in the a classroom which is bring and
cheerful. Posters displying grammatical informatin about the target language are hung around
the room in order to take advantage of the students peripheral learning.
Students select target language names and choose new occupations.
The texts students work from are handouts containing lengthy dialogs (as many as
800 words) in the target language.
The teacher presents the dialog during two concerts which comprise the first major
phase (the receptive phase).
4. What is the nature of student-teacher interaction? What is the nature of student-interaction?
The teacher initiates interactions with the whole group of students and wuth
induviduals right from the begining of a language course. Initially, the students can only
respond nonverbally or with a few target language words they have practiced. Later the
students have more control of the target language and can respond more appropiately and
even initiate interaction themselves.

5. How are the feeling of the students dealt with?
A great deal of attention is given to students feeling in this method. One of the
fundamental principles of the method is that if students are relaxed and confident, they will
not need to try hard to learn the language. It will just come naturally and easily.
It is considered important in this method that the psychological barriers that students
bring with them be desuggested. Indirect positive suggestions are made to enhance students
self-confidence and to convince them that success is obtainable.
Students also choose target language names on the assumption that a new identity
makes students fell more secure and thus more open to learning.
6. How is language viewed? How is culture viewed?
Language is the first of two planes in the two plane process of communication. In the
second plane are the factors which influence the linguistic message. For example, they way
one dresses or the nonverbal behavoir one uses affects how ones linguistic message is
interpreted.
The culture which students concern the everyday life of people who speak the
language. The use of the fine art is also important in desuggestopedic classes.

7. What areas of language are emphasized? What language skill are emphasized?
Vocabulary is emphasized. Claims about the success of the method often focus on the
large number of word that can be acquire. Grammar is dealt which explicitly but minimally.
In fact, it is believed that students will learn best if they conscious attention is focused not on
the language forms, but on using the language. The paraconscious mind will then absorb
the linguistic rules.
Speaking communicatively is emphasized. Students also read in the target language
(for example the dialog) and write (for example, imaginative composition).
8. What is the role of the students native language?
Native language translation is used to make the meaning of the dialog clear. The
teacher also uses the native language in class when necessary. As the course proceeds, the
teacher uses the native language less and less.
9. How is evaluation accomplished?
Evaluation usually is conducted on students normal in-class performance and not
through formal tests, which would threaten the relaxed atmosphere considered essential for
accelerated learning.
10. How does the teacher respond to student errers?
Errers are corrected gently, with the teacher using a soft voice.

Thinking about the experience
First, we will list our observations. From these, we will attempt to uncover the principles
of Desuggestopedia
Observations Principles
1. The classroom is bright and colorful. Learning is facilitated in a cheerful
environment
2. Among the posters hanging around the
room are several containing grammatical
information.
Student can learn from what is present in the
environment, even if their attention is not
directed to it (peripheral learning)
3. The teacher speaks confidently. If students trust and respect the teachers
authority, they will accept and retain
information better
4. The teacher gives the students the
impression that learning the target
language will be easy and enjoyable.
The teacher should recognize that learners
bring certain psychological barriers with them
to the learning situation. She should attempt to
desuggest these.
5. The students choose new names and
identities.
Assuming a new identity enhances students
feeling security and allows them to be more
open. They feel less inhibited since their
performance is really that of a different
person.
6. The students introduce themselves to the
teacher.
The dialog that the students learn contains
language they can use immediately.
7. The play rythmic instruments as they
sing a song.
Songs are useful for freeing the speech
muscles and evoking positive emotions.
8. The teacher distributes a lengthy
handout to the class. The title of the
dialog is to want to is to be able to.
The teacher should intergrtae indirect positive
suggestions (there is no limit to what you can
do) into the learning situation.
9. The teacher briefly mentions a few points
about English grammar and vocabulary.
These are in bold print in the dialog
The teacher should present and explain the
grammar and vocabulary, but not dwell on
them. The bold print allows the students
focus to shift from the whole text to the details
before they return to the whole text again. the
dynamic interplay between the whole and the
parts is important
10. There are reproductions of classical
paintings throughout the text
Fine art provides positive suggestions for
students
11. In the left column is the dialog in the
target language. In the right colomn is
the native language translation.
One way that meaning is made clear is
through native language translation
12. The teacher reads the dialog with a
musical accompaniment. She matches
her voice to the rhythm and intonation of
the music.
Communication takes place on two planes
on one the linguistic message is encoded; and
on the other are factors which influence the
linguistic message. On the conscious plane,
the learner attends to the language, on the
subconscious plane, the music suggests the
learning is easy and pleasant. When there is a
unity between conscious and subconscious,
learning is enhanced.
13. The teacher reads the script a second as
the students listen. This done to different
music.
A calm state, such as one experiences when
listening to a concert, is ideal for overcoming
psychological barriers and for taking
advantages of learning potential.
14. For homework, the students are to read
the dialog at night and in the morning.
At these times, the distinction between the
conscious and the subconscious is most
blurred and therefore, learning can occur.
15. The teacher gives the students hats to
wear for the different characters in the
dialog. The students take turns reading
portions of the dialog.
Dramatization is a particularly valuable way
of playfully activating the material. Fantasy
reduces barries to learning.
16. The teacher tells the students that they are
auditioning for a play.
The fine arts (music, art and drama) enable
suggestions to reach the subconscious. The
arts should, therefore, be integrated as much
as possible into the teaching process.
17. The teacher leads the class in various
activities involving the dialog, for
example, questions- and- answer,
repetition, and translation.
The teacher should help the students
activate the material to which they have
been exposed. The means of doing this should
be varied so as to avoid repetition as much as
possible. Novelty aids acquisition.
18. She teaches the students a childrens
song.
Music and movement reinforce the linguitics
material. It is desirable that students achieve a
state of infantilization so that they will be
more open to learning. If they trust the
teacher, they will be reach this state more
easily.
19. The teacher and students play a question-
and- answer game.
In an atmosphere of play, the conscious
attention of the learner thats not focus on
linguistic forms, but rather on using the
language. Learning can be fun.
20. The student makes an error by saying,
How do you do? The teacher corrects
the error in a soft voice.
Errors are corrected gently, not in a direct,
confrontational manner.

Reviewing the techniques and the classroom set-up
There are many some elements you could usefully adapt to your own teaching style.
1. Classroom set-up
The challenge for the teacher is to create a classroom environment which is brigh and
cheerful. This was accomplished in the classroom we visited where the walls were decorated
with scenes from a country where the target language is spoken. These conditions are not
always possible. However, the teacher should try to provide as positive an environment as
possible.
2. Peripheral learning
The technique is based upon the idea that we perceive much more in our environment
than that to which we consciously attend. It is claimed that, by putting posters containing
grammatical information about the target language on the classroom walls, students will
absorb the necessary facts effortlessly. The teacher may or may not call attention to the
posters. They are changed from time to provide grammatical information that is appropriate
to what the students are studying.
3. Positive suggestion
It is the teachers responsibility to orchestrate the suggestive factors in a learning
situation, thereby helping students break down the barriers to learning that they bring with
them. Teachers can do this through direct and indirect means. Direct suggestion appeals to
the students consciousness. A teacher tells students they are going to be successful. But
indirect suggestion, which appeals to the studentssubconscious, is actually the more
powerful of the two. For example, indirect suggestion was accomplished in the class we
visited through the choice of a dialog entitled, To want to is to be able to.
4. Choose a new identity
The students choose a target language name and a new occupation. As the course
continues, the students have an opportunity to develop a whole biography about their
fictional selves. For instance, later on they may be asked to talk or write about their about
their fictional hometown, childhood, and family.
5. Role play
Students are sked to pretend temporarily that they are someone else and to perform in
the target language as if they were that person. They are often asked to create their own lines
relevant to the situation. In the lesson we observed, the students were asked to pretend that
they were someone else and to introduce themselves as that person.