Question

The practice of 'desuggestion' – aiming to lower affective filters and remove psychological barriers to learning by creating a relaxed and positive environment – is a key component of which method?

• A. Direct Method
• B. The Silent Way
• C. Suggestopedia
• D. Community Language Learning

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Suggestopedia

Suggestopedia: The Method of Desuggestion

• Origin and Founder: Suggestopedia is a teaching method developed by the Bulgarian educator and psychotherapist Georgi Lozanov in the 1970s. It is primarily used for foreign language acquisition.
• Core Principle: The method is based on the theory that learners set up psychological barriers to learning due to negative associations or previous bad experiences. Suggestopedia aims to overcome these barriers by creating a highly positive and relaxed learning environment.
• Understanding 'Desuggestion': Desuggestion is a crucial component of Suggestopedia. It refers to the process of lowering affective filters and removing these psychological barriers or 'suggestions' (e.g., fear of making mistakes, anxiety, belief that learning a language is difficult).
• How Desuggestion is Achieved:
  • Relaxed Environment: Classrooms are designed to be comfortable and inviting, often resembling a living room rather than a traditional classroom.
  • Use of Music: Baroque music, with its specific rhythm and tempo (around 60 beats per minute), is often played during learning sessions. This music is believed to induce a relaxed, alpha brainwave state conducive to learning.
  • Teacher's Role: The teacher acts as an authority figure to be trusted, providing a sense of security and encouraging a childlike state of openness in learners. They should project confidence and enthusiasm.
  • Peripheral Learning: Information is presented not only directly but also indirectly (peripherally) through posters, decorations, and even the teacher's tone, which helps in subconscious absorption.
  • Infantilization: Learners are encouraged to adopt a new identity or name in the target language, fostering a playful and less inhibited approach to learning, similar to a child's learning process.
• Goals of Suggestopedia: The primary goal is to achieve accelerated language learning with minimal effort and maximum retention by tapping into the subconscious reserves of the mind.
• Affective Filters: This concept, borrowed from Krashen's Monitor Model, refers to the emotional variables that can hinder language acquisition, such as anxiety, self-consciousness, and lack of motivation. Suggestopedia directly targets the reduction of these filters.
• Application: While initially focused on language teaching, the principles of Suggestopedia have been explored in various other learning contexts due to its emphasis on a positive learning atmosphere and stress reduction.