1. What are the origins of Suggestopedia?

It was originally pioneered by Bulgarian Psychologist Dr.Georgi Lozanov back in the seventies. It has now spread all over the world. The Americans took the concept and repackaged it as 'Accelerated Learning'.

2. Why have we taken an interest in it?

The reason we at Welsh Unlimited have taken an interest in it is because it was reported to be a far more effective means of teaching languages than other methods. I have run many Suggestopedic Welsh courses and the student response and achievement and my own subjective comparisons with other methods support this.

3. In what way is Suggestopedia different from other methods of teaching languages?

Other methods basically aim to 'teach' certain predetermined elements of a language to students, either grammatical structures or language functions. Suggestopedia¹s main aim is to liberate students from internal mental blocks so that they can 'acquire' a language in a more open ended fashion the same way that young children do.

4. How does it achieve this aim?

There are basically four steps in Suggestopedia.

1. Desuggestion and Resuggestion

Many students come in to a language learning situation in Britain not really believing that they can learn another language. The reason for this can be social (i.e. multilingualism is not considered normal in Britain as it is in other parts of the world) or it can be personal (i.e. they had a bad experience with learning languages at school). The Suggestopedic teacher has to gradually, and unobtrusively, get the students to change their self perception and adopt a more positive mental attitude.

2. Leading the students into the appropriate mental and emotional state.

The behaviour of the teacher and the use of music, games and other activities is directed towards the creation of a communal state of relaxed, stress free andhappy concentration - such as when you¹re immersed in your favourite hobby.

3. Subconscious `Loading¹ of large amounts of language.

This is done via two language 'concerts' which use Baroque and Romantic Classical Music, a large text in the form of an ongoing emotionally charged story and peripherals on the walls.

4. Activating the language.

Bringing the language which has been 'loaded' into the conscious domain through text manipulation, games, songs, activities, movement and all kinds of sensory stimulation.

This, of course, is very much like how small children are taught.

Some years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Austria to study under Dr.Lozanov and this I feel further enriched my understanding of how the method works. Since then Dr. Lozanov has been to Denbigh and I received further training to enable me to train other tutors in the method.

Ioan Talfryn
Director Of Policy And Development at Canolfan Iaith Clwyd.