SUGGESTOPEDIASUGGESTOPEDIA AS A METHOD FOR TEACHING SPEAKING FOR YOUNG LEARNERS IN A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

The emphasis at this level its on the code as code. Becoming literate, according to this perspective, is simply a matter of acquiring those skills that allow a written message to be decoded into speech in order to ascertain its meaning and those skills that allow a spoken message to be encoded in writing, according to the convention of letter formation, spelling and punctuation. At the performative level it is tacitly assumed that written messages differ from spoken message only n the medium employed for communication.

2013

SHERLY PRAMAWITA SHAULASEKOLAH TINGGI KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN MUHAMMADIYAH

KOTABUMI LAMPUNG6/29/2013

SUGGESTOPEDIA AS A METHOD FOR TEACHING SPEAKING FOR YOUNG LEARNERS IN A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Proposal Penelitian

By:

SHERLY PRAMAWITA SHAULANPM 1188203098

PROGRAM STUDI PENDIDIKAN BAHASA INGGRISJURUSAN PENDIDIKAN BAHASA DAN SENI

SEKOLAH TINGGI KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN MUHAMMADIYAH KOTABUMI LAMPUNG

JUNI 2013

ii

PREFACE

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Alhamdulillah hirobbil’alamin, all praising for Allah SWT given amenity to us, so

that we can finish duty compilation of handing out entitling “ Suggestopedia"

“.We also render thanks to dosen of counsellor of lesson that is Mr. Johan

Supangkat, what ever assist us in solving of this handing out.

Hopefully result of compilation of this handing out can good for us specially for

other party reading result of this compilation and also at society of generally.

Finally we apologize if there are a lot of insuffiency, because that's our ability

boundary in compiling this handing out and we also very expect constructive

suggestion and criticism for perfection of handing out which we present this.

Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Kotabumi, Juni 2013

Group Eight,

iii

TABLE OF CONTENT

Preface..................................................................................................... i

Table of Content...................................................................................... ii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION............................................................. 1

1.1. Background .......................................................................... 1

CHAPTER II........................................................................................... 4

2.1. Suggestopedia....................................................................... 4

2.2. Key Features Of Suggestopedia........................................... 6

2.3. Suggestopedia In The Classroom......................................... 8

2.4. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Suggestopedia............. 10

2.5.Suggestion For English Teacher............................................ 13

CHAPTER III.......................................................................................... 16

3. 1. Conclusion........................................................................... 16

REFERENCES

iv

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Problem

Teaching speaking for young language learners (YLLs) is an interesting and

challenging duty for teachers for some considerations. In one hand, YLLs are

individuals of very early age who are interested in many new things such as a

foreign language, English. Young language learners (YLLs) are defined here as

being school pupils up to around 13 years old (Hasselgreen, 2005). In this level,

young learners seem to have the same proficiency in speaking that is novice level.

The characteristic of novice level is the students’ ability to communicate

minimally with learned material and oral production consists of isolated words

and perhaps a few high-frequency phrases essentially no functional

communication ability (Brown, 2001).

Related to this, Wells (1991:52-53) cited in Hammound (1997) divided the

students’ literacy into four levels. They are performative, functional, informative

and epistemic level. YLLs are included into performative level. It emphasizes the

ability to master speaking skill:

1

The emphasis at this level its on the code as code. Becoming literate, according to this perspective, is simply a matter of acquiring those skills that allow a written message to be decoded into speech in order to ascertain its meaning and those skills that allow a spoken message to be encoded in writing, according to the convention of letter formation, spelling and punctuation. At the performative level it is tacitly assumed that written messages differ from spoken message only n the medium employed for communication.

On the other hand, teaching YLLs is regarded as the most difficult thing to do

in a second language classroom by some teachers. Since YLLs have little or no

prior knowledge of the target language. We can find many distructions done by

the students in every short time. Making noise, playing with others, walking

around, etc are phenomena encountered in every day teaching and learning

process by the teacher. So, the teacher is the central determiner to accomplish

their goal. Every eye and ear are focused on the teacher.

Moreover, English has been introduced as a second language for years for

YLLs, but the result is not satisfying. It can be seen when they are asked to make

small conversations in the first class of senior high school. They tend to keep

silent and do speaking activities after the teacher gives some models of dialogues.

There are some reasons why they have difficulties to do speaking activities. One

of which is the use of uninteresting and unapplicable method in the teaching

learning process by the teacher. Ramelan (1991) says ‘The failure of English

instruction can be explained by many factors including little knowledge of

principles of foreign langauge taching and the ways of teaching’.

The teacher should utilize a teaching method that is attracting to teach

speaking for the students which includes materials, comfortable environment,

self-confidence teachers, etc. 2

Georgi Lozanov is a formulator of opinion about suggestopedia, said that a

method developed and specific set of learning recommendations derived from

suggestology, concerned with the systematic study of the nonretional and/or

nonconscious influences. Suggestopedia tries to harness these influences and

redirect them so as to optimize learning. The most conspicuous characteristics of

suggestopedia are the decoration, furniture, and arrangement of the classroom, the

use of music, and the authoritative behavior of the teacher. The claims for

suggestopedic learning are dramatic. “there is no sector of public life where

suggestology would not be useful” (Lazanov 1978:2). Memorization in learning

by the suggestopedic method seems to be accelerated 25 times over that in

learning by conventional methods. (Lazanov 1978:27).

3

CHAPTER II

2.1. Suggestopedia

Suggestopedia is a teaching method, which focuses on how to deal with the

relationship between mental potential and learning efficacy and it is very

appropriate to use in teaching speaking for young language learners (Xue, 2005).

This method was introduced by a Bulgarian psychologist and educator, George

Lazanov in 1975. Maleki (2005) believed that we are capable of learning much

more than we think, provided we use our brain power and inner capacities. In

addition, DePorter (2008) assumed that human brain could process great

quantities of material if given the right condition for learning in a state of

relaxation and claimed that most students use only 5 to 10 percent of their mental

capacity. Lazanov created suggestopedia for learning that capitalized on relaxed

states of mind for maximum retention material. By using this kind of methof,

YLLs can get the memorization 25 times faster rather than conventional methods

(Bowen, 2009).

Suggestopedia is an effective comprehensible input based method with a

combination of desuggestion and suggestion to achieve super learning. The most

important objective of Suggestopedia is to motivate more of students’ mental

4

potential to learn and which obtained by suggestion. Desuggestion means

unloading the memory banks, or reserves, of unwanted or blocking memories.

Suggestion then means loading the memory banks with desired and facilitating

memories.

Lazanov (1978) cited in Lica (2008) argued that learners have difficulties in

acquiring English as the second language because of the fear of the students to

make mistakes. When the learners are in this condition, their heart and blood

pressure raise. He believes that there is a mental block in the learners’ brain

(affective filter). This filter blocks the input, so the learners have difficulties to

acquire language caused by their fear. The combination of desuggestion

and suggestion is to lower the affective filter and motivate students’ mental

potential to learn, aiming to accelerate the process by which they learn to

understand and use the target language for communication to achieve super

learning. It is the final goal of suggestopedia

Richard and Rogers (1998) stated that there were some theoretical

components through which desuggestion and suggestion operate:

(1)  Authority: students remember best and are influenced when information

comes from an authority or teachers

2)   Infantilisation: learners may regain self-confidence in a relation of teacher-

student like that of parent to child

(3)  Double-Planedness: learning does not only come from direct instruction but

also comes from the environment in which instruction takes places

5

(4)  Intonation, rhythm, and concert pseudo-passiveness: varying tone and

rhythm of presentation frees the instruction from boredom, and presenting

linguistic material with music gets the benefit of the effect produced on body.

2.2. Key Features of Suggestopedia:

1. Comfortable environment

In this kind of teaching method, the classroom is very different from

common classrooms. In the classroom, the chairs are arranged semicircle

and faced the black or white board in order to make the students pay more

attention and get more relaxed. The light in the classroom is dim in order

to make the students’ mind more relaxed (Xue, 2005).

2. The use of music

One of the most uniqueness of this method is the use of Baroque music

during the learning process. Ostrander and Schroeder cited in Harmer

(1998) said that Baroque music, with its 60 beats per minute and its

specific rhythm, created the kind of relaxed states of mind for maximum

retention of material. It is believed that Baroque music creates a level of

relaxed concentration that facilitates the intake and retention of huge

quantities of materials. Baroque music helps the suggestopedic student to

reach a certain state of relaxation, in which the receptivity is increased

(Radle, 2008). The increase in learning potential is put down to the

increase of alpha brain and decrease of blood preasure and heart rate. The

6

music used also depends on the expected skill of the students: grammar,

imagination exercises, making future plans, discussion, etc

3. Peripheral Learning

The students acquire English not only from direct instruction but also from

indirect instruction. It is encouraged through the presence in the learning

environment of posters and decoration featuring the target language and

various grammatical information. They are changed everyday. By doing

this, the students can learn many things undirectly in the classroom or

outside classroom. For example, YLLs can make simple oral production

by using the posters or grammatical information on the wall.

4. Free Errors

In the teaching learning process of speaking, YLLs who make mistakes are

tolerated. The emphasis is on the content not the structure. Grammar and

vocabularies are presented and given treatment from the teachers, but not

dwelt on.

5. Homework is limited

YLLs reread materials given in the classroom once before they go to sleep

at night and once in the morning before they get up.

6. Music, drama and art are integrated in the learning process

They are integrated as often as possible

7

2. 3. Suggestopedia in the Classroom

Teaching speaking for YLLs using suggestopedia, the teacher should take

three steps (Lazanov, 1982) cited in Xue (2005):

a. Presentation

Presentation is the basis of conducting Suggestopedia in class successfully.

The main aim in this stage is to help students relaxed and move into a

positive frame of mind, with the feeling that the learning is going to be

easy and funny. Desuggestion and suggestion happen at this stage at the

same time.

b. Concert

First Concert.

This involves the active presentation of the material to be learnt. The

original form of Suggestopedia presented by Lozanov consisted of the use

of extended dialogues, often several pages in length, accompanied by

vocabulary lists and observations on grammatical points. Typically these

dialogues will be read aloud to YLLs to the accompaniment of music.

Second Concert

The students are now guided to relax and listen to some Baroque music.

The best choice of music according to Lozanov, with the text being

studied very quietly in the background. During both types of reading, the

learners will sit in comfortable seats, armchairs rather than classroom

chairs, in a comfortable environment. After the readings of these long

8

dialogues to the accompaniment of music, the teacher will then make use

of the dialogues for more conventional language work. The music brings

the students into the optimum mental state for the effortless acquisition of

the material. The students, then, make and practice dialogue after they

memorize the content of the materials.

c. Practice

The use of a range of role-plays, games, puzzles, etc. to review and

consolidate the learning. Here is an example of teaching speaking using

role play:

1. The teacher greets the students with either English or their native

language and tells them that they will have a new and exciting

experience in language learning.

2. The teacher asks the students to close their eyes and tell them that they

will go to an English speaking country. For example, they are in an

airport. “Now, you are in an airport of America, listen to the people

around you. They are talking with immigration officials”, said the

teacher. The teacher asks them to open their eyes and bring their

awareness to the class. She says,”Welcome to English!”.

3. Then, the teacher tells them that they will have new names and

identities by showing a poster showing English names. The students

will pronounce the names by repeating the teacher. The teacher helps

9

them by doing pantomime to help them understand about their new

identities such as doctor, nurse, police, etc.

4. The teacher greets each student using his name and ask some questions

in English about his occupation. Through her action, the students

understand the meaning and they reply ‘yes’ and ‘no’.

5. The teacher teaches them a short dialogue about greeting in English.

After that, the students will practice. The teacher tells the students that

they are having a party and they have to introduce one another by their

new names and identities.

6. Next, the teacher announces that the class is over and they will have

another exciting activity tomorrow and they do not have homework.

2. 5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Suggestopedia

a. Advantages

As a particular method, suggestopedia offers some benefit for its use in the

second language classroom for YLLs. There are some benefits in utilizing

suggestopedia:

1. A comprehesible input based on dessugestion and suggestion principle

By using this teaching method, YLLs can lower their affective filter.

Suggestopedia classes, in addition, are held in ordinary rooms with

comfortable chairs, a practice that may also help them relaxed. Teacher

10

can do numerous other things to lower the affective filter. According to

Kharsen (1989) cited in Xue (2005) activities that allow students to get

better acquainted with each other may help lower anxieties and make

students to adopt new names for the duration of the language course may

have a similar effect.

2. Authority concept

Students remember best and are most influenced by information coming

from an authoritative source, teachers.

3. Double-planedness theory

It refers to the learning from two aspects. They are the conscious aspect

and the subconscious one. YLLs can acquire the aim of teaching

instruction from both direct instruction and environment in which the

teaching takes place.

4. Peripheral learning

Suggestopedia encourages the students to apply language more

independently, take more personal responsibility for their own learning

and get more confidence.  Peripheral information can also help encourage

students to be more experimental, and look to sources other than the

teacher for language input. For example, the students can make some

sentences using the grammatical structure placed on the classroom’s wall,

describe a particular place in an English speaking country by looking at the

11

poster on the wall, etc. When the students are successful in doing such

self-activities, they will be more confident.

b. Disadvantages

It is not fair to analyze only from the benefit aspects. Suggestopedia also

has limitation since there is no single teaching method that is chategorized

as the best based on some consideration such as: the curriculum, students

motivation, financial limitation, number of students, etc.

The main disadvantages of suggestopedia are as follow:

1. Environment limitation

Most schools in developing countries have large classes. Each class

consists of 30 to 40 students. One of the problems faced in utilizing this

method is the number of students in the class. There should be 12 students

in the class (Adamson, 1997).

2. The use of hypnosis

Some people say that suggestopedia uses a hypnosis, so it has bad deep

effects for human beings. Lazanov strongly denied about it.

3. Infantilization learning

Suggestopedia class is conditioned be child-like situation. There are some

students who do not like to be treated like this as they think that thay are

mature.

12

2. 6. Suggestion for English Teacher

Teaching speaking for young language learners (YLLs) using suggestopedia is

not easy especially in the countries in which the level of education is still low. It

needs a professional and experienced teacher. Very few working teachers are in a

position where they can use this system (Adamson, 1997). The teachers should

take more training in order to utilize suggestopedia in the classroom. Richards and

Rogers (1998) cited in Xue (2005) stated that in conducting Suggestopedia for

YLLs, there are some suggestions:

(1)   Teachers show absolute confidence in the method.

(2)   Teachers display fastidious conduct in manners and dress.

(3)  Teaches organize properly and strictly observe the initial stages of the

teaching process. This includes choice and play of music, as well as

punctuality.

(4)  Teachers maintain a solemn attitude toward the session.

(5)  Teachers give tests and respond tactfully to poor papers (if any).

(6)  Stress global rather than analytical attitudes towards material.

(7)  Teachers maintain a modest enthusiasm

Material consist of direct support materials, primarily text and tape, and

indirect support materials, including classroom fixtures and music. Although not

language materials, the learning environment plays such a central role in

Suggestopedia that the important elements of the environment need to be briefly

13

enumerated. The environment comprises the appearance of the classroom, the

furniture, and the music.

Procedure of suggestopedia as with other methods we have examined, thre

are variants both historical and individual in the actual conduct of suggestopedia

classes. Bancroft (1972) notes that the four hour language class has three distinct

part, there are :

1. The first part, we might call an oral review section. Previously learned

material is used as the basic for discussion by the teacher and twelve

students in the class. All participants sit in a circle in their specially

designed chairs, and the discussion proceeds like a seminar. This session

may involve what are called micro-studies and macro-studies. In micro-

studies specific attention is given to grammar, vocabulary, and precise

questions and answers. In a macro-studies, emphasis is on role playing and

wider-ranging, innovative language constractiona.

2. The second part of the class new material is presented and discussed. This

consists of looking over a new dialogue and its native language translation

and discussing any issues of grammar, vocabulary, or content that the

teacher feels important or that students are curious about. Bancroft notes

that this section is typically conducted in the target language, although

student questions or comments will be in whatever language the student

feels he or she can handle. Students are led to view the experience of

dealing with the new material as interesting and undemanding of any

special effort or anxiety. The teacher attitude and authority are considered

14

critical to preparing students for success in the learning to come. The

pattern of learning and use is noted, so that students will know what is

expected.

3. The third part is the one by which suggestopedia is best known. Since this

constitutes the heart of the method, we will quote Lazanov as to how this

session proceeds.

At the beginning of the session, all conversation stops for a minute or two,and

the teacher listens to the music coming from a tape-recorder. The teacher waits

and listens to several passages in order to enter into the mood of the music and the

begins to read or recite the new text, teacher’s voice modulated in harmony with

the musical phrases. The students follow the text in their text-books where each

lesson is translated into the mother tongue. Between the first and second part of

the concert. In some cases, even longer pauses can be given to permit the students

to stir a little. Before the beginning of the second part of the concert, there are

again several minutes of silence and some phrases of the music are heard again

before the teacher begins to read the text. Now the students close their text-books

and listen to the teacher’s reading. At the end, the students silently leave the room.

They are not told to do any homework on the lesson they have just had except for

reading it cursorily once before going to bed and again before getting up in the

morning. (Lazanov 1978:272)

15

CHAPTER III

3.1. Conclusion

Teaching speaking for young learners using suggestopedia is very interesting

but challenging to do. It can be seen from some considerations. In one side it has

some benefits, but on the other side it also has some weaknesses. In addition, the

key factors of effective teaching are not the approaches and methods in language

teaching themselves but the teacher’s deliberate selection of different approaches

and methods and the devoted practice of putting theories into real teaching

activities in a corresponding social-cultural context. It is a fact that no approach or

method is perfect. However, there is no end for us to seek the perfection of the

approaches and methods in language teaching. The language teaching method

known as Suggestopedia provides some valuable insights into the power of

cognition and creates techniques that make students feel comfortable, relaxed and

suggestible to the material being learned.

16

REFERENCES

Adamson, Charles. 1997. Suggestopedia as NLP. Assian EFL Journal: English

Language Teaching and Research Article. 27 Jan.2009 http://www.jalt-

publications.org/tlt/files/97/feb/suggest.html .

Bowen, Tim. 2009. Teaching Approaches: What is Suggestopedia?. Assian EFL

Journal: English Language Teaching and Research Article. 27 Jan.2009

http://www.jalt-publications.org/tlt/files/97/feb/suggest.html .

Brown, H. Douglas. 2001. Teaching by Principle: An Interactive Approach to

Language Pedagogy. 2nd ed. San Fransisco: Longman.

DePorter, Boby. 2008. Suggestopedia. Mediawiki. 20 Jan.2009

http://www.englishraven.com/method_suggest.html

Hammond et al. 1997. English for Specific Purposes. New South Wales:

Macquaire University.

Hasselgreen, Angela. 2005. Assessing the Language of Young Learners. The

University of Bergen. 27 Jan.2009

http://www.eslkidstuff.com/Articles.htm

Harmer, Jeremy. 1998. How to Teach English. Malaysia: Longman

Lica, Gabriela Mihaila. 2008. Suggestopedia: A Wonder Approach to Learning

Foreign Languages. Assian EFL Journal: English Language Teaching and

Research Article. 27 Jan.2009

17

http://www.jalt-publications.org/tlt/files/97/feb/suggest.html .

Maleki, Ataillah. 2005. A New Approach to Teaching English as a Foreign

Language:

the Bottom-Up Approach. Assian EFL Journal: English Language Teaching

and Research Article. 27 Jan.2009 http://

http://www.jalt-publications.org/tlt/files/97/feb/suggest.html .

Radle, Paul. 2008. Suggestopedia. 27 Jan.2009 http://www.vtrain.net/lang-

sugg.htm .

Ramelan. 1991. Linguistics and Its Contribution to Language Teachers.

Semarang: IKIP Semarang Press.

Richards, Jack C., and Rodgers, Theodore S. 1998. Approaches and Methods in

Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Xue, Jinxiang. 2005. Critical Review on Suggestopedia. Division of Language and

Communication. 20 Jan.2009, pr 1

http://www.eslkidstuff.com/Articles.htm .

18