Suggestopedic Methods and Applications

Ludger Schiffler

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781134301379
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Educational Psychology

First Published in 1992. This book is required reading for any serious student of Suggestopedia. Professor Schiffler has done a critical assessment of Dr. Lozanov's work from its beginning up to 1985.

Chapter 1

Foreign Language Learning — Lightening Quick with Superlearning?

“Superlearning is a method with which you can develop your natural capabilities better. We know today that human beings have an almost unlimited potential of learning perception. Yet we hardly recognize that each person has at his or her disposal an absolute memory because all of us remember the smallest of details. For example, in a hypnotic state people can remember what they did on a certain day ten years ago or what they carried when they went to school the first day. What differentiates us is the varying degree of our capability to retrieve this data from our memory bank. Normally each of us actually uses only 5–15% of our mental capacity. With the ‘Superlearning’ method the speed of learning can be increased some fiftyfold, and this presupposes no particular talent. It has been shown in scientific tests that up to 500 vocabulary words can be learned in one hour and up to 3,000 words in one day. Consider the fact that, after some review, up to 97% of the learned material is readily available. Long-term testing has shown that after 10 years 94% of the original material learned is still available. Our critical faculties are inclined to think that this is impossible, but this method has been tested worldwide for over 10 years and successfully implemented with over 100,000 participants. If you believe that these amazing accomplishments require a great deal of effort, then I must correct you. These accomplishments have been achieved because the student acquires the information in a pleasant and relaxed condition. This method is particularly well suited for the learning of a foreign language…. Superlearning also has many beneficial effects that go well beyond the learning of the material. Through learning in a relaxed state all internal disturbances are lessened, put aside, or eliminated. That leads to a state of inner peace and calm, and therefore to a better quality of work.”

These are the introductory statements in a commercial advertisement that offers audio cassette courses in several languages. The Bulgarian physician and psychiatrist Lozanov is identified as the author of the research mentioned. These comments assure customers and listeners that a dream of all human beings can be fulfilled, namely, to learn without effort — the reverse of the saying, “No pain, no gain.” Who would not want to be intelligent or, at least, increase one’s intellectual capacity? However, the learning of a foreign language is an intellectual task not easily mastered because of the many new vocabulary words and the correct application of grammatical paradigms. The possibility of easing this task through a “new method” has enticed many creative individuals and has made this area a playground for short-term experiments. However, has there only been this kind of experiment to test superlearning, with no lasting effect? What has actually been scientifically demonstrated about this method?

Let us first consider whether or not this commercial text follows Lozanov’s theories (1978). Indeed, some aspects of Lozanov’s ideas are included in this advertisement, but very important elements are left out. Other elements, which are not found in Lozanov’s theory, are included. He did indeed make strong claims for the improvement of memory capability, but nowhere does he claim a fiftyfold increase in the speed of learning. Nor does he claim that 500 vocabulary words can be learned in one hour or 3,000 words “learned” in one day. He talks rather of “only” 1,000 words which are not claimed to have been “learned” but rather to have been recognized and translated into one’s native language.

It is typical in this kind of inexact advertising to mention 10 years of long-term testing but not to substantiate the claims. The research mentioned does not stem from Lozanov. Even if it were documented, one could not scientifically ascertain for a large number of subjects that the material learned and stored 10 years ago had not been reviewed in the meantime, even though that might have been unintentional. While Lozanov (1978, p. 215) does indeed speak of exceptionally high memory retention (96–100%) for “many” groups after 2 years, only 1 table of data for 10 subjects is presented. Thus, the validity of his claims must also be questioned.

The worst problem with the truthfulness of the claims in the commercial advertisement is that the eminently important role of the teacher is not mentioned. This is, of course, in the commercial interests of the company, which offers cassettes to customers, thereby suggesting that the foreign language can successfully be learned autodidactically, i.e., alone. By comparison to a book, the cassette medium offers the advantage of natural reproduction. At the same time there is the possibility of simultaneous music. But none of this can replace the instructor and the influence of the instructor upon the student. For Lozanov the instructor is the central element of the suggestopedic method.

The statistics presented in the commercial advertisement may lead a layperson to react skeptically, which the author of the text had indeed anticipated. When reading Lozanov’s book (1978), and the more extensive collection published by the [Bulgarian] Ministry of Education (1978), an expert might be very impressed — at least at first glance.

Thus, there arise questions as to what Superlearning and Suggestopedia actually are and to what extent the theories promulgated by Lozanov and the scientific experiments upon which he bases his methods are scientifically sound?

In answer to these questions, what follows is first an explanation of Suggestology and Suggestopedia according to Lozanov and a critical consideration of his research. In a later chapter, Superlearning, as articulated by Ostrander and Schroeder, will likewise be explained and evaluated. It should be mentioned that the term “Superlearning” is by now widely used as a general word often describing Suggestopedia and its further developments.

Chapter 2

Suggestopedia — Theory and Research

2.1 Suggestopedia in Scientific Discussion

2.1.1 Suggestology and Suggestopedia According to Lozanov

The Bulgarian doctor and psychiatrist Lozanov had been especially concerned with hypnosis and hypermnesia, abnormal memory capacity, before he began his own area of research, Suggestology. Hypnosis is a state similar to sleep, and it is induced through the influence of another person. Suggestion is a similar process, but the person being influenced remains awake. Originally both of these possibilities were used by Lozanov in the practice of medicine. His research led him to the conclusion that suggestion can be just as effective as hypnosis but that suggestion can be applied much more easily. This research he termed Suggestology. He called the application of Suggestology in the realm of education, specifically in the transmission of knowledge, Suggestopedia. He explained both in his book Suggestologia (1971), which was translated into English in 1978 and into French in 1984.

In this book he describes the following characteristics of suggestion (p. 72ff.):

• Directness (the non-circuitous penetration into the mental regions).
• Automation (the overly expanded storing of information).
• Speed (a heightened and increased speed of learning).
• Exactness (an increased precision in the mental process).
• Economy (more efficient processing in all procedures).

According to Lozanov’s theory, Suggestology does not consist only of suggestion. Equally important is desuggestion, which describes the elimination of all antisuggestive barriers. To eliminate them is just as important as the suggestion itself. This is also valid in the area of teaching and learning (p. 164ff.).

Lozanov identifies three barriers, namely, the conscious critical-logical, the subconscious intuitive-affective, and the ethical. These barriers should not simply be overcome but rather diminished through “harmonization.” This means that the demands which arise from these barriers must first be met by the individual providing the suggestion so that a relaxed and trustful atmosphere is established. Lozanov further explains, “Therefore suggestopedic hypermnesia comes not so much from suggestion of increased capacities, but from desuggestion, from the liberation from the historically individually built up suggestion of the limited capacities of memory” (p. 165ff.). Thus, students should first be convinced that their memory abilities are not restricted because of previous experiences.

As proof of this Lozanov cites the results of 896 suggestopedic sessions, in which foreign words were taught. Successively the subjects learned up to 100, 200, 400, 600, and 1,200 words. For up to 200 words the retention capacity climbed to 96.8%, and then it fell to its lowest state at the level of 500 words, to 90.4%. However, it climbed continually up to 96.1% for the retention of over 1,000 vocabulary words. Lozanov explains and illustrates the meaning of the fluctuations between 90% and 96%. What is actually important is that so much is retained of the rapidly increasing number of vocabulary words. It seems almost miraculous that the percentage of lexical items retained continued to climb.

Further, Lozanov thoroughly describes the usage of suggestion as an anesthetic for an operation. He also describes the movement of pupils during hypnosis and suggestion as well as the EEG, the pulse rate, and the blood pressure in the individual positions of Hatha Yoga. These experiments are more relevant to medicine than to Suggestopedia, but Suggestopedia is based upon them.

At the end of his presentation of the theory of Suggestology Lozanov explains the essential factors in applying it in the form of Suggestopedia. They are:

• Authority: This concept can easily be misunderstood. Lozanov emphasizes that it does not mean autocratic behavior but rather the indirect prestige which evokes an atmosphere of trust and the wish to follow the example shown by the instructor. He defines it as follows: “… the non-directive prestige which by indirect ways creates an atmosphere of confidence and intuitive desire to follow the example” (p. 187). This is meant to be similar to the inherent respect given to a physician, teacher, or artist. For the verification of this element the same words were played on cassettes to two groups of randomly selected students. But the experimental group was told that these words were from the poems of the famous Bulgarian poet Yavorov. Upon the basis of this suggestion this group retained 26.5% more words (p. 188f.).
• Infantilization: Understandably, this term is immediately rejected by most western readers. What is meant here is the condition which arises when one recognizes the authority of another, trusts this person, and believes in the reliability of the other concerning the information transmitted. Lozanov uses the expression “infantilization” to describe the greater memory capability during the age of childhood, which then diminishes as logical understanding increases in the young adult. Through authority the desuggestive process of eliminating the logical barriers for the memory input should be enhanced. However, infantilization can also be encouraged by additional teaching behaviors and techniques.
  Therefore, the foreign language student is given a new name in the foreign language and a new history. The participants free themselves from the limitations of their own social position and hindrances, similar to what occurs in group therapy sessions. Through role playing, songs, movement — all behaviors in which children commonly engage — a relaxed and spontaneous group climate is created. The impression given is that learning is pleasant and easy.
• Double plane (p. 197ff.): This phrase refers to the unconscious and conscious influence one individual can have upon another. Lozanov emphasizes above all the importance of the unconscious influence, which is generally non-verbal and communicated through facial expression, gesture, attitude, manner of speaking, and the fashioning of the total environment. Lozanov does not, however, mean to promote acting capabilities in this context. Rather he emphasizes that only sincerity and love of one’s work and fellow human beings can lead to the ability to influence others on both planes.
• Intonation (p. 195ff.): For Lozanov this is the essential element for being influential on both above-mentioned planes. It is most important with respect to the increase in memory. Specifically, the ceremonial intonation serves to strengthen the authority of the information source and creates an increased attitude of expectation.
• Rhythm (p. 195ff.): Statements repeated rhythmically are supposed to have a greater suggestive effect than non-rhythmic statements, even though these may be presented with conviction. A rhythm reflecting the sense of the material and derived from the instructional goals has a greater effect than does physical rhythm alone, and the intervals are just as important as the rhythm itself. The rhythmically correct presentation is to a large extent responsible for the long-lasting memory capability.
• Pseudopassivity: This refers to the external and only apparently passive behavior of the student during the concert phase with Baroque music, which promotes relaxation (p. 197ff.). Appropriate background music in connection with authority, infantilization, intonation and rhythm should transform the student into a state of “creative pseudopassivity.” The student externally appears to be in a passive, relaxed state of rest, which, however, is supposed to release a mental “super activity” internally. At issue here is a “concentrative psychorelaxation” (p. 258). One could also call this a state of “relaxed attentiveness.”

One function of the concert phase is to act as a placebo. Its other function is to reestablish the natural, unconscious, peaceful process of information storage, which is hindered through the assumption that the retention of extensive amounts of material requires great intellectual effort. Once again, this arouses tension in the muscular and physical systems as well as in the mental state.

2.1.2 Critical Commentary on Lozanov’s Experiments

The experiments discussed below are all to be found in Lozanov’s book Suggestologia (1971) and in the English edition, which is the basis of the remarks in this chapter as well as the previous one.

For Lozanov the research into Suggestopedia had been closely related to his suggestological research since the beginning of this work in 1964. This is especially the case for suggestopedic foreign language instruction, since Lozanov considered the retention of foreign words particularly well suited for proving hypermnesia. In 1965 he experimented with the learning of Russian through hypnopaedia or sleep learning (Lozanov, 1978, p. 151 ff.). Russian vocabulary, sentences, and a reading text were played on tape to 102 students, ages 15–19 years, before they fell asleep. While sleeping, the same material was played to the subjects 12 times. After 20 nights, the retention rate was in each case at 85% when measured upon awakening.

In the same manner the subjects later received the hypnopaedic instruction once during an afternoon nap, but the information was given only at the beginning and upon awakening. Shortly thereafter, they received a new lesson, but only in the evening before falling asleep. In both of these experiments there was no information transmitted during sleep. What is important is that the subjects were not informed about this. Therefore, they were convinced that they would learn in the same way as before and would attain appropriate results. Indeed, a retention rate of 85% and 78% respectively could be established.

A problem with this experiment was the usage of the Russian language, since it is closely related to Bulgarian. For this reason one cannot exclude the possibility that the good results in both cases rest, among other things, upon the association with the native language. Since Lozanov does not describe the experiment any further, one cannot critique it beyond this point.

In the same year Lozanov conducted his first larger experiment with six classes of about 12 adult students each (p. 13ff.). There were four classes of French and two of English. Classes met for four hours daily over 20 days, during which they covered the first volume of the Mauger text for French and the Eckerly text for English. Two classes served as the experimental groups and four as the control groups. The three instructors each taught one experimental and one control group.

The experimental classes received a “suggestopedic session” daily in addition to the usual instruction. In this session the “new words and sentences” (p. 25) were presented in three different intonations in the foreign language and the native language. The students had the printed text in hand and could read along to imprint it visually and graphically. Following this, they heard the same words and sentences once more, a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• Foreword
• Preface
• 1. Foreign Language Learning — Lightening Quick with Superlearning?
• 2. Suggestopedia—Theory and Research
• 3. Suggestopedia—Methods and Effectiveness
• 4. Suggestopedia—Application and Experiences
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Index