From: ceci@lysator.liu.se (Ceci Henningsson)
Newsgroups: alt.self-improve
Subject: Suggestopedy (was Memory)
Keywords: superlearning, suggestopedy
Date: 12 Apr 92 17:56:21 GMT
Organization: Lysator Computer Club, Linkoping University, Sweden

Loren writes:
	A book with a different approach is called
	"Superlearning" which deals with memory and learning in
	general and can only classified as a "new age" approach.  It
	is based on the work of Hungarian psychologist and the
	fabulous results claimed in learning foreign languages (I
	believe the claims reach something like 1000 vocabulary words
	in a three hour session).
	
Todd writes:

	This was part of the work of Ostrander and Schroeder, who also
	published some classic research on psi phenomena, such
	as 'Psychic_Discoveries_Behind _the_Iron_Curtain.'
	_Superlearning_ deals largely with the hypothetical
	relationship between rhythm, state of consciousness, and
	learning.  There are some potentially very valuable techniques
	in the book, as well as a lot of interesting theory.  But be
	careful of the phenomena of state-specific learning with some
	of the techniques.  It is possible to set up a unique set of
	learning conditions that permit remarkable retention, yet be
	unable to recall the information in the state you need to
	apply it.

Hohum, there seem to be rather a lot of misunderstandings about
'superlearning' or suggestopedy. Time to straighen them out. My source
is John M Steinberg's _Effektiv inlaerning_ (Efficient learning),
published by Liber Utbildningsf|rlaget. Steinberg speaks English and
can be contacted on this address: John M Steinberg, Brickebergsvaegen
17, S-702 21 Oerebro, Sweden. Steinberg has attended a suggestopedy
course of French in 1982 and teaches suggestopedy methods.

First, lets get some facts: The psychiatrist Georgi Lozanov from
*Bulgaria* invented suggestopedy. Ostrander and Schroeder wrote the
book _Superlearning_ in 1971. _Superlearning_ is a report of Lozanov's
method at that time, but they have changed a lot since that. I
wouldn't bother with an outdated second-hand report.

It all started when Lozanov realised that his patients got better when
these criteria were all met: They trusted the therapist, the therapy
room was comfortable and pleasant, the therapist suggested that the
patient would become more confident and the therapist made it clear
that he believed it would work. At first he used hypnosis, but it
turned out hypnosis wasn't necessary.

At the same time, Lozanov conducted experiments with people who had
'hyperamnesia' ie an extraordinary memory. He found that they put
themselves in a calm, relaxed state when trying to learn things.
Lozanov has tried to use his knowledge about hyperamnesia in
suggestopedy.

In 1965 Lozanov started his first attempts to transfer his thoughts
about 'suggestology' into suggestopedy i e a kind of pedagogy. 

This is what Steinberg experienced in his course: 

The environment: The room is supposed to be pleasant and comfortable.
The furniture is like that in any livingroom. There are often some
maps and pictures which have a natural association with the text of
the day.

The text: There is no ordinary textbook. The text is divided into 10
sections (for 100 hours) of about 8 pages. It is important that the
students aren't allowed to read ahead. The texts are centered around
dialogues with the same people appearing all the time. The new
language is on the right hand page and a translation to your native
language is on the left hand page. 

Homework: Read the text once before you go to bed and once when you
wake up in the morning. You shouldn't make an effort to study the
text. The effort part of ordinary pedagogy is something suggestopedy
wants to avoid.

The group: There are 12 students in a suggestopedi group. Lozanov
claims that 12 is an ideal number for the most efficient learning and
the best group sociality.

New identities: One of the major feats of a suggestopedy course of
language, is that the students get new identities. The new identities
are those of the native speakers appearing in the texts. Lozanov has
written a base for a course which sets the students as people of
different professions attending an environmental conference in a
capital. In this case it was Paris. What makes the new identities so
important, is that we get to play a role. It's not I who am making the
mistakes, it's my character, this makes us much braver. Try this out
for yourself, if you don't believe it.

The role of the teacher: This is the most important part of
suggestopedy: The teacher is supposed to suggest all the time that
each student is learning and will learn. If the teacher doesn't
*believe* that the students are learning, and learning fast, then the
teacher isn't suitable to teach suggestopedically. 

Music: Music is used in about 1/8 of the course. The music used has
60-71 beats/minute, which is a little less than a relaxed person's
heartbeat frequency. Although there the New Age labels record special
'superlearning cassetes' there is plenty of classical music, esp by
Bach, Vivaldy and Corelli who have this beat. I doubt very much that
Lozanov in the Sofia of the seventies would order expensive New Age
music for his courses.

Critique against Lozanov: Lozanov seems very enthusiastic (part of the
pedagogy) about the results. Unfortunately they are hard to verify in
objective tests, as Lozanov doesn't tell us how he makes his own
tests.  However, it seems clear that learning and remembering the
learned is enhanced even if a teacher takes out only small pieces of
the suggestopedy.

Some addresses:

The Lind Institue, 2470 15th Street, San Fransisco, CA, 94114 USA.
They have language courses.

The Society for Accelerative Learning and Teaching, PO Box 1216, Welch
Station, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA. They publish a magiazine and arrange
courses and conferences.

Books: 

Lozanov has written a methodology for teachers of foreign languages. I
don't know if it has been translated into English. The translated
Swedish title is: Suggestopedial practical handbook for teachers of
foreign languages. It should have been published in 1983 or something
like that, if at all.

Miele, Philip: Suggestopedia: a Natural Way to Learn, Utopia Unlimited
Press 1982.

Prichard, Allan & Taylor, Jean: Accelerating Learning: The Uses of
Suggestion in the Classroom, Academic Therapy Publications.

There are probably newer books about the subject to be found in NewAge
bookshops, but I wouldn't recommend them, unless you want a NewAge
approach to the subject. The Society for Accelerative Learning and
Teaching could probably give further book recommendations.

--Ceci
--
=====ceci@lysator.liu.se===========================================
"Convictions cause convicts." Robert Anton Wilson
"But don't let that become a conviction!" Ceci
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