Metodologia da Língua Inglesa

Assuntos abordados

1 – The first foreign language, The grammar translation method, The reform movement
1.1. The first foreign language
1.2. The grammar translation method
1.3. The reform movement

2 – The direct method, the oral approach and situational teaching

2.1. The direct method
2.2. The oral approach and situational teaching

3 – The audiolingual method, the communicative language teaching

3.1. The audiolingual method
3.2. Communicative language teaching

4 – Total physical response

4.1. Total physical response

5 – The silent way, the community language learning

5.1. The silent way
5.2. Community language learning

6 – The natural approach, suggestopedia

6.1. The natural approach
6.2. Suggestopedia
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Ementa

T he first foreign language, The grammar translation method, The reform movement. The direct
method, The oral approach and situational teaching. The audiolingual method, The communi-
cative language teaching. Total physical response. The silent way, The community language lear-
ning. The natural approach, Suggestopedia

1 – The first foreign language, The grammar translation method,

The reform movement
Introduction

In this unit we will get in touch with the first methods which were applied to teach Latin, whi-
ch was the first foreign language to be taught in Europe. We will discuss the main goals of these
methods, seeing examples of how they were applied in class. We will also have the opportunity
to compare the methods presented, in an attempt to identify the strong points of each one. After
studying these methods, we will try to find out if these methods would also be applicable with our
students from the 21st century.

Content display

1.1. The first foreign language

Latin was the first foreign language to be taught in Europe, since it was the language used in
commerce, schools and universities, government and for religion. It was only from the sixteenth
century on that other modern languages started being taught. These languages were mainly Italian,
French and English, reflecting the political changes that were occurring in Europe.
Although these modern languages started gaining more importance, Latin was not completely
forgotten, because the classical Latin continued to be studied, but then with a different focus, as
grammar rules and rhetoric.
But to teach the so called classical Latin, a method was needed, and this first method to teach
a foreign language was the model that was followed until the nineteenth century. The model for
teaching Latin did not take into account the oral part of the language, being more important to
study grammar and translation. With these focus, the first method for teaching a foreign language
was developed: the grammar translation method.

1.2. The grammar translation method

The grammar translation method was basically developed by German linguists. The most impor-
tant ones were Johann Seidenstücker, Karl Plötz, H. S. Ollendorf, and Jonathan Meidinger. Because
of this German origin, this method was also known in the United States as the Prussian method.
As it is clear by its name, the main approach of this method it is to study the grammar structure of
the language, which is essential for translating sentences and texts. Since translation is so important,
the native language is the basis to study the foreign language, and reading and writing are the main
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goals. During this period, listening and speaking have no importance. Teaching a language means
present vocabulary lists and use the resource of memorization.

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Students had to translate sentences during the classes, so they could practice the grammar topics
studied, and which had been explained by the teacher. An important feature of this method is that
grammar is explained in an organized and systematic way.
The grammar translation method was largely used for a long period, but there were linguists
who did not agree with this method, and started proposing alternatives to study a foreign language,
giving origin to what was called the reform movement.

Example of a class

Students have to translate the sentences into Portuguese:

The teacher explained the homework.

Students translate the sentence, but only in the written form:

O professor explicou a tarefa.

A variation for this exercise is to isolate words and ask students to translate them e.g. teacher,
homework.
The teacher may also provide a text to be translated. Another variation is to provide sentences in
the native language and ask the students to translate them into English.
This example shows that the oral skill is not worked with students.

1.3. The reform movement

The reform movement started in the nineteenth century, when linguists who were not satisfied
with the grammar translation method began developing theories that put oral communication as
an important part of the study of a foreign language. It was when C. Marcel, a French linguist,
presented his theory which was based in the “child learning”, and he believed that reading should
be taught before the other three skills. The English linguist T. Prendergast also believed that child
learning could provide a good model for teaching a foreign language, because according to him,
children use the contextual and situational hints to understand the world around them, and their
speech is based on memorized sentences that are related to their routine.
Another French linguist, Gouin, continued using the way that children communicate to develop
his theory, in which he defended that the structures of the foreign language should be presented in
a contextual form, because only this way the meaning of the structures would be clear. Gouin was
also the first linguist to state that gestures and action should be used in order to explain words and
different situations.

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These three linguists were the first ones to show their disagreement with the grammar
translation method, what inspired other linguists to develop their own theories about how a
foreign language should be taught.
It was in the nineteenth century that the International Phonetic Association was founded and
the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) was created, what demonstrated that the linguists were
worried about the necessity of developing the oral language. According to these new linguists,
speaking was the primary form of the language, and not writing, so new forms for teaching a
foreign language were necessary. With the IPA, the sounds of any language could be transcribed,
and the International Phonetic Association defended the oral language and the phonetic training
as a way to improve pronunciation. For the reformists, texts and dialogues were to be used to
introduce new vocabulary and structures, grammar should be taught in an inductive way, and the
native language was not the basis for teaching a foreign language anymore. So it is clear that the
reformists believed that speech was the basis for teaching a foreign language, and phonetics should
be applied in order to improve pronunciation. The reformists claimed that the first contact with a
foreign language should be oral, later the written form could be presented. For them, translation
should be avoided, and grammar was supposed to be taught in a contextualized way. Although they
were against translation, they accepted the native language as a way to explain new vocabulary and
check comprehension.
But there were reformists who believed in the naturalistic principles, which meant that translation
and the native language should never be used to teach any foreign language. They defended that
mimes, pictures and demonstrations were to be used to explain new vocabulary and structures.
These naturalistic principles gave origin to the direct method.

Concluding

In this unit, you studied that Latin was the first foreign language to be taught in Europe and that
there was the development of a specific methodology for teaching a foreign language. You also
studied the structure of the first method for teaching a foreign language: the grammar translation
method, and the movement which proposed a different approach to a foreign language.
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2 – The direct method, the oral approach and situational teaching

Introduction

T he direct method and the oral approach and situational teaching are methods which emphasize
the use of the target language in the classroom. The contents are introduced first orally. We will
see that in both methods mistakes are not supposed to be tolerated. Analyzing these methods, we
will have the opportunity to answer questions about the efficiency of them.

Content display

2.1. The direct method

One of the greatest enthusiasts of the direct method was Maximilian Berlitz, who introduced this
method in his schools. In fact, Berlitz called this method the Berlitz Method. The basic principles of
this method include only the use of the foreign language in class, and everyday vocabulary and sen-
tences are primarily taught. Whenever concrete vocabulary is to be presented, demonstrations, pictu-
res and objects are used. If the vocabulary to be presented is abstract, the association of ideas should
be used. Another aspect that was emphasized by Berlitz is that the teacher should speak in a natural
way with students, which means that teachers should not speak too loudly or too slowly.
The direct method was popular, but there were critics as well, who stated that it was a me-
thod that was too centered in the teacher, and new ideas started being proposed. These new
ideas were responsible for the development of a new method.

Example of a class

Whenever the teacher enters the enters the class, he/she greets the students in the target langua-
ge.
Let´s suppose that the topic of the class is diffrent kinds of food.
The teacher will present the vocabulary showing pictures of food, always using a sentence to
introduce the new word since isolated words are not used in this method.

e.g. Chicken is deliciuos (showing a picture of a chicken).

After the presentation of the vocabulary, the teacher will ask questions as the following:
Do you like chicken?
What´s your favorite kind of food?
The teacher mimes and makes a lot of gestures while he/she is asking questions in order to avoid
translation.

2.2. The oral approach and situational teaching

This method was developed by Harold Palmer, A. S. Hornby and other British linguists in the
1920s and 1930s. They also defended an oral approach, but in the way that the direct method did,
because they used a systematical basis to teach a foreign language. A determined content has to be
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presented, first orally, than in the written form. They proposed that the content should be presented
situationally, that’s why the name the situational language teaching. Another point presented by them

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was that simpler grammar structures had to be presented before the more complex ones. After the
oral part of the language and grammar had been well practiced, reading and writing were introdu-
ced. In their opinion, structure was the main aspect of the oral skill. These linguists proposed that
all structures should be connected with real situations, so a student may understand vocabulary and
structures by the way they are used in different situations. So students must develop their capacity of
deduction and their ability to use what was learned in class in real situations. They wanted to teach
a foreign language and its four skills in a practical form, but never forgetting the structure of the
language. They state that pronunciation and grammar are important and that errors are not sup-
posed to occur. This method uses model sentences for statements, questions, negative sentences,
requests and commands.
At first, students only repeat what the teacher says, and their answer are limited to the
teacher’s questions and commands. The students gradually become more independent, and start
creating dialogues. The teacher is the one who is the model, and he/she also determines the pace
of the class. So, in this method, the teacher also has the main role.
Flashcards, wall charts, pictures and all kinds of realia are too important in the development of
the classes. Besides all these resources, drills and repetitions (individual and collective) are also
widely used.

Example of Class

The teacher comes class with a lot of realia, so students can practice the vocabulary. For
example, the teacher shows a book and says: “This is a book”. The students repeat: “This
is a book”.
The students are requested to repeat this sentence more than once. The teacher may also
split the sentence, so the students can repeat part of it.
After praticing the word “book”, the teacher shows other objets, as pens, pencils, pencil
cases, etc, in order to practice other words and the same structure.
Afterwards, the teacher is going to present several drills and will request students to repeat
them.

Concluding

In this unit, you studied the direct method and the oral approach and situational learning. You
could see that both of them emphasize that the oral part of the language must be worked first, and
the mother tongue should not be used. Grammar rules and structures are to be followed, and errors
are not accepted. For the development of the class, pictures, objects and the association of ideas
must be used.

Exponding your knowledge

To learn more about these methods, visit the following site:
www.englishraven.com/methoddirect.html

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3 – The audiolingual method, the communicative language

teaching

Introduction

I n this unit, the methods which are going to be studied also places speech as the primary part of a
language. Both the audiolingual method and the communicative language teaching are focused
on oral activities, but with differences in the way that classes are developed. So, a discussion and
comparison of the methods are interesting to be carried out, because then we will try to conclude
which one is likely to produce better results.

Content display

3.1. The audiolingual method

Actually, the audiolingual method or audiolingualism was an American approach to teach

English to foreigners, called ESL (English as a second language). This method was developed du-
ring the 1950s. That was the decade when the foreign languages were drawing the attention in the
United States. In this method, the oral language also comes before the writing. The linguists who
developed the audiolingualism did believe that language can be presented orally before presenting
reading and writing, because this way reading and writing are practiced after the students have le-
arned orally those structures and vocabulary. They believed that in this way students would make
less mistakes. During the classes, teachers work with a lot of drills and dialogues. The function of
dialogues is to contextualize the structures which are being used. Students repeat and memorize
the dialogues. Grammar is to be presented after these practices. Then, the drills are used to prac-
tice the grammar structures which have just been introduced. The audiolingualism is a method in
which the teacher also has a key role, because it is the teacher who control all of the class and con-
sequently the teacher controls the evolution of the students, correcting them whenever it is necessary.
Since students must develop their oral skill before reading and writing, they only use the textbook
after being presented the whole lesson. Only the teacher uses the textbook during oral presentation.
The use of CDs for listening activities and audiovisual resources are used in order to present new vo-
cabulary and structures. Listening introduces models and drills. The students frequently have to re-
peat what they listen. The repetition are carried out individually and collectively and students act what
they have just learned, but they do not use their textbooks during this stage of the class. Afterwards,
the teacher provides drills with the key structures of the lesson that is being taught. After all this oral
practice, the students may use their textbooks and do exercises which involve reading and writing
skills. Laboratories where students may improve their oral skill is widely used by schools which use
the audiolingual method.
It can be seen that in the audiolingual method, students learn and use the language in a more me-
chanical way. But audiolingualism started being criticized, and among its critics was Noam Chomsky
who affirmed that “Language is not a habit structure”. Other linguists were also unsatisfied with the
audiolingualism and alternative theories started being developed in the United States, what took to the
development of new methods for teaching a foreign language.
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Example of a class

The students listen to a dialogue or a text. This model may be read by a teacher or it may be
presented on a CD.
The students have to repeat the dialogue or the text line by line. This exercise of repetition is
carried out individually and in chorus. The teacher corrects every mistake, and the students
are not allowed to use their textbooks.
After repeting the text or dialogue, the students practice different drillls, which are adapted
according to the topics of the lesson.
Only after the oral practice is that students will practice reading and writing, which are ba-
sed on the dialogue or test presented in the beginning of the class. The teacher may mention
grammar rules, but he/she does not explain these topics in details.

3.2. Communicative language teaching

British linguists were putting in doubt the efficiency of the situational language teaching. The
American linguists were also questioning the audiolingual method. In this scenery, the communicative
language teaching (CLT) started being developed both in Britain and in the United States. The linguists
were taking into account the needs of students, including the adult ones. The basis of the communicative
language teaching is the communication, language is a tool for interaction and allow people to
communicate. So, now, grammar and the structure of the language are no longer the main aspects
of language, but the communicative meaning is the key aspect of a lesson. The linguists from the
CLT state that the activities carried out in a lesson must have real communication, because according
to them that’s the only way to promote learning, so language must be meaningful and authentic for
learners, otherwise learning will not occur. The linguists who developed the CLT also defend that
no matter which skill is more important for the learner (speaking, writing, reading, listening), a
communicative approach is always possible.
There is a great number of activities that can be developed during a class. Comparisons, games,
conversation and discussion sessions, role plays and any other activity that promote communication.
In this method the role of the teacher is not so centralized. The teacher is more a guide who will plan
and organize the class, being attentive to the needs of the students.
Since the teacher does not have the key role in the process of learning, the material gains
importance. The typical class starts with a theme, which can be presented by a text or a dialogue.
The material also proposes games, role plays, simulations, pair-works and discussions which
aim to promote communication in class. Another strong feature of the teaching material de-
signed for the Communicative Language Teaching is the use of authentic material, which can
be advertisements, newspaper and magazine articles, graphics and charts.
Grammar is introduced in the texts and in the dialogues, and students practice it in dialogues
which can be carried out in groups or in pairs.
The communicative language teaching wanted to promote interactivity in class since communication
is the priority.

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Example of Class

The teacher begins the class introducing a discussion involving the topics that will be pre-
sented either in a dialogue or in a text. The teacher promotes conversation by asking ques-
tions about their personal experiences.
It is possible for the teacher to use flashcards and objets in order to explain a struture, and
written forms to explain a grammar topic.
At last, students practice what they have learned in free activities.
The teacher assigns some homework.

Concluding

In this unit you studied two methods that are widely popular: the audiolingual method and the
communicative language teaching, which also look forward to an oral approach before teaching
reading and writing. It can be noticed that the main differences between the two methods is that
the audiolingual is focused on determined steps, while the communicative language teaching sear-
ches for an environment that can allow students’ communication.

Expanding your knowledge

For further reading, visit the following sites because they will provide interesting pieces of
information about these methods.
www.tcnj.edu/~elsla/methodologies/audiolingual.html
www.englishraven.com/methodcommunicative.html
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4 – Total physical response

Introduction

T he method called total physical response (TPR) is widely applied by teachers who work with
children. It demands a lot of energy and creativity from teachers, since motor activities are
crucial for the success of the class. One point that we look forward to answering is if TPR is a suc-
cessful method among adults.

Content display

4.1. Total physical response

Total physical response (TPR) was developed by James Asher, who was an American psycholo-
gist from San Jose University in California in the 1970s. He believed that language should be taught
through physical activity. He stated that as children received commands which were physically
responded by them before they were able to develop their speech, adults could also be taught in
the same way. He truly believed that the process of learning a second language should go through
a natural process, with the listening being developed first, before speaking, and that the listening
activities should be accompanied by physical movements.
According to Asher, TPR was directed to right-brain learning, and not to the left-brain learning,
as most methods were. He claimed that language activities were centralized in the right hemisphere
of the brain, and, as motor movement is also a right hemisphere activity, children acquire language
through motor activities. This way, adults should also learn through motor activities.
Asher also believed that a person needs to be free from stress in order to be successful in
learning a new language, and physical movements collaborate for having a less stressful class,
promoting better conditions for learning.
It can be said that TPR aims the oral proficiency at a beginning level and the ability of the
learner to communicate in a foreign language.
The activities which are presented during the classes are mainly imperative drills and the structure
of the language is not the objective of the class or the course. Conversational dialogues occur after
about 120 hours of instruction. Role plays are also developed, but they present everyday situations,
as dialogues in a restaurant or at the movies, but basically, learners are in class to listen and to
physically perform what is requested by the teacher. There is a moment when the learners are
encouraged to speak, but only when they feel, they are ready to speak.
It is possible to see that the teacher has a key role in this method, and Asher recommended a
detailed lesson plan, so the commands could be appropriately developed. Teachers are demanded
to act as parents correcting their children. At first, teachers are not supposed to correct students all
the time, but they have to interrupt them more frequently as students are more advanced in their
studies.
Learning materials are necessary only in more advanced levels, when they are necessary to su-
pport the learning process.
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Example of a class

Whenever a teacher introduces new vocabulary, students are requested to act what is being
asked.

e.g. Sit down

Stand up

Students sit down and stand up after listening to each command.

The teacher also writes vocabulary and sentences on the board.
The teacher acts out each word and each sentence. Students are allowed to copy the wods and
the sentences.

Concluding

In this unit you studied a very popular method. A lot of teachers apply this method when tea-
ching children because the activities demand physical performance in class, and according to this
method, children received commands from their parents and responded through movements. That’s
why the belief that physical movement helps to contribute for the process of learning.

Expanding your knowledge

In the site below you will find more details about the total physical response (TPR).
www.tpr-world.com

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5 – The silent way, the community language learning

Introduction

I n this unit we will talk about two methods which are not widely used to teach a foreign language,
but it is valuable to discuss the strong and weak points of them, trying to come to a conclusion
about the efficiency of the silent way and the community language learning.

Content display

5.1. The silent way

In the 1970s, Caleb Gategno developed a method called the silent method, in which he defended
the theory that learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates than, instead of repeating
what it is to be learned. He also emphasized that learning would be facilitated by problem solving
involving the material to be learned. In this method, language must be taught in an artificial way
and there is a structural organization of the language. Grammar rules and sentences are the basic
unit for each lesson.
Gategno divided the vocabulary into “semi-luxury” and “luxury”. “Semi-luxury” vocabulary
includes words for clothes, food, family etc. “Luxury” vocabulary includes more complex ideas.
Gategno used to affirm that to learn a second language is different from learning a first language,
so that’s why he defended an artificial approach, since the learner must have a commitment to learning.
In his opinion, silence would enhance the concentration and help with mental organization, being the
activities of repetition useless. The learner needs a basic practical knowledge of the grammar of the
foreign language, so he can achieve independence, since the learner knows how to learn a language.
At first, the lessons are based on the imperative structure because it is easier to understand what
is being taught.
The teacher begins the lesson by modeling a word or sentence, but this modeling is restric-
ted to a minimum level because the students are the ones who need to achieve independence,
although being guided by the teacher. The necessity of self-correction, since the teacher will
not correct any possible mistakes, takes students to a more independent development, and, as
teachers do not explain new vocabulary or structures, students are forced to get to their own
conclusions about the lesson.
In this kind of work, students are supposed to work in groups, with a high level of cooperation.
As the teacher does not provide explanations and does not model words and sentences, his or her
main purpose is to create a proper environment for the class, encouraging students to participate.
The teacher only presents a word or a sentence once, and demands through nonverbal clues the de-
ductions and participation of the students. In order to develop the class, teachers may use gestures and
other realia.
The teaching materials are colored rods, wall charts with color-coded pronunciation and vo-
cabulary, reading and writing materials. The pronunciation wall charts are called “Fidels”, which
show symbols in the foreign language that is being studied. The symbols are color-coded accor-
ding to the pronunciation. One feature of this method is that classes usually begin with a chart in
the native language.
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The rods are used to increase creativity and to provide communication. The idea is to start with
simple structures and move to more complex ones. The charts of vocabulary are also color-coded.
Teachers may also use pictures, CDs, films, besides books and worksheets to work with reading
and writing.

Example of a class

At the beginning of the class, the teacher models the appropriate sound pointing out the correspon-
ding symbol in the chart. Afterwards, the teacher points to symbols without pronouncing any sound,
requesting students to form combinations. The rods are useful for developing more complex structures.
The teacher models the structure that is being taught using the rods. Then students are requested to
reproduce those structures according to the colored rods. Whenever a student makes a mistake, other
students, not the teacher, prompt the correct answer.
The class is focused on repetition and the gradual achievement of independence.

5.2. Community language learning

The community language learning (CLL) was developed by Charles A. Curran and his associa-
tes. Curran was a professor of psychology at Loyola University in Chicago. His method is linked
to the principles of the bilingual education, since what is going to be taught is firstly presented in
the native language. In class with this method, a student presents his or her message and the teacher
translates this message to the foreign language that is being taught. The other students are supposed
to be listening to their colleague, so everyone may understand what is being said. The idea is that
learning happens because of a communicative situation. This kind of class allows a student (or
learner) to become a teacher (a knower) for other students.
Curran created the acronym SARD to demonstrate the psychological requirements for learning.
According to him, S stands for security, A stands for attention (that is needed to learn) and aggression
(that is necessary to show what was learned), R stands for retention and reflection and D stands
for discrimination (which means that students know how to use what was learned in class).
The community language learning aims the oral proficiency. The topics which are presented
depend on the messages which are communicated by students, so the teacher is responsible for
providing the meaning of this message in the foreign language. The interaction is the key feature
of this method. The common steps of a class using this method is the use of translation, group
work, recording of conversations, transcriptions of conversations, analysis of what is being taught,
reflection, listening and free conversation as well. The students are members of a community,
learning through interaction and the teacher is responsible for providing an environment which
is appropriate for the development of the learners, since, according to Curran, security enables
students to learn.
In this method textbooks are not necessary, since the class is developed through interactions, so
teaching materials may be developed by teachers according to the necessity of students.

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Example of a class

Students listen to a dialogue on the CD. The teacher plays the dialogue again. Then, the
teacher writes sentences in the target language on the board. Students are requested to say
their meanings in their native language.
The translations provided by the students are written on the board by the teacher. Students
are not supposed to write. The teacher plays the dialogue again. The dialogue is played
more than once.

Concluding

In this unit you studied two methods which are not too popular here in Brazil: the silent way and
the community language learning. It is possible to notice in both methods that the teachers are not the
center of the class, the teacher is more a conductor who guides the class, demanding from students
more independence.

Expanding your knowledge

For further information about these methods, visit the sites below.
www.cuisenaire.co.uk/languages/sway.html
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/cll.shthl
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6 – The natural approach, suggestopedia

Introduction

I n this last unit we will study the natural approach and the suggestopedia, and the possibilities of
application of these methods. Suggestopedia is not well known, but its proposals are interesting
to be studied, and then we can evaluate which method, from all the ones we have studied, are more
successful.

Content display

6.1. The natural approach

Tracy Terrell, a Spanish teacher in California, and Stephen Krashen, an applied linguist at the
University of South California elaborated the theory for the natural approach, which was based
on the communicative language. In the natural approach, the learners have to hear before they
start practicing, since exposure to language is seen as something essential.
Krashen and Terrell see communication as the most important feature of language, so they do
not think that language teachers must be too concentrated in teaching grammar rules. They state that
acquisition is a natural way of internalizing a language, while learning involves the development of a
process of conscious rules. Formal teaching is necessary for learning.
Krashen and Terrell believe that it is not possible to teach a person to speak fluently because it
is something that emerges after the build up of linguistic competence. They also see the emotional
state of students as an important factor for learning.
It is clear that the natural approach is to develop basic communication skills, no matter if oral or
written, and learners do not have to speak until they feel secure to do so, this way stress is minimized.
The learners are supposed to interact, developing communication activities.
From teachers, it is expected that they provide language input and classroom atmosphere for
proper learning. They must be patient too, since they cannot demand students to speak before they
feel they are ready to do so.
The material must be related to the real world, promoting real communication, so, pictures and
visual aids contribute to the comprehension of topics. Games are also useful for promoting classroom
interaction.
An interesting feature of the natural approach is the use of techniques which are also seen in
other approaches and methods, as the total physical response, the communicative language teaching
and the situational language teaching.

Example of a class

The teacher is going to teach the vocabulary related to objects of the classroom. So, in the be-
ginning of the class, Total Physical Response activities are used.

e. g. Pick up the ruler.

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The teacher picks up the ruler and the students pick up their rulers too. The teacher proceeds
with the explanation of the new vocabulary, presenting different objects. Pictures and flashcards can
also be used in the explanation.
After these activities, the teacher may ask questions as following:

Teacher: What color is your notebook?

Student: It`s green.

This way, the teacher practices the new vocabulary in a communicative way.

6.2. Suggestopedia

Suggestopedia was developed by Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian psychiatrist and educator. Lozanov
emphasizes the importance of decoration, furniture, arrangement of the classroom, the use of music,
and an authoritative behavior of the teacher. But the great feature of this method is the use of music
and musical rhythm in contributing to learning.
The lessons are based on the memorization of vocabulary, with translation being more stressed
than contextualization.
But the name suggestopedia is related to suggestion, which is seen by Lozanov as a way to
facilitate the memorization of new vocabulary.
When Lozanov talks about authority, he means a relationship between teacher-student, similar to
the relationship parent to child, since the learner is supposed to perform parts in role playing, games,
songs and gymnastics exercises. Lozanov also believed that the learners would learn because of the
environment of the classroom, as the shape of chairs, the arrangement of the classroom, the musical
background and the personality of the teacher. The importance of the music is that it provides a relaxed
environment, inducing to a relaxed attitude.
The main goal of suggestopedia is to provide conversational proficiency. The duration of the
course is thirty days. The classes last for four hours, six days a week. Each unit is focused on a
dialogue.
Some activities developed during the classes are well known, as question and answer exercises,
role playing, imitations, but the listening part is completely different from the usual exercises of
listening. First, the students look and discuss the text. Then the teacher reads the text while the
students relax in reclining chairs. Finally, the teacher reads the same text in a dramatic way, with
music playing, while students breathe deeply and regularly.
During the classes, the students are supposed to accept the authoritative behavior of the teacher
and their consequent infantilization. The teacher creates situations to make learners more suggestible,
and presents linguistic material.
The teaching material is basically compound of text and audio. The indirect support material
includes music. The textbook must have a good quality and emotional force.

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Example of a class

First, the students read the text. Then, the teacher reads the text. After that, the teacher read
the text again while students listen to music. The text might be read in a dramatic way.
In order to practice what has been learned, students play games, solve puzzles, act in role-
play, etc.

Concluding

In this unit you studied two methods which do not have many similarities between each other. The
Natural Approach searches for basic communication skills and states that the environment must be ap-
propriate for learning development. Suggestopedia looks for oral proficiency, too, but the techniques
which are used are totally different.

Expanding your knowledge

Visit the site below to learn more about the methos
www.esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa042689
www.englishraven.com/method_natural.html
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Bibliografia

RICHARDS, Jack C. & RODGERS, Theodore S. Approaches and Methods in Language Tea-
ching. Cambridge Language Teaching Library, 1995.

CHOMSKY, Noam. Language and Mind. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1968

RICHARDS, Jack C. The Language Teaching Matrix. Cambridge University Press, 1990

HARLEY, Brigite, ALLEN, Patrick, CUMMINS, Jim & SWAIN, Merrill. The Development of
Second Language Proficiency. Cambridge University Press, 1990

LARSEN-FREEMAN, D. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford American

English, OUP, 1986

JOHNSON, Karen E. Understanding Communication in Language Classrooms. Cambridge

University Press, 1995

KRASHEN, S. & TERRELL, T. The Natural Approach. Pegamon Press, 1983

RICHARDS, Jack C. & SCHIMIDT, Richard W. Language and Communication. Longman

Group Limited.

Expanding your knowledge

1 – The first foreign language, the grammar translation method,

the reform movement

To know more about Latin as a foreign language in Europe and the grammar –translation
method, consult the following sites:

www.personal.psu.edu/users/m/x/mxh392/insys 441/Methodology/grammar_translation.htm

2 – The direct method, the oral approach and situational teaching

expanding your knowledge

To learn more about these methods visit the following site.

www.englishraven.com/method_direct.html
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3 – the audiolingual method, the communicative language

teaching

For further reading, visit the following sites because they will provide interesting pieces of
information about these methods.

www.tcnj.edu/~eslsla/methodologies/Audiolingual.html

www.englishraven.com/method_communicative.html

4 – Total physical response

In the site below you will find more details about the total physical response (TPR).

www.tpr-world.com

5 – The silent way, the community language learning

For further information about these methods,visit the sites bellow.

www.cuisenaire.co.uk/languages/sway.html

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/cll.shthl

6 – The natural approach, suggestopedia

Visit the site below to learn more about these methods.

www.esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa042689

www.englishraven.com/method_natural.html

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