ABSTRACT
The method elaborated by Georgi Lozanov and his colleagues (originally at the Institute of Suggestology in Sofia) is called Suggestopedia and implies the application of Suggestology to pedagogy or the educational process. Suggestopedia has been used in a number of Bulgarian schools for the teaching of a variety of subjects, especially those sequential disciplines such as mathematics which depend, at least initially, on a foundation of memorized facts. However, the principal area of concern of the Institute of Suggestology (and of Lozanov’s work since his departure from the Institute) has been the teaching of Western foreign languages, although experimental courses in Russian have also been taught by the Institute’s staff members. From 1965/66 to 1970/71 (the period of the development of the first version of Suggestopedia for language instruction), more than 1800 persons took instruction in Western languages at the Institute of Suggestology. Each language course lasted from 25 to 30 days; three courses of one month each were outlined and/or developed for French, English, German and Italian. A language class lasted three to four hours a day, with two breaks of 15 minutes. Classes met six days per week, including Saturday, at one of the following times: 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon; 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.; 5:15 to 8:45 p.m. For the learning of the basic elements of a foreign language, Lozanov and his colleagues believed (and still believe) that intensive sessions produce better results than, say, several 50-minute periods spread out over the week (or a course spread out over the school year).
