The advantages and disadvantages of teaching english using suggestopedia
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Suggestopedia is a teaching method introduced in 1975 that focuses on the relationship between mental potential and learning efficacy. It uses music, a relaxed environment, and strong teacher-student relationships to create an optimal relaxed yet focused state for learning. Some key advantages of the suggestopedia method for teaching English include using relaxing baroque music to enhance retention and decorating classrooms to relax students. However, there are also disadvantages, such as some students finding it difficult to focus with background music and the method being difficult to implement in countries with large class sizes like Indonesia due to costs. Teachers must consider both the advantages and disadvantages of any method when deciding what is best for their particular students.
The advantages and disadvantages of teaching english using suggestopedia
- 1. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching English Using Suggestopedia Method 15 May The Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching English Using Suggestopedia Method (Discussion Essay) By: Ratna Komala Dewi There are many methods of teaching which can be chosen by teachers. One of them is suggestopedia method. Suggestopedia method is a method which focuses on how to deal with the relationship between mental potential and learning efficacy. This method was introduced by a Bulgarian psychologist and educator, George Lozanov in 1975. Lozanov believed that a relaxed but focused state is the optimum state for learning. In order to create this relaxed state, suggestopedia uses music, a comfortable and relaxing environment, and a relationship between the teacher and the student. Memorization in learning through suggestopedia would be accelerated by up to 25 times over than in conventional learning methods. However, there are some advantages and also disadvantages of teaching English by using suggestopedia method. The first advantage of using suggestopedia for teaching English is that suggestopedia method use music during the process of learning. Ostrander and Schroeder cited in Harmer said that baroque music which is used in
- 2. suggestopedia, with its 60 beats per minute and its specific rhythm will create the kind of relaxed states of mind for maximum retention of material. He believed that baroque music creates a level of relaxed concentration. It the reason why the main concept of suggestopedia method is that using music during the process of learning. The second advantage of using suggestopedia methods in teaching English is that suggestopedia methods have different class setting which make the students relax during the learning process. We know from the explanation before that a relax state is the optimum state for learning. So, in order to get relaxed mind, beside by using music, suggestopedia methods also decorate the class with posters or something which can make students’ mind relax, such as by putting flowers or aquarium in the corner of the class. By using poster, the students will always learn even when they just look around the classroom. We can put some posters which contain of motivation words or posters which contain of our lesson. For example is vocabulary, we can put a poster which contains of some vocabulary on the wall. So when the students look at the poster, they have learn some new vocabulary. Beside that, suggestopedia class a range chairs in the class into semi-circle shape. It is aimed to make students more focus on the lesson. On the other hand, suggestopedia methods also have some disadvantages. First of all is that in terms of the music. Beside the advantage, using music during the learning process also has disadvantages for some people who cannot study in the noisy class. Lozanov explain that using music during the learning process will create the relaxed mind and it is a optimum state of learning. But for the people who cannot study in the noisy class they say that using music the learning process is not effective at all because it will irritate and disturb them. They claim that it is too complicated to be practiced. They also say that it is difficult for them to divide their mind into two sides, to the
- 3. music and to the lesson. So, they think that using music during the learning process cannot help them at all. They prefer to study in the quiet class rather than in the class which use back sound. They say they can more focus on the lesson. Another disadvantages is that suggestopedia method will be difficult to be practiced in the development country such as Indonesia. As we know that in Indonesia there are at least 30 – 40 students who fill in the one class. The teacher will be difficult to control them one by one. Comparing with european countries which have practiced suggestopedia method for example in France and The Netherlands. There, there are only 10 – 15 students in the one class so that the teacher can control them easily. Beside that, to decorate every single classrooms in the school will need much money. For example, we have to change chairs in the classroom into armchairs. We also have to decrease the students in the classroom, so that we need new classroom for them. So, it is meant that we also have to build new classrooms for the students. For development country like in Indonesia. It can be a burden. In conclusion, there are some advantages and disadvantages of using suggestopedia methods. As a good teacher we have to know what methods that appropriate for our students. Therefore before we choose a teaching method we have to consider its advantages and disadvantages. Suggestopedia is a good method for teaching, because the memorization can be done 25 times faster than the conventional method. But, there are also disadvantages of using it. So, we should be wise when we have to choose the method that we will use for our students.