De-suggestopedia
The first day
Herr L.
I am glad
that you have been able
to make time
to discuss de-suggestopedia
with me again
Mr A. Knowledge
It’s a pleasure for me too,
I really enjoy talking to someone
as interesting and motivated
as you, I have to say
that I am so convinced
that the method is beneficial
that I am always glad
to help other people
benefit from its effects,
the accelerated learning process,
or the varied learning activities
for example.
If I remember right,
we had planned to discuss
the so-called “Identity Change” today
Herr L.
Exactly, what is the meaning
and the aim of this identity change?
Mr A. Knowledge
The participant is offered
to take another identity
in order to alleviate
previous fears, hang-ups
and prejudices connected
with previous learning situations.
A change of identity
is also helpful in terms
of self-esteem and instrumental
in de-suggesting learning barriers
Herr L.
Concretely, how does this
become obvious?
Mr A. Knowledge
As usual there is a role model.
For example, in an English course
I wear a typical english hat,
carry an umbrella in one hand,
and a big suitcase in the other,
I greet the participants
in English and apologize
for being late
as I have come
straight from the aeroport.
Here you can see
in what is aproximately
the introduction of Dr Gateva’s
beginners’ course book:
"The Return", what she recommends.
Reasons and procedures in identity changes
The teacher comes into the classroom
with a big suitcase,
a dog and some vehicles (toys).
He (She) is dressed
according to the story
that he (she) will tell. The
teacher needs to underline
the most important
expressions and words,
the verb forms of to be,
to have, can, must,
some regular and irregular verb forms,
singular and plural.
Hello!
Good morning (afternoon, evening)!
How are you?
I´m fine.
Are you waiting for me?
I´m sorry! I’m late.
Excuse me, please!
I’ve just arrived by plane.
Do you know,
I travelled on a lot of planes,
helicopters, trains, ships, cars ...
(The teacher puts some vehicles - toys on the table or on the floor)
I’m bringing you the last news
from the American airlines.
Take the magazines, please!
Do you like travelling?
I like it very much.
(The teacher throws the ball - globe )
Do you speak English?
Do you read English?
Do you understand me?
Yes, no? Very little?
Oh, it doesn’t matter.
Don’t worry,
be happy.
English is not difficult.
It’s easy.
It’s not
like Japanese.
Do you speak Japanese?
Which languages do you speak?
Do you speak German,
Spanish, French, Italian,
Russian.....?
(The teacher asks everybody)
I speak.......
You don’t know me.
But I know you.
I’ve heard that
you are a very interesting group.
You are interested
in everything new.
Is that so?
What are you interested in?
I’m interested
in modern and classical theatre.
And what about you?
Are you interested in
cinema, opera, ballet,
pop and country music,
fine art,
photography, computers,
robots, new technology,
sports?
(The teacher shows some suitable pictures, illustrating the above mentioned interests).
I’m interested
in popular songs too.
Do you like singing?
Do you like "My Bonnie (the text with
is over the ocean...... ", the translation)
or this cowboy song
"From this valley.....?
(Red River Valley) (the text with
Let’s sing it! the translation)
(The teacher sings the song
with the guitar, if possible,
or uses the cassette)
Let me introduce
myself to you.
Who am I?
My name is Kate Grant
(David Grant; Kevin O´Connors)
I’m happy to meet you.
Here is my card.
I am American.
I live in New York.
Do you know
my family?
No?
How strange!
My father was
a very famous actor
in Hollywood.
Look at the photo!
My mother is English.
She studied at the University of Minnesota.
She comes from
a rich English family
in Kent.
Kent is called
the garden of England.
You can see this book about Kent.
My father left the cinema.
He was a cowboy, (my father’s hat)
He worked in Alaska,
in California,
in Canada and Australia.
(photos and some souvenirs)
Now he is an old
businessman.
He has big stores,
hotels and restaurants
in the whole country
(photos and other illustrative material)
We have lived
in many cities in the USA:
in Washington,
San Francisco, San Diego,
Minnesota, Minneapolis,
Seattle (photos)
Now I’m living
in New York,
sometimes in London. (photos)
Have you been to New York,
to London?
I am a film director.
And this is my camera.
I’m looking for interesting people
for my new film.
Would you like
to take part in it?
I’m rich.
I pay very well.
I have two brothers.
Look!
This one is Peter.
What is his job?
He is a cameraman.
He works for me
and for the Sany o company.
Is he handsome?
Yes, he is.
Ladies, attention, please!
He is not married.
But he is a very special person.
Sometimes he can be young,
but sometimes he can be old.
He can be an old, very strong man,
but he can be a child, too.
Sometimes he can be ugly.
He has an adopted daughter.
Why not?
This is a long mysterious story.
Look at her!
She is a very nice girl.
What is her job?
Yes, she is a singer.
She is a pop star.
She sings very well.
Let’s sing and dance
with her.
"I have a little secret"
Read this text with me, please!
Do you have secrets?
I have many secrets.
Peter, my brother, and I
belong to a closed association.
The president is my best friend,
Miss Needham.
Look at her!
Where is she from?
She is from England.
She is English.
She is a very famous
playwrite.
She has a mysterious house
in London.
The house is our office, too.
It is full of ghosts.
They are good.
I always travel
with some of them.
Meet Ms She
and Mr He, please!
They understand all languages.
They are strange creatures.
Do you have strange creatures at home?
Did you understand them?
No?
I did.
They say: Hello!
How are you?
Don’t worry,
be happy!
(The teacher puts the sentence on the wall)
Is he elegant?
Is he bold?
Is he clever?
Is he handsome?
What’s his job?
Can you guess?
Yes, he is a sailor.
He has a very nice ship.
Is she pretty?
Does she have beautiful eyes?
Has she wonderful hair?
Ms She and Mr He
have two children.
Look at them! Listen to them!
A boy and a girl.
Take them, please!
They like you!
My second brother John
is a surgeon.
He is a very sensitive man.
But he must always be
very calm.
And who is she?
No, she isn’t my wife.
She is
John’s best nurse.
Look, this is John’s wife.
She is...... ? What?
She is a businesswoman.
She is the president
of this company board.
They are all waiting for her.
My brother John
has three children.
Two boys and a girl.
I love them very much.
Who are they?
My sisters, of course.
Jane has her birthday (the photo)
How old is she?
Count the candles!
How many are they?
Oh, don’t say anything, please!
Gil and Jane are journalists.
They work for the "New York Times".
Gentlemen, be careful.
They are not married.
They are beautiful and clever.
Meet Jane’s best friend Johnny.
He likes Jane, good friends
good food and good drinks.
Here is the photo
of my family:
my wife (my husband),
my son and my daughter.
This is my house.
I have some very good friends.
I always travel with them.
Meet and take them, please!
Mickey Mouse and Kat,
Fife - the elephant,
Butterfly,
Duck and Dog.
We often put the masks on
and sing and dance
our favourite song:
"I am , I am a happy man...... " (the chart)
Choose a mask, please,
and let’s sing and dance the song:
I am,... a happy man....
You are,.... my good old friend
......
Oh, you are excellent actors.
I really need you
for my new movie "The Return".
Would you like to take part in it?
I need the following characters
with these jobs.
(the teacher proposes charts with English names and games for choosing professions
to the students.
The teacher reads with the group the names and the jobs,
underlines the phonetics particularities and makes some short remarks about some of the
names)
Please, choose a new name
and a new job
and write them together
with your real name.
Let’s meet each other now.
My name is Kate ( David ) Grant.
I’m American.
I live in New York.
I’m a film director.
I have two children.
And what about you?
Would you like to leave
for London with me immediately?
We have to start with the movie.
I’m leaving you for 30 minutes
to prepare our trip
and to bring the scenario.
30 minutes break
(After the break)
Are you ready?
During our flight
we can study the film book.
Open it on page 5, please.
The main characters:
Miss Needham - my best friend.
Mr and Mrs Merry
are a very nice English family.
Ms Merry has a Nobel Prize in Biology.
Their sons are members of the Parliament.
Their daughters are students.
Dolly is a prima ballerina, singer, etc.
Peter - the Mirror - is my brother.
Mr Mask is an English Mask.
Sir Geoffrey is a real gentleman.
I’m reading the English text slowly and clearly.
You are following me
and looking at the translation, too.
We are listening to the music.
(Active session)
After the Mozart’s violin concert No 5 there is the first break.
5 minutes
After the Mozart’s symphonies there is the second break
5 or 10 minutes
Passive session - J. S. Bach)
Mr A. Knowledge
As you certainly understood,
the introduction
and the identity change
are one unit here.
Herr L.
I suppose that the vocabulary
and the structures
presented here,
also appear in the first chapter
of the course book.
Mr A. Knowledge
Quite true.
This first rather large input
is presented with various
visual aids in order
to encourage associative memorization.
(word and picture simultaneously)
Herr L.
What happens then
with the visual support material?
Mr A. Knowledge
On the next day,
most of it appears on the wall
or the cork board
and is the bulk of visual material
for the coming sessions.
The rich visual stimuli
is also brain compatible learning
The identity change
is integrated into
the introduction
Herr L.
Are there other ways
of introducing
the identity change?
Mr A. Knowledge
Of course,
I would like to show you
a few possibilities.
In the following one,
I choose myself
a new identity first.
In the last course,
I was Kevin O’Connor
for example,
the son of a famous actor.
All the participants
were aware that it
wasn’t my real name
and that it was an invitation
to create themselves
an imaginative new identity.
I also introduced my family,
with pictures
of my wife and children,
encouraging the particpants
to guess their names.
I told them about my hobbies
and interests too.
After my identity change,
I motion to the wall
on which about 15 names,
masculine and feminine,
are waiting to be selected.
This names are spoken
out loud, in order
to familiarize the participants
with pronunciation, then,
with a nod, I suggest
that they repeat them.
Each participant
is invited to come to the wall
and select a name,
afterwards, depending
on the level of the group,
the procedure may be repeated
for surnames, although
it is not indispensable.
Now I mime the professions,
which are also written on cards
and hanging on the wall.
These pantomimes can be
exaggerated, it is also
advisable to select
amusing, attractive professions.
I mime a backer rolling the dough out
and tasting it with his finger,
the participants cry:”Baeker”
in German and I reply:
“Yes, baker”, while indicating
the right card.
Sometimes the word
isn’t expressed in German
as the participants want
the English word first
I always first act out,
then say the word.
This way, I capt their attention
and awaken curiosity
which stimulates a need to learn.
Students of all ages
find it entertaining
to see their teacher
act and mime.
I give around 20 professions
to choose from,
partly prestigious professions
such as actor, pilot, engineer,
or even teacher!
I mainly select professions
that the participants
can relate too easily.
I always let them repeat
the professions together
after me, before choosing.
Herr L.
What is the next step?
Mr A. Knowledge
An invitation
to fantasize,
first the teacher
selects a new identity,
then each participant
chooses a new first name,
surname, profession.
When the professions
are clear, I just mime them,
and let the participants
speak the corresponding
word out loud.
Later, one after the other,
the participants mime
and guess the professions.
Here, the goal
is to integrate
the kinesthetic element,
and experience the word
through all the senses
as well as
enjoy the activity!
Depending on the participants’
level, street and town names
can also be integrated.
A map would also be used
to indicate the proposed towns.
Herr L.
I can imagine
that you often have
a lot of fun!.
Mr A. Knowledge
Yes, I have witnessed
quite a few entertaining situations.
I had, for example,
an engineer,
who chose to be a farmer
during the course,
thereby realising
his childhood dream..
When the identities
have been chosen,
the participants are given