SHARE
An Electronic Magazine by Omar Villarreal and
Marina Kirac ©
Year
6
Number 153 October
14th 2005
9010
SHARERS
are reading this issue of SHARE this week
__________________________________________________________
Thousands
of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will
not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being
SHARED
__________________________________________________________
Dear
SHARERS,
Sorry to bother you
once again with another (or rather, the same) word of warning. Be careful about
the attachments you open. SHARE
never sends attachments for you to open. In some machines, when you receive the
traditional SHARE issue or an announcement of an event that we sponsor with
“With the Auspices of SHARE” in the subject line, an icon for attachment may
show on the right hand corner of the screen but that is not meant for you to
open. Again, we never distribute attachments that you should open.
Everything we want you to read is displayed on the screen as you open our
mail.
Some SHARERS have
received mails with the words “foto gallery” (our English is not as bad as all
that) or “lovely animals” or “predators” displayed on the screen and an attached document. Some SHARERS, out of
curiosity, opened those attachments and got their
machines infected. We are very sorry to hear those horror stories but there is
nothing we can do to stop it but warn you once again that SHARE never sends
attachments. If you ever get one with what you believe to be is us as senders,
simply do not open it.
Thank you for
letting us help you to fight viruses. Let us all stay healthy and
unharmed.
Love
Omar and Marina
______________________________________________________________________
In
SHARE
153
1.-
The
Evolution of Accelerative Learning from Lozanov to the present.
2.- Web
Research: Ten Tips for the Techno-Challenged.
3.-
Responsabilidad Civil de los Profesores.
4.-
Common Sense.
5.-
Cursos de Capacitación de la
Provincia de Buenos Aires.
6.- Jornada
sobre Los Discursos Posmodernos de la Licenciatura en Lengua Inglesa De La
Universidad Tecnológica
Nacional
7.-
Urutesol Convention in Colonia.
8.-
Fullbright Scholarships.
9.-
Primer Encuentro
Metropolitano de Formadores de Docentes
10.- Online
Courses for Teachers of English.
11.- Course
on Authentic Assessment.
12.-
Seminario: ¿Qué Hacemos
con la Violencia Escolar?
13.- Teechers:
A Classroom Comedy.
14.- Omar´s next
presentations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.- THE
EVOLUTION OF ACCELERATIVE LEARNING FROM LOZANOV TO THE PRESENT
Dr. Uschi Felix
has generously offered to SHARE this article with all of us.
Accelerative
Learning
By Uschi Felix (PhD)
So
many different versions of Suggestopedia exist that it is difficult to
arrive at a description of its structure which would cover all possible
variations. A number of adaptations are known around the world today such as
Superlearning, SALT (Suggestive Accelerative Learning and Teaching),
Psychopädie, LIND (Learning in New Dimensions), Optimalearning and
Holistic Learning. Elements have been included or omitted over the years,
some according to sound research findings, some simply at a personal whim or
more often for better commercial viability. This has resulted in confusion about
the exact structure and content of a suggestopedic course.
When
interpreting research results, it is important to know precisely what form of
experimental treatment was used, since the inclusion of visualisation techniques
(SALT) or synchronised breathing (Superlearning), for example, may
have an effect not otherwise associated with Suggestopedia. Unfortunately
not all studies give a detailed description of the treatment used. Furthermore,
terms, especially Superlearning and Suggestopedia, tend to be used
as synonyms even though there exist clear distinctions between the two
approaches.
One
important element missing in the research is a precise description of the
evolution of Suggestopedia since its inception by Lozanov in the 1960s to
the present day. Bancroft (1978a,b), Gassner-Roberts (1986a,1986b) and Strudel
(1986) point out different versions of Suggestopedia and Bayuk (1983)
discusses the possible dangers involved in the confusion of one method with
another. Although both Baur (1980) and Philipov (1981) refer to early and later
versions of Suggestopedia, neither elaborates
further.
The
aim of this chapter is to present an analysis of the changes that have been
made, as well as to provide a detailed description of three versions of
Suggestopedia referred to in the literature. These are the two major
versions Superlearning and SALT, both North American adaptations,
and Psychopädie, a European version. We will endeavour to isolate
distinguishing elements between these versions and Lozanov's
Suggestopedia, highlight individual contributions in terms of innovation,
discuss these in the light of the relevant research and finally, determine
whether or not these constitute a beneficial contribution to
Suggestopedia.
Suggestopedia
has
undergone a number of changes since it was first experimentally used by Lozanov
in the early 1960s. Why some changes were made is not entirely clear. Lozanov
(1978) claims, for example, that research was carried out on the suitability of
certain types of music without giving any further details. Although he
elaborates a little in a paper given to American researchers in 1977 (in
Hinkelmann 1986), no data is available on this research in the
West.
Until
recently Lozanov himself never gave a clear description of a suggestopedic
class. His main publication in English Suggestology and Outlines of
Suggestopedy (1978), based on his Ph.D. thesis published in Bulgaria seven
years earlier, is poorly organised and somewhat vague when it comes to a
description of what actually happens in a suggestopedic classroom. This resulted
in harsh criticism by linguists such as Scovel (1979) who based their review of
suggestopedic language teaching solely on this publication. Bancroft (1976)
suggests that there may have been a deliberate attempt to make the method
inaccessible to the West and that certain items, especially those referring to
Yoga, may have been removed for political reasons prior to publication. Barzakov
(in Ostrander & Schroeder 1979) confirms the notion of secrecy surrounding
Suggestopedia in Bulgaria.
Confusion
about the method became even more acute with the publication of Superlearning
(Ostrander & Schroeder 1979). This book gave an account of Lozanov's
method that consisted partly of an early version which Lozanov stopped using in
the 1970s, and partly of elements that were allegedly observed in classes in
Bulgaria, but never officially acknowledged by Lozanov. Furthermore, the book
elaborated on Lozanov's method by advocating self-study courses using audio
cassettes for instruction. The result of this was that teachers went out to
practice what they thought was Suggestopedia, often using
Superlearning and Suggestopedia interchangeably as a label for
their method. This was particularly true for commercial courses which will be
further discussed below.
In
the 1980s numerous articles appeared, particularly in Western Europe, claiming
to describe Suggestopedia. However, no two articles can be found that
give an identical account of the structure and content of the method. If we
compare Suggestopädie alias Superlearning - Lernen wie ein Kind (Nuber
1986), and Superlearning und Suggestopädie als Superlernmethoden im
Fremdsprachenunterricht (Brenn 1986), for example, it becomes obvious that
Nuber is describing the American adaptation called LIND while Brenn is
clearly describing Superlearning.
In
order to throw some light on the confusion, which still exists today, we will
make an attempt to trace the development of Lozanov's Suggestopedia from
its first official model to the latest model first described by Lozanov and
Gateva in 1984. Since the changes were made largely within the phase referred to
as the suggestopedic session, we will concentrate on this phase here, and
give a description of the entire suggestopedic cycle with the final model
below.
First Model. The first description in English of what is involved in a
suggestopedic session can be found in the report of the research committee
working on a project in 1965 (Lozanov 1978:25):
The suggestopedic session
consists of an active and a passive part. During the active part the teacher
reads the unfamiliar words and phrases three times (with their Bulgarian
translation), using a special kind of intonation. The students listen intently
following the words and phrases on a printed program. During the passive part
the students relax in a 'passive' state of distraction without concentrating
their attention on anything in particular. The words and phrases are read again
with special intonation by the teacher.
The
special intonation referred to means that a word or short phrase was presented
three times, first in a normal speaking voice, second in a soft voice and third
in a loud voice. At what stage the translation was given is not clear from this
account, nor is it mentioned at any other stage in the book. Ostrander and
Schroeder (1979) report that it was given first, before the intoned target
language material.
When
exactly music was introduced to the programme is also not entirely clear.
Lozanov (1978:268) speaking of the "numerous experimental variants" of the
suggestopedic session, mentions that "In the beginning the passive part was
accompanied by pre-classical or classical music playing in the background." The
passive part was therefore termed the concert session. The active part
was not accompanied by music at this stage, but emphasis was given to a dramatic
performance of the materials by the teacher using gestures, mimicry, body
language, voice intonation — in short, all possible artistic means available.
During this part, students were completely alert, following either their text or
the teacher's performance or both. Before the passive part students were given
relaxation exercises.
Which
form the relaxation took is also vague in Lozanov's (1978) own account. The only
concrete reference to be found is: "With this variant (the concert session)
students used to be trained in muscle relaxation." (p.268) Presumably this
relaxation took the form of Yoga exercises and breathing which would explain why
later versions such as Superlearning put such a heavy emphasis on
rhythmical breathing. Ostrander and Schroeder (1979) report that at this stage
students were trained in relaxation techniques for four days before beginning a
suggestopedic course.
Second Model. In the early 1970s specific relaxation was no longer
regarded as necessary since, according to Lozanov (1978:268), the state of
pseudo-passivity achieved in the concert part of the session was "sufficient for
attaining concentrative psychorelaxation even without resorting to exercises in
muscle relaxation and rhythmical breathing." We do not know the reasons for this
change.
Music
gained more prominence in the mid 1970s. The concert session now included two
parts, an active concert in which materials were presented with music of
the classical period, such as Mozart's Concerto no 7 in D Major for Violin
and Orchestra, and a passive concert with pieces from the baroque
period such as Corelli's Concerto Grosso, op.6. During the active
concert, materials were still presented in the lively fashion described above;
during the passive concert materials were read more quietly. Although Lozanov
(1978) includes a music list, he gives no specific instructions as to how the
pieces are to be used. Ostrander and Schroeder (1979:83) report that, for the
passive concerts, only slow movements of the baroque period were used. They were
strung together to create an half hour concert and usually finished with a
faster movement to allow students to come out of the reverie state in a pleasant
way.
Three
level intonation was still used for presenting materials in the passive concert,
but the voice level was changed with each new word or phrase and repetition
disappeared. For example, instead of presenting Guten Tag three times, it
was now only presented once in a soft speaking voice, then the next phrase
Wie geht's was presented in a normal voice and Danke gut in a loud
voice (see Baur 1980 and Jänicke 1982). While Jänicke's account suggests that
translations were no longer given, Baur reports that translations were given
"softly and neutrally" before the special intonation of each phrase which
supports Ostrander and Schroeder's claim (Baur may, however, be referring to the
Russian model).
Third Model. By the late 1970s the three level intonation as practised
above had been dropped (Schmid 1978). The reason for this remains unclear.
Lozanov's (1978:269) explanation leads one to believe that he may have wanted to
avoid a comparison with hypnosis. Baur (1980) points out that the only criterion
for breaking up the text into segments for presentation was that a certain
number of syllables was not to be exceeded and therefore little consideration to
the natural syntax and semantics was given in the unnatural intonation of
language segments. He speculates that the change towards a more natural reading
of the materials may have been the result of trying to rectify this problem.
During the active concert the music now guides the reading in terms of rhythm
and volume. During the passive concert the material is presented in its natural
structure of intonation.
Lozanov
and Gateva (1984,1988) also specify that entire musical pieces should be used
now, which supports Ostrander and Schroeder's claim that pieces were used only
in parts before. Again no specific reasons for the change are given by Lozanov.
Gassner-Roberts (1988a) speculates that the inclusion of all movements of a
classical or baroque piece with its distinctly different tempi substitutes for
the three level intonation, by raising and lowering the students' activation
level in a more natural way.
The
full suggestopedic cycle, in its latest Lozanov version, has the following
structure:
1.
Preparation
No
specific relaxation exercises are given to prepare students for the class.
Preparation is related to the setup of the room and to giving students
information about what to expect in the course of the teaching. The behaviour of
the teacher suggests at this stage, as well as throughout the course, that
learning will be enjoyable and easier than students may have thought. Emphasis
is given to making students comfortable and confident in their abilities. The
room is well lit and airy, equipped with comfortable chairs and decorated with
posters containing elaborations of the material to be taught. This material is
not referred to at the beginning of the course, serving simply as a peripheral
stimulus. In language teaching the posters might contain conjugation tables or
pronouns, or other explanations of grammar. The posters are richly illustrated
using many colours and designs. Before teaching starts, students choose new
identities from the target culture.
2.
Presentation
During
this session the materials for the first cycle are handed out to the students.
(In the early version students did not have materials at this time — Schmid
1978, Baur 1982). For language teaching they are usually organised in dialogue
form, with some explanations of vocabulary and grammar. However, other
materials, such as prose texts, songs, poems or grammar, are also presented from
time to time. The target language text is given on the left hand side with the
translation given on the right hand side. Materials are clearly laid out with
wide margins so that texts can be followed easily by the students. If a textbook
is used then the translations are given on loose sheets attached to the right
hand pages of the book. Lozanov and Gateva's (1984,1988) Italian course, for
example, gives the Bulgarian translations on loose strips of paper corresponding
line by line with the text in the target language.
The
first part of this session is called the introduction or decoding.
Here the teacher introduces the text to the students using gestures, mimicry
and body language, describing characters and settings in the story. Students may
repeat the text aloud if they wish but they are not encouraged to read as a
group. The text is treated globally; at this stage little detailed information
about separate items is given. Students are able to understand the text
immediately by glancing at the translations which reduces anxiety about handling
rather large chunks of materials. These may consist of 300 to 700 lexical items
in one sitting in the first session of an intensive course of 3.5 hours duration
and up to 300 in the sessions that follow the completion of the first cycle. The
teacher's gestures further reinforce understanding, and help with
memorisation.
After
the entire text has been introduced, the concert session follows. The
method book which accompanies Lozanov and Gateva's (1984, 1988) Italian course
contains detailed instructions of how materials should be presented during the
active and passive concert.
The
Active Concert. The
room is well lit. The students sit calmly in their chairs. They have their texts
in front of them. The teacher who is standing reads the text in the target
language while an entire piece of classical music is playing in the background.
The music is taken from the Vienna Classical period (e.g. works by Haydn, Mozart
and Beethoven), and from the standard romantic repertoire (e.g. Tchaikovsky's
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, in D major, op. 35). This music is
rich in harmony and melody. The teacher calmly waits until the introductory part
of the musical piece is finished and then begins the reading, adapting voice
modulation and volume according to the rhythms and phrasing of the music. The
voice virtually acts as an additional instrument of the orchestra, underlining
the musical phrase. Especially important lexical items may be marked by a
distinct change in intonation. The teacher looks at the students frequently and
uses gestures to illustrate the text. The teacher's diction is clear and each
word distinctly shaped phonetically. The students follow the text, glancing at
the translations during breaks in the music, at which time the teacher does not
read. At the end of the active concert there is a short break when students may
get up and stretch, but not talk.
The
Passive Concert. The
room remains well lit. The students are again calmly seated in their chairs. The
teacher, too, is now seated. The students have no texts to refer to. The music
is taken from the pre-classical (baroque) period, such as works by Bach, Handel
and Vivaldi (e.g. Vivaldi's Concerti for Flute and Orchestra). The
character of the music is such that it creates an atmosphere of contemplation
and introspection and a removal from everyday problems and conflicts. Only the
materials which have been decoded and presented in the active concert are read
here; no new materials may be introduced. The teacher waits until the music has
begun to captivate the audience before the reading begins. The speed now is that
of everyday speech with clear diction. There are no unnatural pauses during the
reading. When reading a dialogue the voice is slightly changed to indicate a
change in character. The students may choose whether they want to direct their
attention towards the music or the reading. When the text is finished, the
teacher waits for the musical piece to end, then quietly gets up and immediately
leaves the room. The quiet atmosphere at the end of this session prevails. The
passive concert always ends the lesson for the day.
3.
Review and Elaboration
The
first revision of the materials takes place on the next day. However, students
are encouraged to read the text again before going to bed and on waking. It is
emphasised that they should not learn the text but simply glance through it.
Lozanov stresses that the material must be read on the next day or at least
within 48 hours after the passive concert. He also stresses that materials must
not be practised between the two concerts or immediately after the passive
concert. Practice takes place during the review and elaboration sessions in the
form of creative communicative exercises. These may include sketches, songs and
games. Emphasis is put on meaningful communication. First, however, materials
are simply re-read without elaborations. The text is then gradually expanded in
terms of vocabulary and/or grammar. The review and elaboration session is
usually about twice as long as the previous sessions, and may be extended until
the material is believed to have been assimilated. (This may take an entire week
if 700 lexical items have been presented). When this stage is reached, the cycle
starts anew.
According
to Lozanov (1978) a first suggestopedic language course is taught over 24 days
with four 45 minute sessions daily. It can also be taught in 10 days with the
equivalent hours of daily teaching. Approximately 2000 lexical items are
presented during such a course. Lozanov does not specifically recommend any
distribution for teaching and claims that the suggestopedic cycle can be
tailored to normal school or university time tables if block teaching is not
possible, without any loss in effectiveness. (Lozanov:321)
For
school children Lozanov recommends a slightly different procedure during the
concert session. While the active concert is almost as above with concessions
made to the children's reading ability in terms of speed and understanding, the
passive, or in this case pseudo-passive, concert is quite different from that
for adults. The same music as for the active concert is used for the reading
while the children draw on a subject of their choice. The drawings are displayed
and used in the elaboration sessions. Again, Lozanov gives no specific reasons
for these recommendations. The music selections for children are different from
the ones for adults, however, although works are largely taken from the same
composers (e.g. Handel's Watermusic, Vivaldi's Four
Seasons).
While
the above represents Lozanov's latest version of Suggestopedia, several
adaptations retaining the same name exist throughout Western and Eastern Europe,
most notably the Russian model (see Baur 1980) and the version practised in the
German Democratic Republic (GDR). The GDR model is particularly interesting
since changes that were made to Lozanov's model were the result of published
research findings. Research was carried out at the Institute for Mnemology at
the Karl Marx University in Leipzig. The music research, to some of which we
have access, led to a different selection of musical pieces for the concert
session. The choice of music was arrived at by measuring psycho-physiological
responses to certain types of music with the use of polarity profiles completed
by the students (Lehmann 1982). The music recommended as a result of this
research consists mainly of slow movements of orchestral works by Mozart and
Haydn which are strung together to form one piece. Baroque pieces are no longer
part of the repertoire. The concert session may start with an introductory
adagio by Boildieu, for example, and it always ends with an allegro,
e.g. by Haydn. The same collection of music (Lehmann & Gassner-Roberts
1988) may be used in every concert session.
According
to Gassner-Roberts (1988a:3) in the GDR model the active and passive concerts
have been combined into one musical séance. Three level intonation
(normal, whisper, loud) is still used. Students have their text in front of
them, accompanied by a full translation at the beginning and a partial
translation later in the course. The teacher waits until the end of the first
adagio in order to give students time to 'tune in' to the music before
beginning to read a page or a specific section of the text with the next
adagio. The students follow their text with their eyes. At the end of
that section the teacher says "Eyes closed" and re-reads the same text while the
music continues. At the end of this the teacher says "Eyes open" and reads the
next section which is then repeated with the students' eyes closed as before.
This cycle continues until all the material has been presented. The teacher then
says " You have learned … lexical items in the séances so far". After waiting
for the end of the last adagio, the teacher turns on the allegro
and the students open their eyes. They leave the room at the end of the
music.
Gassner-Roberts
(1988a) further reports that while she has experimented with several versions of
the concert session over a number of years in the teaching of German to
university students, the GDR version was most readily accepted by the students.
Although everyone had liked the passive concerts before, the active concerts
were sometimes rejected by the students as being artificial and strange.
Furthermore, some students, particularly those interested in music, found
themselves analysing the different musical pieces presented during the concert
session. In the GDR version the students hear the same music throughout the
course which means that they become familiar with it and therefore no longer
focus special attention on it.
To
describe Superlearning accurately as a method is not easy. There are
problems in organising the material since Superlearning is often used
simply as a synonym for either Suggestopedia or SALT or for a
combination of both. Hinkelmann (1986) deplores the fact that the only attempt
made at a distinction between the two is the labelling of Superlearning
as the commercial product of the more scientifically valid and serious
Suggestopedia. While this distinction may hold true when comparing
Superlearning courses which boldly advertise their product with the help
of unsubstantiated claims (such as those pointed out by Gassner-Roberts 1987 and
Schiffler 1987), this is not always the case with well researched
Suggestopedia courses. Undoubtedly there are good and bad examples of all
versions of Accelerative Learning. The concern in this chapter is not to
compare the different versions in terms of their efficacy, but to identify
distinguishing features between each version in order to clarify what has so far
been a confused situation for users and researchers alike.
The
term Superlearning was introduced by two American researchers (Ostrander
& Schroeder 1979). They define it thus:
Superlearning
… refers to an eclectic system for accelerated learning of factual data
resulting from westernized, modernized techniques for developing supermemory.
Superlearning is also used generally to refer to all the learning systems
that work holistically to develop reserves of mind and body.
(p.24)
We've
used the same background sources Lozanov drew from (such as Raja Yoga) and also
others he does not mention. We've drawn from Lozanov's own highly creative work.
Finally, we've tried to draw from the experience of those who've gotten
rapid-learning results in North America. (p.69)
This
definition suggests that Superlearning was designed using some elements
of Suggestopedia and some elements of the American version which
became SALT. Superlearning differs from Lozanov's Suggestopedia in
several ways.
Relaxation.
Although
Ostrander and Schroeder were aware of the fact that Lozanov had dropped specific
relaxation from his programme, they were in agreement with the Western rationale
for retaining relaxation and for using special visualisation techniques, and
therefore included both in Superlearning. Since these elements were
introduced by the American researchers responsible for SALT, they will be
discussed in the relevant section below.
Synchronisation.
Following
Bancroft's (1976) observations, Ostrander and Schroeder (1979) interpreted
Lozanov's method as including synchronisation of the students' breathing and the
presentation of materials. There is no evidence of this in any of Lozanov's
publications, yet Bancroft (1976) felt that this was the vital element withheld
from explanations about the method when visiting Bulgaria.
It
is possible that Bancroft observed classes during the period when Lozanov was
experimenting with presenting materials at different intervals. Jänicke (1982)
and Baur (1980) report such experiments, although no exact data is given.
Apparently Lozanov experimented with presenting words via tape recordings
in one second, five second and ten second intervals and found significant
differences in retention rate. Reports of the magnitude of these differences
vary, however. Ostrander and Schroeder (1979) report that in the one second
condition students learnt about 20% of the words, in the five second condition
30%, and in the ten second condition 40%, while Baur (1980) writes that the ten
second condition increased retention rate by 10% when compared to the other two.
Jänicke (1982) reports that twice as many words were retained in the five second
condition and three times as many in the ten second condition when compared to
the control groups. Ostrander and Schroeder and Baur do not mention control
groups; it is therefore possible that either different experiments were quoted
or that the one second condition functioned as the control. Only Baur gives an
exact source for the study, Lozanov's Suggestologija, 1971:244, which is
not officially available in English. This is just a small example of the
inconsistency of reports about research on Suggestopedia. More will be
discussed in chapter 4.
On
the basis of Bancroft's observations in Bulgaria, Ostrander and Schroeder
(1979:115) placed a great deal of importance on correct rhythmical presentation
of materials in Superlearning. They suggest the following cycle for the
presentation of materials and the students' breathing: "All the materials spoken
are precisely timed on an 8-second cycle so breathing will naturally fall into a
rhythmic pattern of: hold 4; out 2; in 2." This means that the material to be
learnt is presented in small chunks during the four seconds in which the
students hold their breath.
Students
are extensively coached in the correct breathing procedure and encouraged to
practise several cadences of this breathing before a concert session. Ostrander
and Schroeder point out that some students, especially children, have
difficulties learning or sustaining the rhythmical breathing; they suggest
therefore that taped material could contain a metronome 'tick' to aid with
timing. It is not clear why materials are presented in an eight second cycle.
Ostrander and Schroeder claim that this was the precise cycle observed by
Bancroft in Bulgaria. However, if Lozanov had found the best results with
presenting words every ten seconds, why would he have used a rhythm in which
words are presented every four seconds? Bancroft (1978a) speculates that he may
have switched to this presentation because of the rhythms of the baroque music
but does not give any further explanation.
Research
on synchronisation is minimal and does not consistently show that it is
beneficial to the students' learning. Bordon and Schuster (1976) found a
significantly positive effect on retention of vocabulary, while Renigers (1981)
speculates in his conclusions that the students' efforts to concentrate on
synchronisation may have hampered their relaxation and consequently their
performance. For similar reasons almost all practitioners have now dropped
synchronisation from their programmes. Renigers' (1981) speculations are
supported by Fassihiyan (1981) who reports unfavourable results in Iranian
experiments based on Yoga exercises and rhythmic breathing when comparing these
to experiments based on music in Canada (Racle 1975). Ostrander and Schroeder
(1979) give Shaffer (1979) as one of their sources for the efficacy of breathing
techniques in Superlearning. Shaffer claims that the Yoga breathing
techniques are the most responsible for rapid learning. He asserts that Lozanov
himself was "totally unaware of the key mechanisms responsible for accelerated
learning in his method" (p.180) and offers the following scientific explanation
of the 'Lozanov Effect':
It
is asserted that the Lozanov effect achieves memory and learning enhancement by
lowering the carbon dioxide concentration of the blood through voluntary
hyperventilation, thereby raising the pH level of the body fluids and thus
increasing the excitability of the nerve cells. In this way, it is maintained,
learning and memory consolidation occur faster than by ordinary means.
(p.180)
No
empirical evidence of how this effect is achieved in Suggestopedia or
Superlearning is given. The assertion that breathing is the single
most important element in improved learning is strongly refuted by the fact that
the majority of studies which report such improvement (see chapter 4) do not use
synchronised breathing. Schiffler (1986b) indicates his intentions to
investigate the effectiveness of synchronisation following his findings of a
positive effect of music as a variable in the intensive language learning
environment.
Self-instruction.
Superlearning is
presented as a self-study procedure where materials can be prepared on audio
tapes. This is the greatest element of distinction between Lozanov's
Suggestopedia and Superlearning. Three very important aspects of
Suggestopedia are ignored: the vital role of the teacher, the extensive
review and elaboration periods and group dynamics. In Superlearning
students are being told that all they need is a tape-recording and a set of
instructions in order to accelerate their learning by astounding rates. (Claims
made are discussed in chapter 4). The focal part of the method is the
supermemory session, which corresponds to the first model of the
suggestopedic session described above. The decoding and activation
of the materials are left to the students themselves. The passive state of
the student is promoted while the active state is largely ignored. Emphasis is
given to lowering body rhythms through relaxation and breathing, yet little
consideration is given to the fact that, especially in language learning,
students need to engage in meaningful communication in order to assimilate the
materials given in the concert sessions in terms of functional
use.
The
structure of a Superlearning programme, as described by Ostrander and
Schroeder (1979) is as follows:
1.
Preparation
In
order to prepare for the supermemory session, students are encouraged to
practise relaxation, either in the form of Jacobson's (1938) progressive
relaxation exercises or through visualisation. Many examples are given. They are
further instructed to practise the correct breathing procedure and to give
themselves affirmations such as Learning and remembering are easy for
me.
2.
Presentation
Before
beginning the supermemory session students are instructed to 'review' the
materials they wish to learn as vividly as possible. It is suggested that they
try to do this in the form of a game, a play or a dialogue. It is difficult to
work out how this is done when the materials are completely unknown to the
students but no further suggestions are given.
Then
follows the supermemory session. In the first part, students are
instructed to read silently through the materials while the materials are
recited either by a person present or on tape. (Extensive instructions for the
preparation of tapes are given). In the second part, students are asked to close
their eyes and listen to the materials again, this time with the slow baroque
movements playing in the background. In contrast to Lozanov's instructions
above, students are told to pay attention to what is being said, to breathe in
synchronisation with the presentation of the materials, and to visualise the
materials. The combination of attention on three complex processes is far
removed from Lozanov's original intentions of 'concert pseudo-passivity'. How
effective imagery would be in this context, when students are already
concentrating on their breathing, is also questionable. Schuster and Wardel
(1978) found that imagery as a variable of instruction for vocabulary learning
was very effective on its own, but less effective when coupled with other
variables.
3.
Review and Elaboration
This
is the part that is conspicuously missing from Superlearning. Students
are simply instructed to give themselves a quiz after the supermemory session
and to 'use' the materials they have studied within the next few
days.
From
the point of view of language learning Superlearning in this form has
more in common with audio-lingual courses than with Suggestopedia. The
addition of music, relaxation and imagery may produce a more efficient and
enjoyable audio-lingual course, although no comparative studies are known to
this author. The addition of synchronised breathing, however, may hamper
students' learning. Superlearning in this form cannot be compared to
Suggestopedia which can in essence be described as creative communicative
teaching with the addition of music and suggestion.
Linguists,
notably Baur (1984:292) have criticised Superlearning for the
following:
[1. Language learning is characterised by
the learning of vocabulary and/or idiomatic phrases; the productive-creative and
practical aspects of language and speaking are not
considered.
2.
Language competence is tested through translation (mostly from foreign to mother
tongue) of single words; which language skills the learners have actually
mastered, remains completely unclear.
3.
It is suggested to the learners that all they have to do is relax and that they
will be able to acquire the productive use of the foreign language by simply
remaining passive. It is completely ignored that language learning is coupled
with communication and has to be an active process; otherwise only receptive
skills are trained (provided that the language materials are
suitable).]
While
Baur's criticism is perfectly valid when referring to Superlearning as
described above, it does not hold true when referring to Suggestopedia,
although some linguists (Scovel 1979, Brown 1987) appear not to distinguish
between the two. Scovel (1979), reviewing Lozanov's Suggestology and Outlines
of Suggestopedy, believes that "suggestopedy ...is an attempt to teach
memorisation techniques and is not devoted to the far more comprehensive
enterprise of language acquisition". (p.260) Given the nature of Lozanov's
presentation of Suggestopedia in this book, it is not surprising that
Scovel came to this conclusion. Lozanov does speak predominantly of hypermnesia,
and he does not describe in detail the entire suggestopedic cycle which includes
the extensive review and elaboration session described above. Lozanov is not a
linguist, and in this publication he was concerned with the effect of suggestion
as related to hypermnesia. To make a valid criticism of Suggestopedia
used for language teaching, it is more appropriate to look at courses
designed by linguists. The Lozanov cycle described above was designed in
collaboration with Novakov and Gateva, both notable linguists, and it includes
elements that specifically address the complexity of language learning, long
before the advent of Communicative Teaching and the Natural Approach
which are generally well received by linguists and with which
Suggestopedia has much in common.
Following
the publication of Superlearning, two things happened. Teachers began
using Superlearning in the classroom, and commercial courses, largely
following the structure above, were offered. For the former, the model had to be
expanded and tended to include Lozanov's review and elaboration sessions. In
this form, the method became a combination of Suggestopedia, Superlearning
and SALT. A typical example of this is Dröbner (1986). From now on
labels were used almost at random, and if the treatment in experimental studies
was not described in detail, it was impossible to know which elements had been
included. It followed from this that Suggestopedia was sometimes judged
by courses which had little in common with Lozanov's
model.
The
appearance of high profile commercial Superlearning courses contributed
to the confusion. Furthermore, many courses of this nature use sensationalist
research reports for advertising — such as the claim that language learning can
be increased 50 times and more (a claim that Lozanov himself never made but that
is attributed to him as a consequence of the confusion) — even though sound
scientific data on Accelerative Learning which disputes such claims has
become available. This practice did not enhance the credibility of
Suggestopedia in the eyes of applied linguists. These courses are
generally self-study courses produced on cassettes accompanied by a textbook.
They enjoy varying degrees of success depending on how well they are designed
and produced. While some courses are very poor in terms of content and
structure, there are also some good ones.
An
example of the latter is a course produced by a psychologist and a linguist in
West Germany (Kelly & Hinkelmann 1986). An attempt has been made to include
the entire suggestopedic cycle, synchronisation has been dropped and students'
arousal level is monitored by alternating active and passive states guided by
the appropriate musical backing. Materials are organised in dialogue form, with
vocabulary lists and exercises following every chapter. A brief grammatical
overview and a small dictionary for travelling purposes are also provided in the
textbook. Students are informed about the nature of Superlearning in the
introduction. It is suggested that students will learn in a relaxed atmosphere
in which learning blocks are impossible. Research in which Superlearning
students learnt three times as much as students in traditional courses
(Dröbner 1986) is referred to. The term Superlearning is used as a
synonym for both Suggestopedia and SALT. The course follows
this structure:
1.
Preparation
An
audio cassette with relaxation exercises is provided. These range from
systematic muscle relaxation to visualisation exercises such as mind-calming
described below in the SALT section. They are accompanied by music such
as the second movement from Beethoven's Emperor Concerto and Pachelbel's
Canon finishing with a short piece of the faster third movement from the
Emperor Concerto accompanied by wake-up
suggestions.
2.
Presentation
Materials
are presented in two concert sessions. For the first concert the students are
instructed to remain relaxed but to follow the text in their book. No
translations are given during the reading and the target language is read rather
slowly. This session is accompanied by the slow movement of Beethoven's
Pastoral Symphony. Before the next session begins the visualisation
exercise given on the preparation tape is repeated.
For
the second concert students are instructed to remain completely passive and to
enjoy the simultaneous presentation of music and language as if they were at a
concert or at the opera. This session is accompanied by Bach's Air and
the reading this time includes the translation of the materials which are now
presented in short phrases and at normal speed. This session finishes with the
same piece of music and wake-up suggestions that were given at the end of the
preparation tape. In an accompanying brochure the suggestion is given that
during these learning concerts a passive knowledge of the materials is acquired
(Hinkelmann 1988:6).
3.
Review and Elaboration
The
students are now encouraged to practise these materials in a communicative
fashion, presumably with a partner. A variety of language games are provided for
this purpose.
The
designers of this course have attempted to include a more substantial activation
period of the materials than was suggested by Ostrander and Schroeder (1979).
How effective these practice sessions are, however, when students are left to
their own devices, cannot be ascertained. Although this course may well be more
effective and more interesting than a traditional audio-lingual course, it is
far removed from Lozanov's Suggestopedia. The main difference between the
two is still the physical presence of the teacher in Suggestopedia. It is
the teacher who provides the suggestive atmosphere, creates positive group
dynamics, guides the direction of the elaboration exercises and provides
constant positive feedback. And even if students were able to conduct their own
review and elaboration periods adequately, the cassette course still lacks the
coherence of the Lozanov cycle and the positive reinforcement that is gained by
the students witnessing each other's progress.
The
main difference between Suggestopedia and Superlearning when used
in the classroom is the latter's use of relaxation and visualisation exercises
and the inclusion of synchronisation of students' breathing with the
presentation of materials. It does not appear from the research that
synchronisation is a beneficial addition to Suggestopedia, which is
reflected in the fact that most practitioners of Superlearning and
SALT have excluded this element from their teaching. The supposed
benefits of visualisation will be discussed in the SALT section below.
Since all Western versions of Suggestopedia include some form of
relaxation, the effect of relaxation will be explored in chapter 3.
This
version of Suggestopedia was developed by a group of American teachers
and college professors (Schuster, Benitez-Bordon & Gritton 1976, Schuster
& Gritton 1985). Their first version in the mid 1970s followed essentially
Lozanov's second model but retained Yoga breathing and exercises and, following
Bancroft's (1976) suggestions, included synchronised breathing during the
concert sessions. The Americans believed that specific relaxation was beneficial
to students in the Western world, especially in the school environment where
students can be hyperactive, badly disciplined and lacking in concentration.
While Lozanov (1978) claimed that in Suggestopedia relaxation is
naturally produced in the concert sessions and therefore does not need special
attention, the Americans reintroduced relaxation, both physical and mental. They
believed that the cultural differences between Bulgaria and America (pointed out
at length by Barzakov 1982 and Bayuk 1983) were such that Lozanov's model needed
to be adapted for American conditions. This adaptation was mainly reflected in
the introduction of relaxation and visualisation
techniques.
In
their second version, therefore, the Americans favoured a technique called
mind-calming over Yoga breathing and exercises, although some
practitioners (Held 1978) used both. Synchronisation was eventually dropped by
most practitioners but not by all. The reasons for dropping synchronisation were
largely the same as those mentioned above. Prichard and Taylor (1976), for
example, report that some learning disabled children had difficulties relaxing
while concentrating on the synchronised breathing.
Mind-calming
consists essentially of visualisation exercises related or unrelated to the
subject taught. Its purpose is to focus the students' concentration and
attention on the task, to create a positive learning environment and to clear
students' minds of all irrelevant information to do with their personal lives
(Schuster 1976a). Stricherz (1979) who compared the effectiveness of several
physical and mental relaxation techniques, reports that the technique similar to
mind-calming as described here "affected blood pressure the least, but
provided the greatest self-reported sense of relaxation and well-being". (p.189)
This suggests that although physical relaxation may be more effective on a
physiological basis, mind-calming may produce greater psychological
effects.
How
visualisation can be used to affect the psychological state of the students is
extensively outlined in Schuster and Gritton (1985). Nervous or hyperactive
students might be calmed through a "walk in the forest", tired students given
new energy through "soaking up the sun on the beach" and negative students made
more cheerful and positive through recalling a positive learning experience from
their past.
Schuster
(1976a) describes this last technique of restimulation as a Gestalt
procedure which involves not only visualisation but also the students' emotions.
He claims that this element alone may be effective in increased learning in
SALT but gives no further details. He may be referring to early
experiments such as Gritton and Benitez-Bordon (1976) who taught mathematics,
science and spelling to school children in large classes using restimulation
and other forms of mind-calming only. Since there was no control
group, Gritton and Benitez-Bordon (1976) report the results on a naturalistic
basis: students worked better, were more interested in the subject, were more
confident and had fewer discipline problems. Gritton as the teacher felt more
relaxed which renewed his interest in teaching. Achievement was not tested
experimentally but he reports that "the children went from saying that they
could not spell five words a day to fifty" (p.333).
Mind-calming
can
also be used for subject specific activities. Herr (1981) suggests an
interesting visualisation technique related to language learning. Here the
students are encouraged to imagine themselves in the environment of the language
they are studying, hearing the sounds, seeing the language written on signs,
literally experiencing the language. With some imagination this could be
transferred to other subjects. Similar techniques have been successfully
demonstrated by Swart (1987) in the teaching of a Shakespeare
text.
Visualisation
during mind-calming can also be used for goal oriented purposes, such as
students seeing themselves as having successfully completed the course, or at
various successful stages along the course. It can further be used to reduce
anxiety before tests by students calmly completing the test in their
imagination. These techniques are extensively used in Sports psychology.
Setterlind, Uneståhl and Kaill (1986) developed a systematic relaxation training
for youth, based on visualisation of this kind which was introduced to all
Swedish schools and is now in the process of evaluation. Some results are
reported in chapter 3.
Experimental
research on the effects of mind-calming in education is not extensive but
suggests a positive effect on learning and behaviour. Stricherz and Stein (1980)
investigated the effect of four different relaxation techniques on students'
ability to recognise words which had been presented audio-visually after
induction to the different conditions. 112 adult students were the subjects in
this well controlled experiment. The results showed a significant difference in
the number of words recognised favouring the cognitive mind expansion procedure
(similar to mind-calming) over the control group. No significant
differences were found between any of the other
conditions.
Galyean
(1980) investigated the effect of guided imagery activity on various behaviours
of low achieving students at a minority school in Los Angeles. Three independent
observers recorded various positive and negative behaviours of students in two
Spanish classes taught by the same teacher. Treatment in the experimental class
consisted of visualisation sessions lasting five to seven minutes at the
beginning of each class. Students were encouraged to a) focus on their inner
strength, b) view themselves as potentially successful learners, and c) view the
teacher and the others as helpers in their quest for success. Results after
three months and 12 observations showed significantly fewer occurrences of
negative and disruptive behaviour in the experimental class. It must be pointed
out, however, that subjects were not assigned at random, and that the behavioral
compatibility of the two classes was not checked before the introduction of the
treatment. While Galyean herself realises these limitations, she was satisfied
with the classes' compatibility on the basis of teacher reports prior to the
experiment.
The
positive effect of visualisation in the learning environment has further been
shown by Kosslyn (1980,1983) and its powerful use in verbal learning by Paivio
(1971). Although in SALT visualisation is rarely used for mnemonic
purposes as in Paivio and Desrochers (1979), the range of uses is enormous and
only limited by the expertise, enthusiasm and imagination of the teacher and the
students.
The
SALT version described by Schuster and Gritton (1985) is structured as
follows:
1.
Preparation
This
session starts with simple physical relaxation and stretching exercises followed
by mind-calming exercises. The visualisation during the latter often
takes the form of recalling a pleasant learning experience in the past. The
session may include positive learning suggestions related to the ease of
learning or to goal setting.
2.
Presentation
This
session is almost the same as that in Lozanov's third model. It begins with a
review of previously learnt material, followed by a preview of the material to
be studied. The two concert sessions, using Lozanov's early music suggestions,
namely classical pieces for the active concert and slow baroque movements for
the passive concert, conclude this session.
3.
Review and Elaboration
This
session follows to a large extent the format suggested by Lozanov's cycle above,
but it may include self-corrected quizzes and a mind-calming session at
the end of the class.
While
this is the predominant version of SALT there are slightly altered
versions within SALT. Some practitioners insert a mind-calming session
immediately before the concert sessions and others practise the material between
concert sessions.
SALT
appears to be a sensible adaptation of Suggestopedia in the Western
world. The chief difference between the two approaches is the retention of
physical relaxation in the former and the inclusion of mind-calming for
mental relaxation during the preparation session. Although research on the
effects of mind-calming is limited, there is some indication of its
benefits in terms of positively affecting the psychological state of the
students as well as improving students' performance in recognition tasks.
Mind-calming may therefore well be a valuable contribution to
Suggestopedia which is reflected in the fact that it has been adopted by
many practitioners of other versions of Accelerative Learning around the
world.
This
version of Suggestopedia was developed in West Germany by Baur (1984) who
looked at the method as an applied linguist. While previous versions had been
used for teaching various subjects, Psychopädie was specifically designed
for language teaching.
Baur
rejects the long periods of purely receptive states in which students taught
with Superlearning, SALT and Suggestopedia find themselves. He
believes, in sharp contrast to Krashen (1982), that language learning has to be
an active process right from the start. With suggestopedic teaching students may
remain passive for the entire first day of an intensive language course, which
would correspond to Krashen's (1982) 'silent period'. Baur has his students
reproducing materials after the first twenty minutes of the course. He argues
that if active periods are included in the presentation sessions, students will
find the transition to the activation periods more natural. He further points
out that during the long passive periods, rational-analytical learning
strategies may be activated which could hinder communication considerably (Baur
1984:295).
While
these observations may be justified from a linguistic point of view, the
following criticism of Suggestopedia by Baur (1984:294) seems
surprising:
[The language input is exclusively
conducted via listening, reading and musical-emotional backing. Because language
perception in communication is very strongly related to non-verbal elements such
as eye contact, mimicry, gestures, proximity, as well as other factors of
situational perception and proprioceptive processes, Suggestopedia (as well as
other methods of language teaching) does not take into account important factors
of acquisition.]
Baur
speaks of the students' Wahrnehmung [perception] rather than of the
production of language items. Even though the students in Suggestopedia remain
physically passive during the presentation stages, they do not exclusively
perceive and receive the language via reading and listening. Lozanov
(1978) makes it abundantly clear that communication takes place on more than one
level, namely verbal and non-verbal and that the teacher needs to use every
possible device, such as mimicry and gestures, in order to make materials more
accessible to the students. Baur's criticism, therefore, is more appropriate
regarding the Superlearning courses produced on cassettes where such
elements cannot be included.
Baur
is, however, justified in claiming that the students are not physically involved
in what he terms Gestik during the long receptive periods in intensive
suggestopedic courses. He not only believes that the students need to practise
the materials earlier than Lozanov suggests, but that they also need to
reproduce the non-verbal elements included in the presentation of the materials.
He emphasises (Baur & Grzybek 1984:70) that the term Gestik has to be
broad since gestures are inevitably linked with other non-verbal and/or
paraverbal communication. In order to investigate the efficacy of Gestik
in the suggestopedic presentation phases, Baur and Grzybek (1984) carried
out a study in which 60 lexical items of Russian were presented to 203 volunteer
adult students who knew no Russian. The presentation phases were largely based
on Lozanov's first model:
Presentation
of materials took place in three different conditions as
follows:
Phases
three and four of the presentation cycle remained as above and were identical
for all groups. Subjects were given a 20 item multiple choice test immediately
after the sessions and one week later. Students did not know that they were
going to be re-tested. Baur and Grzybek were particularly interested in the
results after one week since items had to be recalled from long-term memory. The
results showed the following:
These
trends were highly significant for all within-group tests. Between groups the
difference between the first and second condition, as well as between the second
and third condition was significant. The difference between the first and third
condition was highly significant.
In
order to integrate these findings and to provide a more balanced model in terms
of the alternation of active and passive states in Suggestopedia, Baur
(1984) developed the following structure for his Psychopädie cycle
(information is included to give some idea about the distribution of time for
the individual phases in an intensive language course):
1.
Preparation
Before
the course begins students are informed about the nature of the course and
introduced to the relaxation techniques used. Baur does not specify the time
involved.
2.
Presentation
(a)
Introduction Phase.
The first 20 minutes of the course are spent decoding the new materials in a
lively manner integrating non-verbal elements to bring the text alive. This part
is identical to the beginning of Lozanov's presentation session, although the
short duration suggests that fewer lexical items are introduced here. Baur
(1984:309) stresses that the role of the teacher's use of Kinesik, Gestik
and Mimik is not to convey the meaning of the text, since its
translation is given, but to activate the interest of the learner and to
superimpose on the text characteristics which are perceived via a
multitude of channels and are stored as secondary associations which aids in the
retention of the materials.
(b)
Reproduction Phase.
The next 90 minutes are spent with active reproduction of the text by the
students through interactive exercises. This phase does not exist in this
position in any other model of Accelerative Learning; the exercises
described here, such as role play and introductions, are part of the review and
elaboration sessions in all the above models. In a sense Baur distributes the
activities for review and elaboration over two sessions. In this session the
learners are to be made familiar with the text so that items used in the
activation session are easily recognised. They are given the opportunity to
develop their playful-creative fantasy, to lose their fear of speaking, to
realise that it can be fun to operate in the target language, and with the
integration of physical activities overcome their passive involvement in the
learning process.
(c)
Analytical Phase. This
40 minute session is largely based on the second model of Lozanov's active
concert session. Baur (1984:313) points out that here the cognitive-analytical
abilities of the learners are activated through the reading of the text, the
recognition of word and syllable divisions, the comparison of mother tongue and
target language structures, and the comparison of phonetics and
spelling.
(d)
Associative Phase. This
session of 30 minutes is largely based on the first model of Lozanov's passive
concert session. Before this session the students have a relaxation period with
physical exercises and visualisation exercises. The placement of a relaxation
session here, although different from the models discussed above (except
Lozanov's first model), is supported by some other practitioners of
Accelerative Learning. Stockwell (1985), for instance, feels that
students, especially in intensive courses, do not need relaxation at the
beginning of the course but at this stage. Baur (1984:315) points out that here
the logical-analytical processes of the left hemisphere, which were predominant
in the phase before, give way to right hemisphere dominated processes. Now the
materials are again perceived globally with the superimposition of the musical
structures.
3.
Activation
Baur
stresses that before this session at least one night of rest should be given to
consolidate the materials. The next four to six hours are spent with the
activation of materials in playful communicative situations. Emphasis is put on
the development of spontaneous speaking, although writing skills and grammar are
also included. Baur (1984:319) believes that because materials were already
presented in a playful fashion during the reproduction phase, the transfer from
input to activation and functional use is more natural than in
Suggestopedia.
Psychopädie
appears
to be a well designed adaptation of Suggestopedia for intensive language
teaching. Baur, too, points out that his model can be adapted for different
learning environments, provided that the relationship of time and phases is held
constant. The main difference between this model and Lozanov's model is the
inclusion of a reproduction phase before the concert sessions. In the Lozanov
model as in Superlearning and SALT the students remain in a
receptive state right up to the review and elaboration sessions. Baur's model by
contrast provides a more even alternation between receptive and active states
which may well be more attractive to the students. However, the receptive phases
in Suggestopedia are generally not seen as unpleasant, especially by
adult students. Baur's model may also be attractive from the teachers' point of
view. Intensive courses, in particular, tend to be very demanding on teachers in
these prolonged "performance" sessions.
In
terms of structure all Baur does is reshuffle Lozanov's model by taking some
time devoted in Suggestopedia to elaboration and practice and using it
for similar purposes in the presentation stages. Although Baur and Grzybek
(1984) have given some empirical evidence for the efficacy of students
reproducing non-verbal elements in the presentation phase, this study on its own
does not give sufficient support to the rationale of including a reproductive
phase in the presentation sessions. Lozanov's and more recent researchers' use
of non-verbal elements in the review and elaboration sessions, and indeed
throughout the suggestopedic cycle, may well prove equally as efficient. In
order to prove the superiority of a reproductive phase it would be more
appropriate to compare the results after teaching with the entire cycles of both
models.
Suggestopedia
has
undergone a variety of changes over the two decades of its existence. Some
changes, mainly those to the concert session, were made by Lozanov himself,
others were made by exponents adapting the method for their own environment. The
latest version of the suggestopedic cycle includes a preparation session,
decoding of the materials to be learnt, an active and a passive concert session
in which materials are read with the backing of entire classical or baroque
pieces respectively, and extensive review and elaboration
sessions.
In
Eastern Europe the method differs the least fom this model and it is still
referred to as Suggestopedia. Researchers in the German Democratic
Republic, however, have reduced the two concert sessions to one and made changes
to Lozanov's music selection. Music from the baroque period which is still
predominant in Lozanov's selection is no longer used in the GDR as a result of
research which showed more favourable student responses for the Vienna classical
period.
The
two major versions of Suggestopedia in the West are Superlearning
and SALT, both originating in North America. Another version
developed by a linguist in West Germany is called Psychopädie. The
originators of these versions have also made changes to Lozanov's
Suggestopedia. The chief contribution of Superlearning is the
inclusion of synchronisation of breathing and presentation of words during
the passive concert session. The limited research does not consistently show
this element to have a positive effect on the retention of materials. However,
the literature suggests consistently that this element may be cumbersome for the
students to handle which is reflected in the fact that synchronisation has been
dropped by most practitioners. Superlearning also advocated self-study
courses produced on audio-tapes, a system which was adopted by commercial
enterprises around the world. Although good examples of such courses exist,
vital elements such as the teacher's presence, group dynamics and the
communicative interaction between students cannot be included in such
courses.
The
most important contribution of SALT is the inclusion of mind-calming
during the presentation phase. Although research, here too, is not extensive,
the literature shows a positive trend towards improved learning and improved
behaviour as well as other positive psychological effects being associated with
mind-calming. This may therefore well be a positive addition to Suggestopedia
which is reflected in the fact that most Western practitioners have adopted
mind-calming in their programme.
The
contribution of Psychopädie to Suggestopedia is the insertion of a
reproductive phase before the concert sessions. The rationale for this was to
break up the long passive states in which suggestopedic students in intensive
courses find themselves. Although there is no empirical evidence as yet which
supports the efficacy of such a phase, it may well be attractive to students and
teachers alike to have a more balanced programme in terms of students' arousal
level. Some practitioners already use this phase in their programme, most
notably the GDR researchers.
Although
there are distinct differences between the four versions of Accelerative
Learning discussed in this chapter, caution must be exercised when
interpreting research results if the treatment is not described in detail.
Labels are sometimes used interchangeably, and elements generally associated
with a particular version may no longer be used. This has led to some confusion
about the exact content of an Accelerative Learning course. However, all
four versions consistently use the same three elements. These are music,
relaxation and suggestion. While in the West special attention is given to
relaxation in the form of progressive relaxation or mind-calming either during
the preparation phase or before the concert session, practitioners in the East
no longer practice relaxation explicitly. According to Lozanov (1978), however,
relaxation is still produced through other suggestive means, such as music,
teacher behaviour and classroom atmosphere. Since music, relaxation and
suggestion are also used in most other adaptations of Suggestopedia not
discussed here, we can assume that these elements are generally seen as the most
important in the approach..
© by Uschi Felix
PhD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.- WEB RESEARCH: TEN TIPS FOR THE TECHNO-CHALLENGED
Our dear SHARER Guillermo Ramirez Robles from Lima,Perú has sent us this article to SHARE with all of you.
Web
Research: Ten Tips for the Techno-Challenged
By
Michael Simkins, Ed.D.
You're
in charge and supposed to know everything when it comes to technology. But
shhhhh, you don't. Not to worry. Here's your chance to secretly learn a few key,
time-saving facts about Internet research.
First,
some assumptions: You use Internet Explorer 6.0 (or later) or Netscape 7.2 (or
later) as your Web browser of choice. If you use an earlier version of either,
it's time to upgrade! If you use Opera, Safari, Firefox, or some other browser
of the avant-garde, you probably are not techno-incompetent, though you may
still learn something here. You use some version of Microsoft Word (whether you
want to or not), and you know the difference between a click and a double-click.
You already use somebody's Internet search tool (Google? Yahoo?) to find
information. (If you do not, write to me, and I will tutor you over the
phone-really!) Finally, you know that there are always differences in the
specific ways things work depending on your operating system, your version of
software, and the settings on your particular computer. The suggestions below
may need to be adapted a bit to your circumstances, but the general ideas should
apply in most situations. That said, let's go!
Finding
things
1.
Keywords:
No matter which search tool you're using, you have to type something in the
little box. A keyword (or words) is the something. In this age of frenzied
multitasking, it's easy to just type in the first words that come to mind.
Don't. Internet search tools scan text for the words you enter. Try to think of
unique words-words that would appear in the text of the documents you're looking
for and not in others. Try synonyms-if you're looking for something to do with
evaluation, also try "testing" and "assessment." To expand your results, try the
shortest version of your keyword-e.g., for "assessment" try "assess." Finally,
try permutations-if you're looking for data-driven decision-making, try it with
and without the hyphens.
2.
Advanced Search:
On their home page, most Internet search tools provide a single box for you to
enter search terms but also offer a link to an "advanced search" option. The
advanced search has a number of boxes you may fill in, such as "must contain the
following words" or "limit search to the following domain." The latter is an
especially helpful way to search for information on a single Web site that does
not have its own search option or has one that doesn't work very well.
Ironically, a search tool's "advanced search" page may better enable the
beginner searcher to find what he/she is looking for in far less time than using
the supposedly "simple" approach.
3.
Boolean:
No, Boolean is not an extraterrestrial language. It's the logic that underlies
most, if not all, search engines. By using the terms AND, OR, and NOT, along
with a few well placed parentheses, you can dramatically improve the accuracy of
your searches. For example, I wanted to know if there was research out there
about the relationship between student e-mail use and student achievement.
Knowing that the term e-mail has not been standardized, I entered my search
phrase as "(e-mail OR email) AND student AND achievement." The parentheses tell
the search engine I'm looking for either the term "email" or "e-mail," and the
rest of the string says that documents must also contain both the words
"student" and "achievement." The State University of New York at Albany has an
excellent primer on Boolean at library.albany.edu/internet/boolean.html
4.
Portals:
In Internet parlance, a portal is a Web site that pre-selects and organizes
links to information that exists on other sites. The best portals have done some
of the research work for you. For example, the TICAL site
(www.portical.org)-sponsored by the California and Arkansas departments of
education-maintains a database of 400+ online resources specifically for K-12
school administrators with an interest in educational technology. Each entry in
the database has been screened, selected, and annotated by a practicing school
administrator. Topics include technology planning, integrating technology in
standards-based curriculum, and professional development. Another excellent
portal is CARET (caret.iste.org). It offers succinct reviews of research related
to technology and education along with links to the relevant studies. If you're
looking for broader research, try Google's new Scholar site
(scholar.google.com). It's still being developed, but it's already a very useful
tool if you are looking for scholarly literature, peer-reviewed papers, books,
technical reports, and the like on academic topics.
5.
Commercial Search Tools:
There are a number of software products available that can help you in various
ways. Grokker (www.groxis.com) is a particularly interesting example. While you
enter search terms in a box, just as you would in an online search tool, your
results do not appear as a long list of links with a line or two of gibberish
next to them. Instead, Grokker organizes your results by themes and topics in a
colorful graphic display. As you move your cursor over the various nodes and
regions, additional information appears. With a few clicks, you can "zoom in" on
a specific area of interest. WebFerret (www.ferretsoft.com) and Agent
(www.copernic.com) are two other examples. Grokker offers a trial version. The
others have free "basic" versions but charge for premium
features.
Saving
things
6.
Bookmarks/Favorites:
Web browsers have a built-in way to keep a list of links to which you might want
to return. Explorer calls these "favorites"; in Netscape, they're "bookmarks."
Same difference. You probably already know about these and may even use them.
But if you want to leave techno-incompetence behind, take a few minutes to learn
how to get the most out of these features. In particular, learn how to add a
folder to your "links" or "personal toolbar." As you are researching a specific
topic, save good sites in this folder. Then you'll have all your references in
one place instead of littered throughout a long, unorganized list. Another handy
feature is "renaming" a bookmark. Often, the automatic title or label that your
browser will give to a bookmark is three inches long and/or meaningless. Your
browser has a simple way you can change the label to something meaningful to
you; the link will still go to the site you want. If you're a Windows person,
you may be able to do this by simply right-clicking on the bookmark and choosing
"rename" from among the options. Regardless, your browser's Help menu has the
guidance for how to master the bookmark/favorites feature.
7.
Dragging:
No, I'm not suggesting a foray into cross-dressing. I am encouraging you to try
dragging URL's from one place to another. Depending on how your have your
browser's preferences set, you no doubt have an address bar somewhere around the
top of your browser screen. It's the box that shows the complete Web address of
the page you're viewing or where you can type in the address of a page you want
to visit. At the very left of the box, just before the letters of the address,
you'll see a small icon. In Explorer, it's a little "e" superimposed on a piece
of paper. In Netscape, it resembles a traditional bookmark. Or, the default icon
may have been overriden by a logo of the site you're visting. No matter what the
icon, if you click-and-hold on it, you can drag it somewhere. For example, if
you have made a special folder on your personal toolbar, you can drag the icon
there and voila! The bookmark will have been added to the folder. Or, if you
arrange your windows so that you can see part of your desktop or part of another
document, drag the icon there and see what happens. It's magic! And it can be so
much faster than copying and pasting long URLs.
8.
Annotation:
When you bookmark a site, add a note to remind yourself later why you thought
the site was so great and how you might use it. Netscape enables you to do this
in the "description" field. Explorer may offer such a utility, but I haven't
been able to find it! A browser-independent approach is to simply open a Word
document and create a two-column table with several empty rows. Arrange your
screen so you can see both your browser and your Word document. When you find a
site that's a keeper, drag it into column one (see #7 above). Then write
yourself a note in column two. And don't forget to save the Word
document!
9.
Saving Pages:
Sometimes you may want to keep a whole page, not just a link to it. This allows
you to view the page even if you're not connected to the Internet. It also
allows you to "fix" content for later reference even if the live page changes or
goes away. When you're viewing a page you want to save, click on your File menu.
Among the choices should be Save or Save as. I like Save As when it's available
because it usually gives me more control over what happens next. Typically,
you'll get a box with options such as where to put the file and what to name it.
Be sure to put the saved file where you will be able to find it, and give it a
name that's meaningful to you. If you're an Explorer user, there's another way
to save pages. If you use Add Favorite on the Favorites menu, check the box by
"Make available offline." When you add the favorite, you'll be prompted for a
bit more information. Just accept the default values and click ahead. A copy of
the page will be automatically saved on your hard drive.
10.
Sharing Pages:
Often, you'll want to share pages you've found with colleagues, staff, or
friends. There are many ways to do this. Here are just two. When you're viewing
a page you want to share, click on the File menu and look for something like
"Send page" or "Send link." Click it and see what happens. More magic. Assuming
you're using the same computer from which you send and receive your e-mail, a
fresh e-mail will open with your link already included. Exporting is a second
option. If you're using Explorer and you've collected a number of links in a
special folder (see #6 above), click the File menu and choose Import/Export.
Follow the directions and choose to export only the folder with the favorites
you want to share. Choose a location that's easy to find, such as your desktop.
You'll end up with a file called something akin to "bookmarks.html." Open it and
you'll see your list of favorites, all ready to be clicked. You can share this
file by sending it to someone as an e-mail attachment, copying it onto a
diskette, or moving it to a shared space on your network. Netscape users can
also export bookmarks, but apparently only in an all-or-nothing fashion. To find
the export feature, click Bookmarks, Manage Bookmarks,
Tools.
So
there you have them: 10 craft secrets that can boost you into the ranks of the
supersearchers. Now, the only obstacle in your way is that darn filtering
software the district installed. Oh well, nothing to be done about that!
About
Michael Simkins, Ed.D.
A
former school principal and director of a nationally-recognized educational
technology project, Michael Simkins is now creative director of the Technology
Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL).
Copyright © 2005 CMP Media
LLC
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.- RESPONSABILIDAD CIVIL
DE LOS PROFESORES
The
following is an excerpt from Despacho informativo lunes 13 de junio de 2005
Secretaría de Extensión Universitaria, Cultura y Comunicación Social del
Rectorado de la
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
La Voz Del
Interior
Título: Crecen las demandas contra los
docentes
La avalancha de denuncias que llegan
a tribunales contra docentes, el desconocimiento de los maestros sobre sus
responsabilidades “no pedagógicas” y el crecimiento de las intimidaciones y
agresiones de padres a profesores está marcando en los últimos tiempos una
cultura escolar distinta.
Sin embargo, no son muchos los docentes que
saben que su actuación u omisión puede ocasionarles sanciones civiles o penales.
Con el objetivo de conocer cuáles son las responsabilidades de los docentes la
Escuela Superior de Comercio Manuel Belgrano ofreció un curso de
capacitación.
“La responsabilidad del docente nace por el simple hecho de
tener menores a cargo”, explicó Horacio Guerrero, uno de los abogados
responsables del seminario junto con María Cristina Zordán.
Pese a que la
reforma al Código Civil indica que la responsabilidad por el daño que sufra un
alumno dentro de la escuela se traslada a los dueños de los establecimientos
educativos públicos o privados (esto es, el Estado o los propietarios de los
colegios particulares), el docente “responde subsidiariamente por un hecho
ocasionado”.
Accidentes, actos violentos, abusos, malos tratos y otras
situaciones conflictivas comprometen a los maestros.
Si bien no es
posible prever qué sanciones caben para cada caso, es preciso estar alerta ya
que las demandas judiciales en contra de los docentes hoy se están
multiplicando.
“El docente puede tener responsabilidad civil o penal por
un hecho. En la penal se busca la sanción a la persona que causó el daño. La
civil, busca la reparación del daño al estado anterior”, explica
Zordán.
Un ejemplo: si los padres de un alumno inician una demanda civil
porque su hijo se accidentó en la clase de educación física, el juez puede
determinar que se repare el daño mediante el pago de una suma de dinero. Si, por
caso, un niño se cae de un barranco en una excursión escolar, el docente puede
sufrir una imputación (y condena) penal por no haber previsto el
riesgo.
Además de educar y contener, entre otras cosas, las
responsabilidades de los docentes son múltiples. Según Guerrero y Zordán, los
docentes deben conocer de qué se trata para prevenir situaciones que pongan en
riesgo a los alumnos y a ellos mismos.
¿Qué situaciones pueden
presentarse en una escuela? Por un lado, casos de violencia. De manera
preventiva, los docentes pueden observar situaciones conflictivas o “curiosas”
en sus alumnos. Pero, claro, no pueden evitar que un estudiante concurra con un
arma a la escuela. ¿Qué hacer cuando eso ocurre?
“Primero hay que
desalojar el lugar, aislar a la persona con el arma, no ponerla más nerviosa de
lo que está, tratar de contenerla, de hacerle entender que se lo va a ayudar, no
culparlo ni retarlo. Disminuir la tensión”, advierte Zordán. “Luego –sigue– es
preciso llamar a la Policía para que se haga cargo de la situación y comunicarse
con los padres”.
El docente puede incurrir en “omisión de auxilio” si un
alumno se descompone o se golpea y la escuela no llama al servicio de
emergencia. Incurre en abandono de persona si, por error, se cierra el colegio
con un alumno adentro (hecho que sucedió el año pasado en un jardín de infantes
en Buenos Aires).
Los maestros también pueden ser considerados
responsables de accidentes relacionados con el estado de los edificios y el
mobiliario. “El maestro debe fijarse si los muebles están en buen estado. Ante
cualquier anomalía tiene que avisar al personal jerárquico. Siempre por
escrito”, afirma Guerrero. Esto es: que el pizarrón esté amurado, que no haya
tubos fluorescentes pendiendo sobre la cabeza de los estudiantes, que los
enchufes estén tapados, etcétera.
“Les enseñamos a agudizar la vista
sobre los elementos riesgosos. Si hay un enchufe que hace falso contacto y un
chico se electrocuta, pueden acusar al docente de no haber informado o pegado un
cartón hasta que el problema se solucione”, grafica Zordán.
Según los
letrados, el docente, responsable del alumno desde que ingresa a la escuela,
debería solicitar a un auxiliar docente o a un preceptor que acompañe al alumno
hasta la puerta del baño en horario de clase para evitar cualquier
inconveniente.
Sin embargo, la posibilidad real de contar con personal
para realizar esta tarea suele ser limitada en muchas escuelas. “Decimos lo que
debe ser. Lo que es, es otra cosa”, resume Zordán.
Por otra parte, si los
docentes constatan que un niño es maltratado o que desertó de la escuela por
cuestiones familiares, tienen la obligación de hacer la denuncia a un juzgado de
menores. “No hace falta concurrir. Con un simple llamado telefónico y sin
identificarse se puede hacer la denuncia”, indicó Guerrero.
En relación a
los padres que no concurren a la escuela pese a reiterados llamados de las
autoridades educativas, los abogados sugieren hacer constar la situación en un
acta por escrito, firmada por dos docentes y el directivo, cada vez que esto
suceda. Ello en prevención de eventuales situaciones
problemáticas.
© 2005 by La Voz del
Interior
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.- COMMON
SENSE
Our dear SHARER
Ana I. Vieyra Urquiza
wants to SHARE this reflection with all of us:
The sad passing of Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they failed to do in disciplining their unruly children
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone.
If you still remember him pass this on, if not join the majority and do nothing.
-----------------------------------------------------------
5.- CURSOS DE
CAPACITACIÓN DE LA PROVINCIA DE BUENOS AIRES
Our dear SHARER
Paula Gelemur has sent us this information:
Subsecretaría de Educación
Dirección Provincial de Educación Superior y
Capacitación Educativa
Equipos Técnicos Regionales "Maestros y
Profesores enseñando" - Inglés
Lanzamiento del Programa de Cursos De
Capacitacion Gratuitos con Puntaje
Región VI: Vicente López, San Isidro, San
Fernando y Tigre
Informes e inscripción: CIE V.López: 4709-1357,
CIE San Isidro: 4742-9100,
CIE S. Fernando: 4744-2452 y CIE Tigre:
4749-0416.
Informes por email: capacitacioninglesetr@yahoo.com.ar
Cursos en Vicente López y Tigre: El enfoque
discursivo-crítico (ESB y
Polimodal).
En
San Isidro y San Fernando: El potencial de los textos (todos los niveles).
Frecuencia: 6 encuentros quincenales de 4 hs +
1 encuentro día sábado 6 hs (septiembre a noviembre 2005). Confirmar fecha de
cada encuentro en el CIE del distrito correspondiente.
El potencial de los textos (abstract en inglés)
The aim of this
theoretical and practical course is to reflect and act upon our daily practice
in order to explore the benefits of Communicative Language Teaching, Task-Based
Learning and the latest findings in Discourse Analysis for the adaptation of
texts and textbook activities in order to make our teaching more effective.
Videoed lessons will be analysed as well as lesson plans and textbooks. By the
end of the course, participants will have had the chance to apply new ideas in
class and evaluate their usefulness.
El enfoque discursivo-crítico (abstract en inglés)
ESB and
Polimodal students need to learn English for work reasons but also to
develop
critical
thinking. How can we adopt a critical perspective on the materials we use in
class
in order to make
the most of Critical Discourse Analysis and Pedagogy? Through the
analysis of
secondary materials, videoed lessons and the latest trends in Critical
Applied
Linguistics, participants will be invited to view the teaching of English at
seconday school
in a new light and to implements new ideas in their daily lessons.
------------------------------------------------------------
6.- JORNADA
SOBRE LOS DISCURSOS POSMODERNOS DE LA LICENCIATURA EN
LENGUA INGLESA DE LA
UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA NACIONAL
Our
dear SHARER Maria Elena Dutto has got an invitation to make:
Primera
Jornada sobre Discursos Posmodernos
Discursos
Posmodernos desde los Años Sesenta en adelante (Literatura, Arquitectura y
Cine).
Universidad
Tecnológica Nacional - Facultad Regional Villa María
29
de octubre de 2005 – 10:00 – 20:00 hs
Calendario
de actividades
09:00
a 10:00
Acreditaciones de participantes
10:00
a 10:30
Apertura de la Jornada con palabras del Decano de la Facultad Regional
Villa María de la UTN, Ing. Juan Carlos Peretti, y de la Lic. María Elena
Dutto
10:30
a 11:00
Música en vivo. Artista invitado: Marcos French
11:00
a 12:00
Primera conferencia plenaria inaugural a cargo de la Dra. Cristina Elgue
de Martini, Decana de la Facultad de Lenguas, (UNC): "Posmodernidad y
posmodernismo. Estrategias posmodernas en textos de arquitectura y
pintura"
12:00
a 12:15
Pausa
12:15
a 13:30
Panel de tres ponencias
Moderador:
Lic. Gustavo Kofman, Prof. Ramiro Mansilla (UNC), Prof. Francisco Zanín (UNC) y
Cecilia Urquiza (UNC): "Leer ficción posmoderna puede ser perjudicial para su
salud"
Prof.
Ana Ávalos (UNC) Prof. María Elisa Romano (UNC)
13:30
a 14:30
Almuerzo
Exposición
de cuadros con visita guiada a cargo del artista invitado: Horacio French
14:30
a 15:30
Segunda conferencia plenaria a cargo de Paula Varsavsky: "John Fowles:
cuando el siglo XX atrapa al XIX"
15:30
a 15:45
Pausa
15:45
a 16:45
Panel de tres ponencias
Moderadora:
Lic. Agustina Sosa Revol
Lic.
Agustina Sosa Revol (UNC, UTN): "La metaficción de los años sesenta y setenta:
El horror vacui y el libro detrás del libro en Jealousy de Alan Robbe-Grillet y
El Mundo de Acuerdo a Garp de John Irving"
Lic.
Gustavo Kofnan (UNC, UTN):
"Realismo mágico y la reconstrucción de realidades poscoloniales en dos novelas
de Salman Rushdie: Hijos de la Medianoche y Vergüenza"
Lic.
Guillermo Zaballo (UNC): "El componente audiovisual en la
posmodernidad"
16:45
a 17:00
Pausa
17:00
a 18:00
Tercera conferencia plenaria a cargo del Dr. Carlos Batal (UNC): "El
nuevo teatro en la posmodernidad"
18:00
a 18:15
Pausa
18:15
a 19:00
Panel de dos conferencias
Moderadores:
Lic. Gustavo Kofman y Lic. Agustina Sosa Revol
Lic.
Ana Claudia Ziraldo (UTN): "La Amante del Teniente Francés: Una Visión
Posmoderna"
Lic.
Federico Barbieri (UTN): "De la mano en el laberinto"
19:00
a 19:30
Muestra sobre música posmoderna a cargo de Rodrigo Vacis:
"House"
19:30
a 19:45
Pausa
19:45
a 20:45
Cuarta conferencia plenaria de clausura a cargo de la Mgtr. Alejandra
Portela (UNC): "La superación de lo trágico en la obra de John
Irving"
20:45
a 21:00
Cierre de Jornada con palabras de la Lic. Agustina Sosa Revol y el Lic. Gustavo
Kofman
21:00 Cena de Camaradería para expositores y
comité organizador de la Jornada
Aranceles:
Docentes,
investigadores y profesionales interesados: $ 25.-
Estudiantes:
$ 10.-
Para
informes e inscripciones comunicarse a la FRVM de la UTN Av. Universidad 450
Villa María, Córdooba o al TEL.: 0353 - 4537500 interno 105, E- mail:
utnvm@frvm.utn.edu.ar
------------------------------------------------------------
7.- URUTESOL
CONVENTION IN COLONIA
Our dear SHARER
Juan
Andrés Larrinaga has an announcement to make:
Uruguayan
Teachers Of English To Speakers Of Other Languages
Urutesol Convention
"To
Teach Or Not To Teach : That Is The Question"
Colonia,
Uruguay November 5 - 6 , 2005
Call
For Participation Urbi Et Orbi
Among
the different forms of participation you will find the presentation of short
papers - Time Alotted: 15 Minutes - that will be organized thematically in
groups of four, with time for Questions And
Discussion.
Ask
for your proposal form by e-mail to:
urutesol@hotmail.com with CC to jalarrin@ddinet.com.uy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.- FULLBRIGHT
SCHOLARSHIPS
Our dear SHARER Laura P. Moraña from the
Fulbright Commission in Argentina
has sent us this
information:
La Comisión Fulbright y el Ministerio de
Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología anuncian la apertura del concurso de becas
"Asistentes de Idioma 2006". Este programa de cooperación entre ambas
instituciones permitirá otorgar becas a docentes de inglés argentinos para
desempeñarse como Asistentes de Idioma en universidades de los
Estados
Unidos. El plazo de entrega de solicitudes es el 12 de noviembre de 2005. Las
becas se harán efectivas a partir de agosto de 2006. Para informarse sobre
requisitos, beneficios y cómo participar:
Comisión Fulbright, Viamonte
1653, 2do piso, CP: 1055ABE, Buenos Aires, Tel: (011) 4814 3561/62, Fax: (011)
4814 1377; info@fulbright.com.ar
Dirección de Cooperación Internacional,
Pizzurno 935, 2do piso Of. 231, CP: 1020, Buenos Aires, Tel/Fax (011) 4129-1187,
dnci-becas@me.gov.ar
Laura P. Moraña
Fulbright Commission
in Argentina
Viamonte 1653, P. 2 - C1055ABE - Buenos Aires
-Argentina
Tel.: (5411) 4814 3561/62
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9- PRIMER ENCUENTRO METROPOLITANO DE
FORMADORES DE DOCENTES
La
Dirección General de Educación Superior del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos
Aires y la Dirección Provincial de Educación Superior y Capacitación Educativa
de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, convocan a la comunidad de formadores-as de
docentes de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y del Conurbano Bonaerense, al 1º
Encuentro Metropolitano de Formadores-as de Docentes y al 2º Encuentro de
Formadores-as de Docentes de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, cuyos objetivos
son:
Promover el debate e intercambio de
experiencias y propuestas acerca de las particularidades de la formación docente
en el área metropolitana.
Generar un ámbito de reflexión sobre las
prácticas presentes en el campo de la formación docente
Fecha de realización: 3,
4 y 5 de noviembre de 2005 .La acreditación será de 8.00 a 9.30 hs.
Lugar: Bartolomé
Mitre 1869 (entre Riobamba y Callao)
Ejes Temáticos:
Estrategias metodológicas para la mejora de la
enseñanza en el nivel superior.
Tutorías y programas de orientación a los
estudiantes del nivel superior
Modelos y estrategias de
evaluación
Relación entre las instituciones formadoras y
las escuelas receptoras
Formación en y para la
diversidad.
Actividades:
Presentación de ponencias: relatos de
experiencias o ensayos reflexivos acerca de los ejes
propuestos.
Simposios sobre temáticas específicas
propuestas por los asistentes.
Conferencias y Paneles con especialistas
invitados-as de reconocida trayectoria.
Informes e
Inscripción:
A través de correo electrónico a la
dirección: encuentro_formadores@yahoo.com.ar
Destinatarios:
Docentes
de los Institutos de Formación Docente del Conourbano Bonaerense (Regiones I a
IX), de todas las perspectivas y espacios
curriculares.
Certificación y
asistencia:
Se entregarán certificados de asistencia. Está
en trámite el no-cómputo de inasistencia para los asistentes, no expositores, de
Educación Superior.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.-
ONLINE COURSES FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH
Our
dear SHARER Susana Trabaldo has sent us this announcement:
Topic:
Distance education (in Spanish)
Course:
Formación de tutores
Tutors:
Susana Trabaldo, Nancy Piriz - Starting date: October, 18th -
Duration: 5 weeks
Further
information: http://www.net-learning.com.ar/cursos/fortu.htm
Fee:
$180 (in Argentina)
Puntaje
docente Resolución del Gob. de la Cdad de Bs. As. 451/2005
and
Resolución
de la Prov. de Bs. As. 6594/2005
Topic:
English teachers' and translators' development courses
Course:
Portfolio assessment
Tutors:
Liliana B. Luna and Viviana L. Pisani
- Starting date: October,
20th - Duration: 5 weeks
Further
information: http://www.net-learning.com.ar/engcursos.htm#ingles
Fee:
AR$ 160 (in
Argentina)
Certified
by Escuela de Posgrado de la UNSAM and AEXALEVI
------------------------------------------------------------
11.-
COURSE ON AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
Objectives:
The participants
will have the chance of analyzing the different ways to evaluate learners. They
will reflect on the different methods they use in their classrooms and develop
different materials and ideas on how to assess students.
Coordinators:
Ms. Gabriela
Cecilia Díaz
Graduate Teacher of
English from I.S. Prof. Joaquín V. González, she specialized in Methodology and
Teaching Practice. She is actually
coordinating a teachers´ training college in Great Bs As where she has organized
and delivered many workshops for students and teachers of other institutions
from the area. Currently doing Licenciatura en Gestión Educativa at Univ. de La
Matanza, she has experience in all level of the educational
system.
Graduate teacher of
English from Prof. Pbro. Sáenz, she has continued her postgraduate studies at
Belgrano University. She is currently Secondary English Coordinator at Colegio
del Libertador in Capital Federal and teaches Language and Culture II and
Teaching Practice at Instituto Superior Grilli and Instituo
Sáenz.
Venue: Instituto
Grilli. Vicente López 246 - Monte Grande
Date: October 21st,
2005 - Time: 6:00 p.m to 8:30 p.m
Registration:
Profesorado Grilli. - Phone: 4296-3972
-E-mail: terciario@grilli.com.ar
For more
information: www.richmond.com.ar
Free of charge! Raffles!
------------------------------------------------------------
12.-
SEMINARIO: ¿QUÉ
HACEMOS CON LA VIOLENCIA ESCOLAR?
Disertante: Lic.
Fernando Osorio
Disertante invitado: Dr. Néstor Solari
Frecuencia: quincenal
- Lunes 18:00 hs
Organiza:
Centro Dos
Encuentros:
19/9 - 18:00 hs -
El "entorno" que irrumpe en la escuela: La violencia
social.
Lugar:
Centro Dos - Salón Auditorio. Av. Pueyrredón 538 1º "A" (1er Cuerpo)
3/10 - 18.00 hs
- Los adolescentes y las épocas: Construcción social de una
identidad
Lugar:
Centro Dos - Salón Auditorio. Av. Pueyrredón 538 1º "A" (1er
Cuerpo)
17/10 - 18:00 hs
Estrategias resolutivas del conflicto en el marco de la Convención
Internacional sobre los Derechos del Niño
Lugar: Facultad de Derecho - Universidad de
Buenos Aires - Av. Figueroa Alcorta 2263
Informes e
inscripción: Av.
Pueyrredón 538 1º "A" (1er Cuerpo) TE: 4961-2197 informes@centrodos.com.ar
Actividad no
arancelada con inscripción previa
------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.-
TEEACHERS! A CLASSROOM COMEDY
The Suburban Players is proud to present
Teechers
A Classroom Comedy
by John Godber,
Britain's third most performed author - ever!
"When you are a hardnut and 15, you always have to give teachers a hard time.
It's part of the rules of the game"
Directed by Mara Santucci
Jackie Bousquet
Julián Vidal
"John Godber is one of the unsung heroes of British theatre, reaching the giddy heights of number three in the most-performed playwrights league table, nestled in behind Shakespeare and Ayckbourn" - Guardian
"In a class of its own ... Godber takes a hard-hitting look at life in a modern comprehensive where class conflicts, teacher tantrums and cavorting chaos runs riot through the corridors" - The Express
"The
Playhouse"
Moreno 80 - San Isidro
Opening October 14th - Fridays and Saturdays 9pm - Sundays 7pm
Tickets $12.- Group discounts -
Reservations: reservations@thesuburbanplayers.com - 4747-4470
-------------------------------------------------------------
14- OMAR´S
NEXT PRESENTATIONS
Omar will soon be
giving two new presentations. You are all invited. Please find particulars
below:
Saturday
15th October
ELT Team Mega-Event
at Hotel Costa Galana – Mar del Plata
For further
information and enrolment contact: ELTeam consultancy - Río Negro 4413-
0223-4758631.
Friday
28th October – 9:30 –12:30 hs
Instituto de
Enseñanza Superior del Ejército - Escuela de Idiomas – Avda Cabildo 65 - Ciudad
de Buenos Aires
For further
information and enrolment contact: Prof. César Prado cesarisaacprado@hotmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Today we would like to finish this issue of SHARE with a short quotation that our dear SHARER Bethina Viale sent us:
“Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same size.”
-Mark Twain,
author and humorist (1835-1910)
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK
Omar and Marina.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHARE is distributed free of charge. All
announcements in this electronic magazine are also absolutely free of charge. We
do not endorse any of the services announced or the views expressed by the
contributors. For more information about the characteristics and
readership of SHARE visit: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShareMagazine
VISIT
OUR WEBSITE : http://www.ShareEducation.com.ar
There you can read all past issues of SHARE in the section SHARE ARCHIVES.