Suggestopedia

This method is considered to be one of the humanistic approaches. This method was originally developed by a Bulgarian educator called Georgi Lazanov. Being a method mostly used to learn foreign languages, Suggestopedia mainly focuses on proposing, offering students some sort of choice.

A lot of emphases is laid on the physical environment. The proponents of this method of learning foreign language suggest that it is imperative for students to learn in an environment that makes them feel comfortable and confident. This method is said to be a teacher-controlled one. However, users of this method believe in acting as partners for the students. Hence, in the process of learning a foreign language, the teacher is expected to act genuinely in front of the students.

Moreover, to ensure the smooth use of this method, the teachers are expected to be reliable and credible professionals. The teachers should not only know the technique really well, but they should also be able to understand the theory. Failure to understand the theory might lead to ineffective teaching because the teacher him/herself is not qualified enough. This will lean to unsuccessful results, eventually hampering the learning of the students. Hence, it is crucial that the teacher himself is trained by certified trainers.
This approach is essentially based on the power of suggestion.

It is believed that positive suggestions will create a relaxed yet focused state where the learner can learn effectively. While this method may have been quite successful, there are a few criticisms as well. Since this method uses classical music, possible criticism could be the fact that not everyone might actually enjoy that. Moreover, another feature of this method is long dialogues. Such an approach could also decrease the motivation of the students, adversely affecting the learning of the student.