Two quite different instructional approaches have attracted the attention of foreign language specialists: immersion programs and “Suggestopedia.” Compare these approaches and their instructional implications.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Immersion programs were first developed in Canada in response to the concerns of English-speaking parents in Quebec. Teachers use the target language to teach regular school subjects: The second language is not another subject but is instead the medium of instruction. In early total immersion programs, all instruction for the first three or four grades is presented in the target language; the native language is not introduced until second or third grade. By the end of elementary school, each language is used to teach about half the curriculum.
Suggestopedia, first developed by Lozanov in 1978, is an instructional method that attempts to involve both conscious and unconscious faculties using intensive time periods (3- or 4-hr sessions for 5 days a week), a secure group atmosphere (ideally, six males and six females with a highly skilled teacher), rhythmic breathing exercises, and baroque music. Its instructional procedure consists of three parts: a review of the previous day’s work through conversation, games, and skits; new material introduced using dialogue in familiar situations; and a “séance” that aims at unconscious memorization using yogic breathing and baroque music.