In the first video about Community Language Learning (CLL), the teacher began class by telling the students the lesson plan for that class. This provided a sense of security and comfort to the class because there were no unexpected surprises. The teacher then asked students to visualize and describe their homes, which they then shared with partners. After, they then listed them on a blackboard and went over them, focussing on pronunciation by saying them aloud as a class. During this part, the teacher stood behind the class, and repeated the words after them, providing the students with the control. The students then practiced the words individually, choosing the words that they wanted the teacher to repeat. This was called “the human computer”. The students controlled how many times they wished the teacher to repeat by repeating themselves. The teacher would gently correct pronunciation in this way, as much as the student wanted. Students were asked to use these words to make new sentences. As the teacher read the sentences, she corrected them in a gentle and subtle manner. At the end of the lesson, the teacher asked for feedback on how the students felt about the lesson. The teacher listened and understood the students feelings, allowing them to learn more about the language, and the lesson.
In the second video, about the Suggestopedia method, the teacher began class in a happy and relaxed manner, greeting the students good morning. The room was decorated with lots of plants, posters, and props around the room, creating a welcoming environment. The teacher turned on some calm music, and described the activity to the class. She began reading a passage in a slow and calm voice, as well as acting out the scenes she was reading. She encouraged the students to try and visualize and make connections while she read the passage slowly. After she finished, she began again,putting on a different song and reading at a normal speed, and asking students to try and listen for those connections she made, and try to understand. When she finished, she gave them all a copy of the passage and asked them to read and act it with her. Then she began a pronuncian activity with a list of verbs on a large sheet of paper. As they read them aloud, she asked them to try and notice a difference in their pronuncian. Then she began another activity, using cards with both pronuncians on them, and asking students to raise the corresponding card to the word she pronounced. She then did an activity reviewing present tense and past tense. She tossed a small beach ball at a student while saying the present form of the verb, and the student that caught it said the past form of it. After this she began another activity, in pairs, one student would read the passage from before, and the other would act it out. After this, the teacher asked that the class would read the passage, and one student would act it out as a volunteer. Much like before, soft music was also played again. At the end of class, the teacher gave them a dictation, using the same words they worked on, in different sentences. She asked that for homework, they take some time before bed to read over the passage and work on the pronuncian of the words.
I felt that both experiences and methods were very gentle and calming in nature. Students in both experiences seemed very comfortable and relaxed. No student seemed to be put on the spot or singled out, they both had a sense of classroom community, students were comfortable working together and with the teachers. In both experiences as well, the teachers seemed upbeat and encouraging, with gentle corrections in both methods. I found that both methods would be beneficial for more anxious or stressed students, especially for beginners.
As for my thoughts on the CLL method, I enjoyed the strong sense of structure that was put into the class at the beginning when she explained to the class the activity they would be participating in. I also felt that it was very student-driven, the teacher took a less threatening approach by standing at the back of the class, and subtly assisting students on their pronuncian during the “Human Computer” activity. This activity reminded me of a learning activity I did recently while learning Japanese. The method that I experienced encouraged repetition by focussing on the pronuncian of each syllable, stringing them together, and then repeating after the native speaker until I had mastered the pronuncian. I found that the CLL method was a good method for learning vocabulary, as it encouraged students to make connections with the words and personal memories, making the language learning process more personal. I enjoyed how the teacher was able to connect the students’ lesson to their hometown. The students seemed very relaxed and at ease, as well as very excited to describe their homes, increasing their motivation. This seemed to encourage a sense of community with the students, as well as adding more of a personable approach to teaching by allowing the teacher to see the students as persons.
In Suggestopedia, I found that this method was equally driven by the students and teacher. The teacher was very gentle and encouraging, with lots of praise being given to the students. I feel this method would be excellent for anxious or unconfident students, as well as beginners, as no student is directly put on the spot. I feel that this method may also be good for some students with ADHD, as there were many quick and varied activities students were able to participate in, as well as the use of background music for dual stimulation in some exercises. However, this may also be overwhelming for certain students who thrive under structure and order. I found that this method was very fun and playful, and I think this would be an excellent method to be used during the pandemic, and its aftermath, as it promotes a low-stress environment. This is something I feel a lot of people need, especially with those experiencing difficulty integrating back into society, as well as changing the way we teach as opposed to prior to the pandemic.
In conclusion, I feel that these 2 methods of teaching would greatly benefit our society, as both promote low-stress, relaxed environments that value learning and understanding over test examinations and blank memorizations
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