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The Lozanov Method Ryan James The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects 2000 The Lozanov method Ryan James Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation James, Ryan, "The Lozanov method" (2000). Doctoral Dissertations. 140. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/140 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of San Francisco THE LOZANOV METHOD/ACCELERATED LEARNING AND TOTAL IMMERSION IN ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING: TEACHERS' REFLECTIONS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NON-TRADITIONAL METHODS A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education International and Multicultural Education Department In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Ryan pities San Francisco, California May 2000 This dissertation, written under the direction of the candidate's dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the process of working toward this degree and writing this dissertation, I have been fortunate to meet many- exceptional and talented people who have been a positive influence in my professional development. To all of these people I owe a great deal of gratitude for their guidance and helping me grow. The three people I hold in very high esteem are my committee members. Dr. Alma Flor Ada, who awakened the author within me and who demonstrated how to passionately embrace one's life work, while giving with compassion to others. Dr. Rosita Galang, who was a great mentor in my second language acquisition studies, gave generously of her time, her expertise, and is an outstanding editor. Dr. Mathew Mitchell, who is an excellent example of a creative teacher. His four classes were vital to my professional growth. He even made Statistics fun. iv A Special Note of Thanks I have many people to offer thanks to for their role in my life, while working on this degree and dissertation. To the teachers of the Accelerated Language Learning Program in Houston, Texas and the Costa Rican language teachers who gave generously of their time to be participants in this study. This dissertation would not exist without them. To Alison Miller, a Lozanov trained Master Teacher for her teaching, her insights, sharing her out of print books, and her endless patience with my continuous questioning through mails. To Dr. Susan Evans who was always had an open door and was a wonderful listener when I needed one. To my fellow classmates from every course, who always had something to share that stimulated my thinking. V DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my best friend and life partner, Ron G. Schmitz. Without his unselfish giving none of this would be possible. Thank you for assuming so many of the daily responsibilities of life for the last three years so that I could focus my time and energy on this degree and dissertation. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ii A Special Note of Thanks iii Dedication iv CHAPTER I: THE RESEARCH PROBLEM Introduction 1 Purpose of the Study 4 Statement of the Problem 6 Background and Need for the Study 8 Theoretical Framework 12 Research Questions 17 Significance of the Study 18 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction 20 Section One: Research with Memory in Relation to Second Language Learning ... 21 Section Two: The Teacher as the Researcher . 45 Section Three: Second Language Learning .... 66 Section Four: Learning Styles 100 Section Five: The Lozanov/Accelerative Learning Method 107 Section Six: The Immersion Method 146 Summary 156 vii CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY Research Design 158 Research Setting 160 The Participants 163 Data Collection Houston 165 Costa Rica 168 Questions to Guide the Focus Groups 169 Data Analysis 172 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION Introduction 174 Names and Protection of the Participants. ... 175 Profiles of the Participants Lozanov/Accelerative Learning Teachers 17 6 Total Immersion Teachers 179 The Researcher Participant 180 Findings and Interpretation Research Question One: How does a non-traditional language teacher perceive their professionalism within the uniqueness of their setting? 182 Research Question Two: What is the non-traditional language teachers' perception of how effective their methodology viii is and why do they think this is true?. .... 195 Research Question Three: How does a non-traditional language teacher quantify success in the adult student? . ... 205 Research Question Four: How do they utilize the methodology to maintain their own interest and in turn the interest of adult students? 210 Research Question Five: How does a teacher in this setting accommodate for different learning styles of the students?. 225 Research Question Six: What other lessons can be learned from teachers in these settings? 230 Summary 244 CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, GENERATIVE THEMES, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction 249 Summary 249 Generative Themes 251 Perceived Characteristics of An Effective Teacher 251 The Teacher Maintains the Rhythm of Learning. 254 ix Students' Learning Style 256 Determining Student Success 259 Teaching Cultural Authenticity with the Language 261 The Teachers Recognizing the Need for Change. 264 Conclusions 268 Training for Second Language Teachers of Adults Using the Lozanov Method 274 Recommendations for Improving the Educational Process in These Programs. 282 Recommendations for Improving Second Language Instruction for Adults Overall 289 Recommendations for Further Research 292 REFERENCES 294 APPENDICES A. An Open Letter from Dr. Lozanov 302 B. Sequence of Spanish Lessons - Houston . 307 X LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Conceptual Model of Traditional as Opposed to Non-Traditional Instruction 5 2. The Lozanov/Accelerative Learning Method 272 3. The Total Immersion Non-Traditional Method. 281 1 CHAPTER I The Research Problem Introduction In many foreign language classrooms in high schools and colleges, language learning is taking place. What may not be happening is language acquisition. Brown (1991) describes some components of the traditional language classroom. We memorize, study rules of grammar, translate from one language to the other, and do just about everything except subconsciously acquire it. We tend to learn a lot about the language at the expense of learning to use it. And one way to fail at learning a foreign language is not to use it for genuine communication. (p. 31) From the literature, it becomes apparent that much of what happens in the academic second language classroom is language learning at the expense of language acquisition. Krashen (1992) states: Language acquisition is a subconscious process; while it is happening, we are not aware it is happening. In addition, once we have acquired something, we are not usually aware we possess any new knowledge; the knowledge is subconsciously stored in our brains, (p. 1) Brown (1991) defines language acquisition in different terms by stating the following: "It is achieved by persons who have been immersed in the foreign language environment and forced to communicate for survival" (p. 31). Brown continues to point out the difference between 2 learning and acquisition by stating, "At that point they tend to focus on the purpose of language and not to think as much about the linguistic forms..." (p. 31). James (1999) found traditional methods of teaching are still common in some second language classrooms. While conducting a focus group experiment in students' attitudes regarding their language class instruction, students had a dim view of their instruction. One student's reactions from a college Spanish 102 class at a junior college expressed this about the instructor: He teaches by a pretty traditional method, I think. At least from my experience it is traditional. You follow along through a textbook and you go through it that way and it follows a pattern. If there are new methods with association, being able to talk more, or other things, I think those might improve the class. ...if he could learn to do such things and was interested in communicating with the students, not only the teacher could try these new methods to help the students learn, but then the students also would be involved and learn the language through different methods, (p. 25) Other student opinions are reflective of similar negative experiences. As another student stated in the James (1999) experiment: The motivation goes down when you don't have the stimulus to do interaction. When you are put on the spot and put down because you don't know the answer, it is difficult to be interested. It is hard when he asks people to come up with the answer and they come up with the wrong one. You get frowned on when you don't know it. Well, I mean if we are not learning it, of course we don't know it. (p. 19) 3 Using the comments
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