The analysis of psycholinguistic peculiarities of a foreign language studying: suggestopedia approach

Abstract

Language competences are at the heart of building the European Education Area. They define personal identities, but are also part of a shared inheritance. For millions of Ukrainians all over the world the knowledge of a foreign language, mainly English is more than a means of communication, but sometimes the only way to be heard. Multilingualism is one of eight key competences needed for personal fulfilment, a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, employability, active citizenship and social inclusion. For many reasons the goal to improve language teaching at different stages of life-long education is of primary importance. Hence, the article aims at studying psychological and linguistic features at various stages of language learning. The object of the article is the psycholinguistic features of studying a foreign language. The subject of the research is the suggestopedia approach to the language learning. Language mastery includes three close but not identical concepts, mainly acquisition of the native language, secondary awareness of the native language and finally mastering (learning) another non-native language. A speech skill is a speech operation performed according to optimal parameters. Such parameters are unconsciousness, complete automaticity, compliance with the language norm, normal tempo (speed) of execution and stability. Motivation, level of anxiety, level of self-esteem, rigidity (looseness), readiness to take risks, empathy, extroversion have been defined as the most important conditions for mastering a foreign language. The research has defined the following positive achievements of suggestopedia approach, mainly the increasing learning resistance, stimulation the learning readiness, the feeling of relaxation, fostering hope and trust in students’ own power, helping the learners to overcome the barriers to learning, facilitation of the learners’ change.