A more natural way to acquire a language

I had been working in the French Education Nationale teaching school children English, for 5 years, when they decided to cut back on expensive foreign teachers. This left me looking for work until I fell upon an Avant Garde language centre in Nantes. There was no need for a TEFL teaching certificate, no knowledge of strict rules of grammar, there were no desks, and the rooms were covered with brightly coloured bubbles of paper with English wriitten on them, suggesting language forms. There were clothes rails of vintage clothing hanging in each classroom with all sorts of funny objects on the shelves from kiddies kitchenware, to tins of food, and bottles, wacky glasses and hats...This was no ordinary language centre. This was Optliangues.

My classroom in Optlangues...not your normal classroom!

I felt home. A place that was unique, didn't follow the classic rules, and lived and breathed an ethos of positivity, and student motivation. My first 3 months saw me being trained in the method of Suggestopedia, where language is "suggested", through all, the senses - the walls, the music played in the background, the reading matter, the games. A method where I would use those plastic kitchen toys, wacky clothes and food items as part of the lesson. I believe that we were the only centre in France to use this method and sadly our centre closed, along with the magic we brought to many peoples lives through the method.

What follows is a peep behind the scenes to the method, a very real method that should, in my mind, be developed in all learning centres due to it's strength on making the learning process a much easier and certainly more natural one.

Learning Languages the Suggestopedic Way: A Journey Beyond Grammar and Guilt

If you've ever sat in a language class, eyes glazed over from verb drills or tongue-tied from the pressure to "get it right," you're not alone. As a former language trainer for French adults, I saw this time and time again, adults frozen by fear, perfectionism, or the ghosts of school days past. I had one student, arrived, sweating and shaking out of fear of English from school in the first 5 minutes of his first lesson. (By the end of it he was a different person and continued working with me on and off over 3 years until he moved to America!)

What if learning a language didn’t have to feel like a test?

What if it could feel like play… like connection… like stepping into a story?

That’s exactly what Suggestopedia offers, and it changed the way I taught (and still influences the way I create today).

What is Suggestopedia?

Originally developed in the 1970s by Bulgarian psychotherapist Georgi Lozanov, Suggestopedia (sometimes called the “Desuggestive Method”) was a radical shift from traditional education. It wasn’t just a teaching technique, it was a philosophy rooted in the idea that we learn best when we feel safe, relaxed, and open.

At its heart, Suggestopedia is about desuggesting, or letting go of the limiting beliefs we carry about ourselves as learners.

You know the ones: “I’m too old to learn a new language.”

“I was rubbish at languages in school.”

“I’ll never sound fluent.”

Suggestopedia works gently to dissolve these mental blocks by using music, storytelling, and atmosphere to help learners absorb language naturally, the way we did as children.

The Power of Relaxed Attention

Imagine walking into a language class where soft classical music is playing in the background. The chairs are arranged more like a cozy lounge than a classroom. There's laughter, colour, even the scent of calming oils in the air. You feel… at ease.

This isn't accidental. Lozanov understood the power of our environment on our ability to learn. When we're relaxed, our brains are more open, our memory is sharper, and we're less afraid of making mistakes.

At the centre where I worked, we used dialogues, stories, songs, and games. Grammar was absorbed, not drilled. Vocabulary was remembered, because it was wrapped in emotion and context.

And something magical would happen:People who thought they were “bad at languages” started speaking… with confidence, humour, even joy. I had one client who said to me "Nicky I have tried everything,every language centre, if you can't get me to like English, I'll stop. Forever. It was a challenge! At the end of her session, she opened the window, put her outside and shouted to the busy street "I LOVE ENGLISH!" She carried on her contract and LOVED it! This is the power of suggestopedia.,

Why It Works for Adults

As adults, we bring so much baggage into learning. Our inner critic often shouts louder than our curiosity.

Suggestopedia gently bypasses the logical mind and speaks to the subconscious. Through music, imagination, and relaxation, it creates a safe inner space where language can land and stick.

And here’s what I noticed in my 11 years of teaching:

• When people felt safe, they remembered more.

• When they weren’t judged, they took more risks.

• When learning felt enjoyable, they wanted to keep going.

Isn’t that what real learning is about?

Beyond the Classroom

Suggestopedia isn’t just a method, it’s a mindset.

Whether you're learning a new language now, supporting someone else to learn, or simply nurturing your own curiosity, here’s how you can weave this approach into your everyday life:

• Create a calm, beautiful learning space, your energy matters.

• Use music that matches your mood and keeps you relaxed (Baroque works well, but go with what feels right).

• Read aloud in your target language, not to get it perfect, but to enjoy the sound.

• Play with stories listen to children’s books, or make up your own silly versions.

• Use essential oils like lavender or sweet orange to anchor a positive association with learning.

• Speak affirmations: “I learn with ease.” “I enjoy this.” “Mistakes mean I’m growing.”

Language learning doesn’t have to be hard. It can be nourishing.

My Story, Your Invitation

For years, I taught English to French-speaking adults who had carried fear from their school days. Many came to me saying they were “hopeless” or “too slow.” Through a blend of Suggestopedia and creative intuition, I helped them fall in love with the process.

I still believe in this approach with all my heart. It shows up in everything I do, whether I’m guiding someone through emotional healing, helping them reconnect with their creativity, or encouraging them to express their truth.

Because at the end of the day, language is expression.And when we learn to express ourselves freely, in any tongue, something shifts.

Whatever your next step is — take it with joy. You’re never too old. It’s never too late. And you’re far more capable than you think.