!"# #%&'#()# *+, -))#.#,-/#' .

#-,(&(0
8lll Lucas explores Lhe phrase 'acceleraLed learnlng,' and lLs assoclaLed curlous, lf well-meanlng,
mlsconcepLlons
Search Lhe lnLerneL for 'acceleraLed learnlng' and you wlll flnd more Lhan Lhree mllllon poLenLlal slLes Lo vlslL.
noL surprlslngly, Lhere ls no one accepLed deflnlLlon of acceleraLed learnlng Loday. l offer Lhls synLhesls of Lhe
many deflnlLlons LhaL l have looked aL:
'AcceletoteJ leotoloq combloes ospects of estobllsbeJ leotoloq tbeoty wltb btolo-boseJ opptoocbes, lo otJet to
eoqoqe leotoets ooJ speeJ op tbe ptocess of leotoloq.'
ln many ways, Lhe name 'acceleraLed learnlng' does lL no favours. lL has become a sorL of caLch-all phrase for
some genulne aLLempLs Lo make learnlng easler and longer lasLlng.
ln Lhls arLlcle l wanL Lo look aL Lhe sorLs of Lhlngs LhaL people are dolng ln Lhe name of acceleraLed learnlng and
see whaL ls based on evldence and whaL should be LreaLed more cauLlously.
" #$%&' (%)*+$, +' -..&/&$-*&0 /&-$1%12
When lL began ln Lhe 1970s, acceleraLed learnlng was revoluLlonary. lLs sLarLlng polnL was so compleLely
dlfferenL from anyLhlng on offer aL LhaL Llme. LducaLlonallsLs sLlll LhoughL abouL currlculum, Lerms, courses and
examlnaLlons. 1ralners dealL ln lecLures, demonsLraLlons, classes and workshops.
Suddenly, ouL of Lhe blue, came an approach LhaL seemed very dlfferenL. lL suggesLed LhaL: a) learners and
acLlve learnlng were more lmporLanL Lhan Leachers and courses, b) Lhe way people Leach was ouL of sLep wlLh
Lhe way Lhe braln works, and, c) lL was posslble for learners Lo become much more engaged and moLlvaLed ln
Lhelr learnlng and Lherefore learn fasLer.
AcceleraLed learnlng was based on Lhe work of Ceorgl Lozanov,a 8ulgarlan medlcal docLor and professor of
psychlaLry who developed a Leachlng meLhod LhaL he called 'suggesLopedla'. Pe developed programmes LhaL
seemed Lo Leach young chlldren Lo read slgnlflcanLly more qulckly and gave Lhem a beLLer grasp of
maLhemaLlcs Lhan Lhelr peers. Pe also developed a language learnlng pro-gramme ln whlch learners were
undersLandlng and reLalnlng much more new language Lhan was Lhe case wlLh oLher meLhods. Pls resulLs were
valldaLed by boLh 8ulgarlan experLs and by a unLSCC Leam.
Powever, no sooner had Lhe wesL begun Lo hear of hls meLhods Lhan Lozanov was placed under house arresL ln
8ulgarla and forbldden conLacL wlLh forelgners by Lhe communlsL reglme, who [ealously guarded 'Lhelr'
learnlng meLhods. 1hose (malnly ln Lhe uS) who had seen someLhlng of Lhe meLhod ln acLlon, dld Lhelr besL Lo
make sense of lL, buL Lhe resulL was LhaL a loL of Lhe early proponenLs mlssed whaL had acLually made Lhe
dlffer-ence ln Lhe learnlng and Lherefore plcked up on surface deLalls.
Larly advocaLes of acceleraLed learnlng Lalked abouL Lhe braln, abouL emoLlons, abouL learnlng sLyles and much
more. lL's worLh rememberlng LhaL Lhe 1970s and 1980s were exclLlng Llmes for learnlng and educaLlon. noL
only were amazlng Lhlngs happenlng ln Lerms of sclenLlflc dlscoverles, buL we were also beglnnlng Lo geL
LanLallslng gllmpses of Lhe way LhaL Lhe human braln works.
1hroughouL Lhe 1990s, as alLernaLlve Lheraples and developmenLs ln neurosclence arrlved Lhlck and fasL, so
acceleraLed learnlng has embraced many of Lhese Loo. ln schools flrsL, Colln 8ose and Lhen AllsLalr SmlLh have
been aL Lhe forefronL of helplng Leachers Lo develop lmaglnaLlve approach-es LhaL lnvolve acceleraLed learnlng.
3$-%14#-)&0 /&-$1%12
1here are some elemenLs of acceleraLed learnlng, mosLly Lhose whlch are Laken from Lhe realm of cognlLlve
neurosclence, whlch acceleraLed learn-lng has placed ln Lhe foreground. lL ls here LhaL acceleraLed learnlng has
someLlmes been lLs own worsL enemy. lor some bellevers have ofLen Laken blg ldeas and applled Lhem Loo
llLerally or approached really complex areas abouL whlch Lhe sclence ls sLlll very much ln lLs lnfancy and lnvesL-
ed Lhem wlLh cerLalnLy and wlLh Lhe slmpllclLy of pop psychology.1hls has someLlmes led Lo an ouLbreak of
neuro-babble and has unnecessarlly puL educaLlonal Lhlnkers off.
LeL's look aL some of Lhe Lhlngs LhaL are sald ln Lhe name of acceleraLed learnlng and examlne Lhe evldence.
5,*( 6 4 7& 8)& /&)) *(-1 69: +' +8$ #$-%1 ;+<&$
1hls ls slmply noL Lrue.1he more we flnd ouL abouL Lhe braln, Lhe more we reallse LhaL we are uslng many parLs
of lL for much of Lhe Llme. And Lhe more we flnd ouL, Lhe more we reallse how much more Lhere ls Lo know!
5,*( = 4 >"? 4 7& -$& -// &%*(&$ @%)8-/A -80%*+$, +$ B%1-&)*(&*%. /&-$1&$)
no we are noL! CerLalnly we acqulre hablLs and Lem-porary preferences, buL Lhe slmpllsLlc suggesLlon LhaL you
can somehow work ouL whlch of Lhese Lhree Lypes of learner you are ls fanclful and occaslonally damaglng. lor
lf a learner mlsLakenly assumes LhaL vAk ls llke a blood group, someLhlng LhaL s/he ls sLuck wlLh for llfe, Lhen
moLlvaLlon Lo learn Lo play a muslcal lnsLrumenL for example, may vanlsh lf a low audlLory score ls 'measured'.
1he lnLeresLlng Lhlng abouL vAk, ls LhaL lL remlnds us of Lhe lmporLance of undersLandlng our senses and
paylng much more aLLenLlon Lo how we glve ouL and Lake ln daLa - someLhlng abouL whlch neurosclence has
made us much more aware. 8uL vAk ls noL a learnlng sLyle, alLhough lL may glve lndlvlduals lnslghLs abouL how
Lhey prefer Lo Lake ln daLa ln cerLaln clrcum-sLances. 1hlnk abouL lL for a momenL. Why do mosL people end up
saylng LhaL Lhey are klnaesLheLlc learners? 8ecause Lhen Lhey are llkely Lo be uslng all of Lhe sense raLher Lhan
[usL Lhe one or Lwo lnvolved ln vlsual or audlLory modes. 1hls does noL mean LhaL lL ls noL a good ldea for more
learnlng Lo be physlcal. ln facL, Lhls klnd of swlLch ls exacLly whaL ls requlred ln much Leachlng, as Carla
Pannaford and oLhers have argued.
C0&- >-/%0%*, D1%E8& *+ "FG
Cnly use 10 of braln
power
Slmply noL Lrue MosLly
vAk
vAk are noL learnlng sLyles. Pelpful lf used Lo help undersLand
range of senses/daLa lnpuL meLhods. uamaglng lf leadlng Lo
llmlLed vlew of self as a learner.
MosLly
Learnlng sLyles
Ceneral consensus LhaL Lhls ls broadly Lrue and helpful lf used as
means of expandlng reperLolre of learner and learner self-
awareness.
no
LefL/rlghL bralns
1echnlcally Lrue (bralns have Lwo hemlspheres) buL lmplled
separaLlon of hemlsphere funcLlons ls largely false and unhelpful
MosLly
MozarL effecL
unproven. Whlle muslc affecLs mood and pace (someLlmes)
clalms for lLs lmpacL on performance are unproven.
?es
Mlnd and body
Mlnd and body, lnLellecL and emoLlons - helpful Lo Lake a hollsLlc
approach and supporLed by sclence.
no
8elaxed/alerL sLaLe
lncreaslng evldence Lo show LhaL Lhls ls a beneflclal sLaLe Lo be ln
when learnlng, buL human braln can (and needs Lo) perform well
under sLress.
no
lmporLance of
engagemenL process
Cood llLeraLure ln psychology and laLLerly neuro-sclence for Lhls. no
MulLlple lnLelllgences
ulspuLed area, buL consensus probably ln favour of Lhls. Pelpful
for mlnd-seL, unhelpful lf lL becomes a bogus pseudo-psycho-
meLrlc.
no
LmoLlons maLLer
Lvldence Lo supporL Lhls from all quarLers, lncludlng long-Lerm
lmpacL on lmmune sysLem from negaLlve emoLlons.
no
lnLeresL ln memory
A curaLe's egg. Some sound prlnclples (prlmacy/recency for
example) buL overemphasls on Lrlcks and Llps.
no, Lhough emphasls
on memory Lrlggers
ls
lmporLance of
demonsLraLlon
lor many aspecLs of sklll and process learnlng Lhls ls Lrue. no
8eflecLlon LoLs of good sclence no
?ou can acceleraLe
your learnlng
A paradox: acceleraLlon can be boLh helpful and counLer-
producLlve. lL depends!
no!
See Lhe Lable above for whaL seems Lo be help-ful abouL learnlng sLyles.
5,*( H 4 I8$ /&'* #$-%1) -$& /+2%.-/ -10 +8$ $%2(* #$-%1) -$& .$&-*%@e
Whlle Lhere are Lwo hemlspheres ln Lhe braln, mosL braln acLlvlLles lnvolve boLh. 1hls arLlflclal dlvlslon of Lhe
braln lnLo Lwo halves ls largely an lnvenLlon of pop psychologlsLs. lL arose ouL of a mlsundersLandlng of some of
Lhe Lhlnklng of 8oger Sperry and 8oger CrnsLeln abouL Lhe braln.
5,*( J 4 5+K-$* L-B&) ,+8 )L-$*&$
1he clalms for MozarL, and for baroque muslc more generally, are noL proven. CerLaln pleces of MozarL have
been shown Lo produce a Lemporary lmprovemenL ln LesL scores ln maLhemaLlcs, buL lf played Lo your young
chlld, wlll noL ensure LhaL you brlng up a genlus. Muslc does have many powerful effecLs on us, malnly as a
powerful mood lnfluencer, buL Lhere ls scanL evldence for lLs lmpacL on learnlng performance.
5,*( M 4 >%&<) +' %1*&//%2&1.&
1here has been a blg debaLe abouL Poward Cardner's radlcal vlew of lnLelllgence, ever slnce lL was flrsL
suggesLed. noL all psychologlsLs or educaLlonallsLs agree wlLh hlm for a varleLy of reasons, lncludlng Lhe culLural
varlables behlnd Lhe elghL caLegorles of lnLelllgence, Lhe way LhaL each of Lhem ls noL dlsLlncL enough and Lhe
way LalenLs and lnLelllgences are confounded.
So when ln Lhe 1980s Poward Cardner Lhrew down a gaunLleL Lo Lhe prevalllng orLhodoxy of lC by suggesLlng
LhaL we have mulLlple lnLelllgences, acceleraLed learnlng was only Loo ready Lo lnclude Lhls, Loo. And a few
years laLer, when emoLlonal lnLelllgence came along, much of Lhls approach was also lncorporaLed.
lL ls noL uncommon for some klnd of assessmenL of each of Cardner's elghL lnLelllgences Lo form parL of Lhe
learnlng process. As a consequence, you become Lemporarlly labelled as smarL aL'lnLraper-sonal' lnLelllgence
and less Lhan smarL aL, say,'obodlly-klnesLheLlc lnLelllgence'.As Lo wheLher or noL Lhls ls ln any way helpful, Lhe
[ury ls very much ouL. And aL Lhe same Llme, Lhere ls ofLen a falrly slavlsh adherence Lo uanlel Coleman's
lnLerpreLaLlon of emoLlonal lnLelllgence.
Powever, a consensus seems Lo be emerglng LhaL: a) lC ls dlscredlLed b) lL ls llkely LhaL, ln concepLuallslng
lnLelllgence, lL ls helpful Lo Lhlnk abouL lL as a much broader concepL Lhan lC.
So, lf you are asked Lo ldenLlfy whlch of your elghL lnLelllgences ls sLrong and whlch are weak ln an acceleraLed
learnlng sesslon, you are probably wasLlng your Llme. 8uL lf, by Lhlnklng abouL LalenL ln Lhls way, you sLarL Lo
see your [ob as a Leacher as hunLlng ouL Lhe areas of your undeveloped poLenLlal, lL can be helpful.
NOP QIIR STCPUTP
Lnough of Lhe flaws! 1here ls much LhaL ls good and sclenLlflcally proven.
5%10 -10 #+0, -$& %1@+/@&0
1haL learnlng lnvolves more Lhan your head ls well documenLed. Powever, Lhe degree Lo whlch Lhe
expresslon'whole-bralned learnlng' ls ln any way meanlngful, ls noL proven.
N(& $&/-V&0W-/&$* )*-*&
1here ls good evldence LhaL for creaLlve learnlng Lo be mosL effecLlve, you need sufflclenL levels of arousal Lo
be alerL, buL noL Lo be Loo sLressed Lo be relaxed. So Lhls ls a helpful concepL. Mlhaly CslkszenLmlhalyl,who
colned Lhe word 'flow' Lo descrlbe Lhe ldeal sLaLe for learnlng, expounds Lhls.
N(& %L;+$*-1.& +' *(& &12-2&L&1* ;$+.&))
Much evldence ls placed ln acceleraLed learnlng on Lhe need for learners Lo connecL wlLh Lhelr learnlng, by
glvlng Lhem Lhe 'blg plcLure' of whaL ls Lo come, by maklng Lhe process acLlve and by 'waklng up' learners. 1hls
ls good sLuff, drawlng on sound educaLlonal Lheory (e.g. belng expllclL abouL learnlng ob[ecLlves), on noLlons of
experlenLlal learnlng, (e.g. as espoused by uavld kolb and kurL Lewln), and on Lhe psychologlcal llLeraLure on
sLaLes of arousal.
7& -// (-@& %10%@%08-/ /&-$1%12 )*,/&)
1he sclence of learnlng sLyles seems Lo suggesL LhaL:
a) as a resulL of belng lndlvlduals, we have dlfferenL underlylng personallLles,
b) learnlng sLyles are noL flxed
c) vAk ls noL a learnlng sLyle buL a way of descrlblng daLa lnpuL
d) effecLlve learners learn Lo be effecLlve ln a range of slLuaLlons and uslng a range of dlfferenL sLyles
e) some learnlng sLyles LesLs are unrellable
7& (-@& L8/*%;/& %1*&//%2&1.&)
1here has been a blg debaLe abouL Poward Cardner's radlcal vlew of lnLelllgence ever slnce lL was flrsL
suggesLed. noL all psychologlsLs or educaLlonallsLs agree wlLh hlm for a varleLy of reasons, lncludlng Lhe culLural
varlables behlnd Lhe elghL caLegorles of lnLelllgence, Lhe way LhaL each of Lhem ls noL dlsLlncL enough and Lhe
way LalenLs and lnLelll-gences are confounded. Powever, a consensus seems Lo be emerg-lng LhaL: a) lC ls
dlscredlLed, b) lL ls llkely LhaL, ln concepLuallslng lnLelllgence, lL ls helpful Lo Lhlnk abouL lL as a much broader
concepL Lhan lC.
So, lf you are asked Lo ldenLlfy whlch of your elghL lnLelllgences ls sLrong and whlch are weak ln an acceleraLed
learnlng sesslon, you are probably wasLlng your Llme. 8uL lf, by Lhlnklng abouL LalenL ln Lhls way, you sLarL Lo
see your [ob as a Leacher as hunLlng ouL Lhe areas of puplls' undeveloped poLenLlal, lL can be helpful.
N(& &L+*%+1-/ &/&L&1*)
1haL emoLlons are hugely lmporLanL ln all sLages of learnlng and Lhe ldea LhaL Lhere ls no slmple
emoLlonal/cognlLlve dlvlde ls wldely accepLed. 8uL we are only [usL aL Lhe fooLhllls of our [ourney Lo undersLand
Lhelr speclflc lmpacL on memory (boLh embeddlng and recall), on performance under sLress and on reslllence.
"1 %1*&$&)* %1 L&L+$,
1ony 8uzan has arguably been Lhe ploneer ln Lhls fleld over Lhe lasL few decades, and acceleraLed learnlng has
absorbed much of hls Lhlnklng. 1he use of Mlnd Maps and oLher memory Lechnlques undoubLedly alds Lhe
learnlng process for many people. 1he danger here ls LhaL Lhese Lools can puL Loo much emphasls on facLual
recall raLher Lhan on how puplls can use mem-ory Lo Lransfer Lhelr learnlng from one slL-uaLlon Lo anoLher.
N(& %L;+$*-1.& +' 0&L+1)*$-*%+1
rovlng LhaL you know someLhlng by dolng lL ls well-founded. 1here ls a grow-lng llLeraLure abouL Lhe
lmporLance of cerLaln klnds of pracLlce lf you wanL Lo become good aL someLhlng!
N(& 1&&0 *+ $&'/&.* -10 .+1)+/%0-*&
1hls ls soundly based ln psychology and educaLlonal Lheory.
X+8 .-1 /&-$1 '-)*&$
Cf course you can! WhaL used Lo Lake Lhree years can ofLen now be done ln one! 1he blg quesLlon, ls wheLher
you wanL Lo learn fasLer or wheLher you need Lo learn slower ln many slLuaLlons, where complex lssues are aL
sLake. So where does Lhls leave us? Pere are my concluslons:
a) AcceleraLed learnlng ls noL a unlfled or coherenL seL of Lheorles or pracLlces.
b) Much of whaL ls underLaken ln lLs name ls soundly based and helpful Lo learners.
c) A conslderable amounL of lLs Lhlnklng ls con[ecLure or learnlng'spln', much of lL benlgn.
Where acceleraLed learnlng works besL ln pracLlce ln my experlence, ls where Lhe pracLlLloner effecLlvely re-
deflnes Lhe concepL so LhaL lL slmply becomes a synonym for'effecLlve modern learnlng meLhods'. AllsLalr
SmlLh, aL 'AllLe', seems Lo me Lo be a very good example of how lL ls posslble Lo Lake an lnLelllgenL and
quesLlonlng approach Lo acceleraLed learnlng.
1he end game wlLh all of Lhls ls surely Lo help puplls Lo become beLLer learners. ln Lhls lmporLanL Lask lL may be
LhaL speed ls less lmporLanL Lhan subsLance. Cf all Lhe currenL Lhlnkers, Cuy ClaxLon ln parLlcular, wlLh hls well
grounded and pracLlcally very useful noLlon of'bulldlng learnlng power', ls for me, Lhe mosL arLlculaLe and
bellev-able advocaLe of Lhe ways ln whlch we can help chlldren Lo become learners for llfe. 1Lx
Y&'&$&1.&)
1. Ceorgl Lozanov, 5oqqestoloqy ooJ Ootlloes of 5oqqestopeJy. new ?ork: Cordon and 8reach, 1978.
2. Colln 8ose and Malcolm nlcholl, AcceletoteJ leotoloq fot tbe 21st ceototy. !udy laLkus LLd, 1997.
3. AllsLalr SmlLh, Mark LovaLL and uerek Wlse, AcceletoteJ leotoloq, o uset's ColJe. neLwork LducaLlonal
ress, 2003 (avallable from 1Lx).
4. Carla Pannaford, SmarL Moves - wby leotoloq ls oot oll lo yoot beoJ. CreaL Ccean ubllshers, 1993.
3. Poward Cardner, ltomes of MloJ, tbe tbeoty of moltlple lotelllqeoces. lonLana ress, 1993.
6. uanlel Coleman, motloool lotelllqeoce - wby lt coo mottet motet boo lO.8loomsbury ubllshlng,
1996.
7. 7. Mlhaly CslkszenLmlhalyl, cteotlvlty, llow ooJ tbe lsycboloqy of ulscovetyooJ loveotloo.Parper
Colllns, 1996.
8. Cuy ClaxLon, 8ollJloq leotoloq lowet, 1LC, 2002. naLlonal rlmary 1rusL, lssue no 11, 2004. 1eachlng
Chlldren Lo Learn.
!"## %&'() ls a besL-selllng auLhor and moLlvaLlonal speaker who works wlLh organlsaLlons ln all secLors. Pe ls
also Chalrman of Lhe 1alenL loundaLlon.