Evaluation of students' progress - 1 of 3

At the beginning and end of every training session, students take a one-and-a-half-hour test that assesses their levels in oral comprehension, written comprehension, oral expression, and written expression. These tests can be quite conventional; they determine objective levels before and after the course, as well as the progress made during the four or five weeks.

Readers may be surprised that I differentiate between "objective levels" and "progress". In Suggestopedia this distinction is particularly important, as groups are less homogeneous in level than in traditional teaching. Consequently, just as there were differences in level on Day One, so will there be differences at the end of the course. If this were not the case, the students who were stronger at the outset would have made less progress than those who were weaker, hence not making the most of their time.

The putting together of participants of slightly different levels creates a healthy dynamic within the group, which is favorable to an exchange between its members.