Professor Georgi Lozanov first used the "suggestopedia" approach to language learning in 1969 with a small class of students. Language, in this case, is learned in a stress-free environment through creative and artistic means, focusing on language meaning and culture. Lozanov theorized that by activating the creative right side of the brain a larger portion of intellect potential is used. Language is learned in conjunction with relaxing music or artistic tools, with no greater emphasis given to music/art or the language taught. For example, Lazanov told students to relax on cushions in a low-light room, playing relaxing music and speaking to students and suddenly incorporating foreign words into the sentence. The students were not entirely aware of the foreign words spoken but were still able to discern the meaning of words later. "Suggestopedia" has now been adapted in language learning tapes, normally those that are played while asleep, or the Suggestive-Accelerated Learning Technique (SALT) often used in classrooms.
Mnemonics is a memorization technique first used by the Ancient Greeks. The basic concept of mnemonics is the use of association to aid memory, such as linking word meanings together using rhymes, associating various senses and using strong visual images. For example, the English word carpet can be translated to French as "tapis." To recall this, one could create a imagery visual image of a carpet with a tap stitched into the pattern, providing the brain with a point of reference for the word "tapis" (and therefore associating the word's meaning, "carpet," with the visual image). Word association can also be used throughout the day to reinforce language learning. For example, the French word for bread could be associated with a baker's shop. When the baker's shop is visited the brain will remember the French word for bread and, eventually, recall the French word by associating the baker's shop in other situations (such as in a language exam).
Sandwiching is an approach that focuses on the use of repetition and accurate translation. A foreign phrase is spoken, then the English translation of the phrase, then the foreign phrase again (abbreviated a "L1-L2-L1," where L1 is the foreign language and L2 is the native language). This approach reinforces the actual meaning of a phrase as well as the sentence structure. Sandwiching can also be adapted to learn single words.
Total immersion includes speaking in a foreign language only for prolonged periods. Normally, total immersion is used with peers by asking normal conversational phrases but only communicating in a foreign language. Speakers have to improvise and adapt words to form coherent sentences, rather than simply remembering certain words from a textbook. School students also use this approach when visiting a foreign country in language classes on a trip.