ARTÍCULOS

Learn English to the Rhythm of Bach: An Eclectic
Methodology for Learning English Based on
Suggestopedia and the CRAFT Program

Laura Medina Rull, University of Granada, Spain.
María Pilar Posadas de Julián, Conservatory of Music of Granada Victoria Eugenia, Spain.
José Luis Ortega Martín, University of Granada, Spain.

Abstract: In this article, we reviewed the previous literature about Suggestopedia and its derived theories and examined its main features in order to develop the Program “Studying Abroad: Erasmus,” implemented in the Royal Conservatory of Music of Granada “Victoria Eugenia,” and the results obtained were analyzed. From the program created, we have designed a holistic methodology called “Learn English to the Rhythm of Bach,” a multifaceted approach involving Suggestopedia and the CRAFT Program and based on Yoga, Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence and Positive Psychology.

THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEDAGOGY AND CURRICULUM
http://thelearner.com
ISSN: 2327-7963 (Print) | ISSN: 2327-9133 (Online)
http://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7963/CGP (Journal)

© 2019 (individual papers), the author(s) | © 2019 (selection and editorial matter), Common Ground Research Networks

Here, we report on a quasi-experimental study to explore the applicability and perceived benefits of the CRAFT program, which is based on mindfulness, yoga, positive psychology, and emotional intelligence, to improve higher education student musicians’ health and well-being during the lockdown. A subset of student musicians at a Higher Conservatory of Music in Spain followed the CRAFT program during the academic year 2019/2020, 1 h per week as part of their curriculum. Students enrolled in CRAFT-based elective subjects formed the CRAFT program group (n = 40), while other students represented the control group (n = 53). The onset of the national lockdown elicited by the COVID-19 pandemic occurred halfway through the program, which was subsequently delivered in an online format. We administered an online survey to explore the effect that the exposure to the CRAFT program had in terms of how participants dealt with various health and well-being concerns arising from the COVID-19 lockdown. There was a significantly higher proportion of proactive participants in the CRAFT program group, 92%, than in the control group, 58%, in terms of implementing practices to improve their health and well-being during the lockdown. Additionally, significantly more participants acknowledged perceived benefits from their practices in the CRAFT program group, 78%, than in the control group, 52%. Among proactive participants, yoga/meditation was the most implemented in the CRAFT program group, followed by exercise, and other yoga/meditation practices, whereas in the control group, exercise and Alexander technique-based practices were the most applied. In the CRAFT program group, the highest rate of perceived benefits was from yoga/meditation CRAFT-based practices, 51%, followed by exercise, 32%, and other yoga/meditation practices, 27%, whereas in the control group, benefits were reported by 29% of exercising participants and 16% for those having practiced the Alexander technique. A similar pattern was observed when excluding participants with previous yoga/meditation experience. This study revealed how participants can independently apply learned skills from the CRAFT program in response to a naturally occurring life event of unprecedented global impact, suggesting that previous exposure to mindfulness and yoga is likely to have a beneficial effect on how young adults react towards exceptionally stressful conditions.

Mindfulness, Yoga, and Emotional Intelligence for Music and Language Education: The CRAFT Program

María Pilar Posadas de Julián. Camilo José Cela University, Madrid, Spain.
Luis Javier Bartos Pérez. Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

Abstract: This piece of work introduces the CRAFT program—which stands for “Consciencia” [Consciousness], “Relajación” [Relaxation], “Atención” [Attention], “Felicidad” [Happiness], and “Transcendencia” [Transcendence]—
its theoretical foundations, and a preliminary study to evaluate its potential benefits and applicability. CRAFT is a holistic program based on mindfulness, yoga, positive psychology, and emotional intelligence, integrating the latest neuroscientific findings into the educational context. It is specifically devised to address and promote the needs of specialized educational fields such as fine arts, music, and languages, which have been generally less investigated, although it can be applied to any educational setting. A reduced version of the program, called “The CRAFT’s 7 Mindful Minutes,” was implemented in the Royal Conservatory of Music of Granada “Victoria Eugenia” for eight months on seventeen higher education student musicians during their regular academic instruction. At the end of this period, students completed an evaluation survey designed to assess their level of agreement with the hypothesized benefits of the program and its viability. Analysis of the
evaluation survey provided evidence supporting the potentiality of the program to promote various physical, psychological, and health and well-being related benefits. Overall, the program was well-received and favorably evaluated by the students as a valuable tool to enhance their academic abilities and daily lives. These results inform of positive implications for
further application of the CRAFT program within these educational settings and the need for future longitudinal studies examining its effects.

THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTS EDUCATION
https://artsinsociety.com
ISSN: 2326-9944 (Print) | ISSN: 2327-0306 (Online) | http://doi.org/10.18848/2326-9944/CGP (Journal)

© 2021-2022 (individual papers), the author(s) | © 2021 -2022 (selection and editorial matter),
Common Ground Research Networks

This qualitative study was conducted with participants from a previous investigation that explored the applicability and perceived impact of a program based on yoga, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and positive psychology, to enhance student musicians’ health and well-being during the lockdown. This program is named CRAFT, the acronym of which stands for the following Spanish terms that constitute its 5 elements: Consciencia, Relajación, Atención, Felicidad, and Transcendencia. The current study aimed to gain a greater understanding of participants’ CRAFT-based practice implementation experience and their perceived benefits derived from it during the lockdown. Participants were higher education student musicians (n = 26) attending CRAFT-based elective subjects of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence, once a week for 1 hr throughout the academic year 2019/2020; at a Royal Conservatory of Music in Spain. Participants’ responses to an open-ended question were content analyzed following a deductive approach guided by the framework of the 5 CRAFT elements. The content analysis revealed 6 overarching themes, 1 for each CRAFT element and an additional 1 labeled “other.” Participants’ perceived benefits aligned with the 5 CRAFT elements and included developments such as enhanced conscious awareness, emotional self-regulation, psychological distress, mind clearance, relaxation, concentration, wellness, vitality, hope, transforming attitudes, equanimity, positivity, and resilience. These findings suggest that curricular exposure with the CRAFT program was beneficial among higher education student musicians to cope with their health and well-being lockdown demands, having thus relevant implications in both higher education and clinical settings for health and well-being promotion, support, and prevention during stressful pandemic times.

Online First Publication, February 17, 2022. The Humanistic Psychologist. Advance online publication.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hum0000277