The silent Method

Silent way 

Silent way

The Silent Way is the name of a method of language teaching devised by Caleb Gattegno. It is based on the premise that the teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom but the learner should be encouraged to produce as much language as possible. (Page.81)                 

The structural patterns of the target language are presented by the teacher and the grammar "rules" of the language are learnt inductively by the learners:

Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned.

 Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects.

 Learning is facilitated by problem solving involving the material to be learned.

Watch this video, please:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YHRG_zbO4U

According to this video the teacher explained what the students have to do; however, in this method teachers should be quiet and silent as they can. Besides, The Silent Way adopts a basically structural syllabus, with lessons planned around grammatical items and related vocabulary.

Purpose: Students need to acquire independence, autonomy and responsibility.

Advantages:

• Students acquire inner criteria because of lacking of correction and repetition
• Students make generalization and conclusions
• Students make their own rules for learning

Disadvantages:

• At this kind of class there would not be corrections and answers, because everything is inferential. Besides, students can confuse due to absence of explanations.