Silent Way

09/02/2023

Silent Way method by Caleb Gattegno. 

We reviewed some details about previous methods:

                  GTM                                                                        DM
-Needs error correction                                              -Emphasizes listening and speaking
-Context is limited to what the teacher reads            -Intermediate communication 
                                                                                   -Repetion 
                                                                                   -Vocabulary is presented in context

Then we moved to the origin of the Silent Way. 

The Silent Way was founded in the early 1970s by Egyptian mathematician and pedagogue Caleb Gattegno. It is based on the idea that language learning can be enhanced in three main ways: 

1. Discovery rather than teaching. (DM)
2. Problem solving in the target language (DM)
3. The use of physical tools. (Rods - Realia - Colorful flash cards)
4. Error correction (GTM)

The basic principle: "Teaching must be subordinate to learning". 

This principle is related to the search for rules given to the learner in the Cognitive Code Approach.

Main principles:

1.Start with familiar sounds.

2.Give help only if absolutely necessary. Allow students to use   their own Knowledge of language learning.

3. Student attention to the teacher is important.

4. Errors are important and necessary for learning.

5. Transfer what students know already to new ideas.

6. Teacher takes a back seat. The more you help- the less they learn. Praise is not helpful.

7. Progress is more important than perfection.

8. No homework, as learning continues while we sleep.

Techniques:

Sound–Color Chart

The chart contains blocks of color, each one representing a sound in the target language. The teacher, and later the students, points to blocks of color on the chart to form syllables, words, and even sentences.

Teacher’s Silence 

The teacher gives just as much help as is necessary and then is silent. Or the teacher sets up an unambiguous situation, puts a language structure into circulation (for example, ‘Take a ____ rod’), and then is silent. Even in error correction, the teacher will only supply a verbal answer as a last resort.

Word chart: 

Contains functional vocabulary of English. It can be used for teaching and correction. There are basic words written. The chart will change as students progress.

Rods: 

The students can see by visualized context. Situations with rods can make the meaning clear, to connect the language with the meaning. Rods allow students to be creative and imaginative.

Talking about Rods I remember that our teacher gave us some, and we were asked to make a form using the rods of different sizes, then we needed to write a sentence related to it. 

Here's a photo of our teacher 😅: