Silent way method

 

background

The Silent Way is a language teaching method created by Caleb Gattegno that makes extensive use of silence as a teaching technique. It is not usually considered a mainstream method language education.It was first introduced in Gattegno's book Teaching Foreign Languages in Schools: The Silent Way in 1963. Gattegno was skeptical of the mainstream language education of the time, and conceived of the method as a special case of his general theories of education.

Principles of silent way

·         Teachers should concentrate on how students learn, not on how to teach.

·         Imitation and drill are not the primary means by which students learn.

·         Learning consists of  trial and error, deliberate experimentation, suspending judgement, and revising conclusions.

·         In learning, learners draw on everything that they already know, especially their native language.

·         The teacher must not interfere with the learning process

These principles situate the Silent Way in the tradition of discovery learning, that sees learning as a creative problem-solving activity.

Evaluation in the Silent Way is carried out primarily by observation. Teachers may never give a formal test, but they constantly assess students by observing their actions. This allows them to respond straight away to any problems the students might have.

Teachers also gain feedback through observing students' errors; errors are seen as natural and necessary for learning, and can be a useful guide as to what structures need more practice. Furthermore, teachers may gain feedback by asking the students at the end of the lesson. When evaluating the students, teachers expect them to learn at different rates, and students are not penalized for learning more slowly than their classmates. Teachers look for steady progress in the language, not perfection.

Design and goals

The general goal of the Silent Way is to help beginning-level students gain basic fluency in the target language with the ultimate aim being near-native  language proficiency and good pronunciation. An important part of this ability is being able to use the language for self-expression; students should be able to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs in the target language.

Teaching method

The aim of lesson is to learn about different methods used in teaching and varying ways of practicing a new skill. During lesson and training sessions, the teacher or coach must provide guidance to the athletes to ensure they learn effectively. There are four parts to teaching a new skill,

·         Instructing

·         Demonstrating

·         Applying

·         Confirming.

Types of practice

·         Fixed practice

·         Massed practice

·         Variable practice

·         Distributed practice.