University of Sarajevo

Faculty of Philosophy
English Department
Introduction to the Methodology of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, FIL ANG 311

Methodological assignment:
The Silent Way

Student: Instructor:
Index:
Status:

November, 2016
From the very beginning of its existence, up to the present time, it was common practice
for educational institutions to structure their lessons so that the teachers assume an
active role in the distribution of knowledge, while the learners would assume a passive
role and acquire knowledge. Up until the middle of the last century this way of teaching
was seen as the most efficient and beneficial for the learners. Developments in the fields
of sociology, psychology and pedagogy, as well as the requirements and expectations
the 21st century placed on society, has led to new developments concerning the way the
educational institutions work.
Educators started noticing problems with the existing way of teaching. Students were
required to passively listen to their teacher, answer the teachers questions if prompted
and be evaluated by their capability of repeating the information theyve acquired
during the lessons. In the case of teaching English to foreign students, the most common
practice was the so called R&P (Listen and Repeat) method, where students would
acquire the proper pronunciation and intonation of the language by listening and
repeating after their teacher. By imitating the teacher the students were believed to reach
a level of fluency a non-native speaker can have.
Educators believed that the problem with this way of teaching was the teachers
proactive role in the classroom, resulting in students being thought rather than them
learning. While the two terms may seem similar there is a distinct difference, the former
provides the student with only short-term knowledge, there is no personal attachment to
the information and it will most likely disappear from the memory in a short while, it
furthermore constricts the students acquired knowledge to the teachers criteria of
correctness, while the later requires the students to form their own criteria without any
influence, the information will have a personal and emotional attachment connected to
the students own experiences and will most likely stay with the students throughout
their life. One of the most adamant advocators of reducing the teachers role in the
classroom was Calem Gattegno. He believed that in order for teaching to stop
interfering with learning a Subordination of teaching to learning was required.
He called this way of teaching The Silent Way, first introduced in 1963 in his book
Teaching Foreign languages in School, The Silent Way.
The Silent Way, as the name implies, requires that the teacher remains completely silent
for most of the lesson, speaking only when absolutely necessary. For the teachers
silence is a tool. It helps to foster autonomy, or the exercise of initiative (Larsen-
Freeman & Anderson, 2011, p. 89). He teaches by letting the students explore the
language and only serves as an organizer of the lesson. The students are expected to
draw from their own experiences from their mother-language to understand and
discover the target language on their own, while at the same time create their own
learning experience. The teacher also makes use of various teaching aids such as the
Cuisenaire rods, Fidel chart, a sound color chart, word chart and a pointer, all of which
are used to connect the students with the language they are learning, without any
extensive communication from the teacher.
When the book was published it didnt garner much attention and was only reviewed
two times. But it slowly became more and more popular and it is said that it sold three
thousand copies. While the method boasts of one of the quickest language acquisition, it
is still fairly unpopular with the teachers. There are many possible reasons for the
methods unpopularity and many of them could stem from the various disadvantages and
inconveniences that this method brings.
Teaching The Silent Way demands heavy preparation and creativity from the teacher.
His lessons should successfully convey the subject matter with as little words as
possible, while at the same be flexible and if the need arises abandon the planned lesson
in case of a needed revision of the earlier learned material.
The Silent Way can seem very different from the common methods of teaching and if
the students werent exposed to it earlier, it can take some time to adapt to.
The Silent Way is most efficient when it is used in small groups, up to ten students. This
already creates a problem because most public schools will have more than ten people
in one class, and further division of the class may not be possible.
More than ten students and the teacher will lose track of the progress that each student
makes. A student, who has been left behind in the material learned, can have major
difficulties in catching up to his peers, as the nature of the Silent Way does not use any
books from which the students could catch up on. As the Silent Way also promotes
students cooperating and helping each other out, a larger number of students could be
hard to control.
Students knowledge of the targeted language can vary thereby; starting from the basics
of the language can elicit negative reactions from students who already mastered the
basics. Furthermore the slow progress of the Silent Way can even more displease them,
and lose their cooperation. It is even harder to transmit to the students the more
advanced uses of the language, as there is so much one can do with the Cuisenaire rods.
On the other hand the teachers silence is a good motivator for the students to evaluate
themselves based on their own inner criteria. This will boost the students self-esteem
and they will be more eager to learn. Their self-reliance will help them discover their
cognitive powers, and the learning experience will become much more engaging and
personal. Another benefit of the Silent Way method is the students freedom. Their
learning process is not restricted by arbitrary rules imposed by the teacher. The teacher
is there to show them the way, present a problem or task, and then step aside and let the
students explore the language on their own. This way cooperative interaction between
students is encouraged, making the students learn how to work in groups in solving a
problem as well as how to think independently.
Teachers role
The teachers main role in the classroom is that of an organizer. He needs to make the
lessons in such a way that they are easy to understand as well as fun for the students.
By using his creativity and his silence to his advantage, he needs to create an
atmosphere in the classroom which encourages participation. In preparation for each
lesson he needs to make use of his teaching aid. The word-chart is used for new
vocabulary which he then presents to the students either by using Cuisenaire rod or
some other method. By using the sound-word chart and the word chart the teachers first
task is to establish similarities between the native language of the learners and the target
language. By starting with the known and then moving onto the unknown, the students
will learn to draw knowledge from their own language in order to understand the target
language. Each syllable on the word chart is colored and corresponds to the colors on
the sound-word chart. By staying silent and pointing between the two charts, students
will soon pronounce words on their own and expand their vocabulary.
Through this whole process the teacher is taking control of the classroom; all eyes are
on him and his pointing stick, only relinquishing his role when he decides to switch to
group work. The teacher never points out mistakes the students make and he neither
gives excessive praise for the right answer provided. Errors are a natural part of learning
and should not be looked at negatively but rather should be used as indicators of what
was unclear during the lesson.
By keeping silent the students are not immediately provided with the correct answer.
The teacher never assesses the students, instead he lets the students concentrate on the
task ahead and try to find the right answer on their own. Whether they decide that the
correct answer is that of another student or find the answer themselves, is irrelevant.
The answer wasnt handed out to them; they choose what the correct answer is by their
own criteria of correctness, and so they will retain that knowledge more easily.
This way the students have more autonomy in the language. They are free to explore
and discover it.
For the same reason the students are not graded. Evaluation is ongoing process where
the teacher follows each students progress. The teacher looks for steady progress, not
perfection. (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011, p. 94)
The teachers silence gives him leave to observe his students. While they are engrossed
in group activity, the teacher can note each individual progress of the students as well as
the whole class progress and proceed with the lesson accordingly.
The existence of the sound-word chart and the word chart permits the teacher to
sometimes assume the role of the prompter. While the students are encouraged to
explore the language and come up with their own answers, the class still has to make
progress. A quick gesture with the pointing stick to one of the charts can give the
students all the necessary aid they need without giving them the answer directly.
Usage in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Silent way is non-existent in Bosnia and Herzegovina as far as my experiences go.
Even in countries that have a more advanced educational system the method is seldom
used. The educational system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a little behind in terms of
progress from other countries. This has led to teachers being chosen for their expertise
in their field of study rather than their ability to teach. The result was that older teachers
were employed who had plenty of experience and knowledge on the subject matter but
were lacking in their way of teaching. They conduct their lessons the same way as they
themselves have been thought when they were students, many years ago when the
educational system was still undeveloped throughout the world. This is why they are
reluctant of changing the existing teaching method. They know that this method more or
less works so what is the point of changing it?
This is why I believe the newer teaching methods are almost never used in this country.
The few younger teacher whose student I was, were less rigid in their teaching and their
classes were different from the usual. It is clear that they went through proper training to
become a teacher and they used their abilities which they learned throughout their
training in creating a more comfortable atmosphere in the classroom.
I imagine that even for the new teachers who have gone through the proper training, The
Silent Way is seen as too unusual or inefficient. The Silent Way is most efficient on the
beginner level; thereby it is best used on students who know nothing of the language.
Introducing a new method of teaching to students who are already used to the standard
listen and repeat lessons can be met with uncooperative behavior. Using it on students
who have already gone through years of learning the target language can create various
obstacles as well. Their varying degrees of knowledge can prove difficult for the teacher
to organize the class in such a way, that it becomes beneficial for every student. Another
factor to consider is that of the students parents who upon hearing the teaching method
used in the classroom can voice dissatisfaction for they too known of only one method
of teaching and are unaware of the benefits the Silent Way can have on their children.
Another reason teachers dont use The Silent Way can be because of its slow progress
and the vast amount of work that goes into each lesson. For each new lesson the teacher
is required to make a color coded word chart and a creative way in which to present new
lesson to the students. Other methods might provide the same results as the Silent Way,
but without the added workload.
Lesson: Colors
Topic: Pronunciation of numbers 1 to 10
Objective: Learning to pronounce colors
Time: 45 minutes
Level: Basic
Grade: First Grade
Focus: Language pronunciation
Procedure: With the use of the Cuisenaire rods, teach the students how to pronounce
colors. The students can choose their favorite and with the teachers help pronounce the
color correctly.

The teachers role in this example is to observe, prompt organize and control the
classroom. The lesson may not be a simple word
Lesson: Sentence Structure
Topic: Telling a Story
Objective: Successful recount of the story
Time: 45 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Grade: First year of high school
Focus: Sentence structure and proper use of grammar
Procedure: The teacher prepares several scenarios which he then silently enacts in front
of the students making use of gestures and other teaching aid to help present the
scenario better. The students work in groups to try and figure out what they saw. The
teacher meanwhile observers the students progress. After some time passes a number
of students are prompted to retell what they saw. If their recount is satisfactory move
onto another scenario, if not, repeat the parts of the scenario that the students got wrong
until they get it right. If the class progresses without much obstruction the students
would be called out to come up with their own story that they pronounce.

The teachers role in all this is that of an observer for the most part. After he takes
control of the classroom in the beginning to start off with the scenario he withdraws
from the stage and observes the progress that each group makes. If the students have
problems understanding certain parts the teacher again takes control of the classroom to
try and help the students understand using gestures and the Fidel chart and word chart.
When a student provides a satisfactory account of what has happened in the story he
will not immediately move onto the next one. But rather prompt other students to try
and retell the story. Once the teacher is sure that the whole class has a good grasp on the
story, he will move onto the next one.

With this method students are required to work together to solve a problem as a group.
Students might perceive things differently from one another and the differing views on
the same subject can prove to be a learning experience for everybody involved. They
will, perhaps for the first time, have the freedom to talk about things as they understand
it, leaving them to explore the language. It also encourages the students to make use of
previously learned material in constructing a coherent sentence.
Conclusion
The Silent Way is certainly an unusual and novel way of teaching but it also breathes
fresh life into the existing practice of teaching. Its focus on the learner as an
independent individual capable of thinking and acting on his own, provides the students
with a freedom not present in other methods. Its slower pace from other methods can
prove to be an impediment of its usage, but the positive benefits serve to shadow the
fewer negatives. The strain it puts on the teachers can dissuade them from practicing the
method but once the method is mastered it can become the most efficient teaching
method. The learners freedom to explore and discover the language serves as a
prerequisite for a fun and novel class were every new lesson becomes a series of
problem solving activities.
Becomes a series of problem solving activities
References
- Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques and principles in
language teaching. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.

- Gattegno, C. (2010). Teaching foreign languages in schools: The silent way.

- Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language

In the future they will develop their own inner criteria, thereby be more self-reliant as
well as more confident in their own judgment.

Each lesson will require change of vocabulary on the word chart as well as creative way
to teach the students the new vocabulary

Even in countries that have a more advanced educational system the method is seldom
used. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, teaching EFN is mostly
The Silent way is non-existent in Bosnia and Herzegovina as far as my experiences go.
Even in countries that have a more advanced educational system the method is seldom
used. The Silent method, among other methods used to teach EFN, would be beneficial
for English classrooms in schools, for it would present quite a change of pace from the
monotonous listen and repeat lessons that is ever present in the classroom. The only
instances I can think of an unintentional usage of The Silent Way was when students
were evaluated in the form of a response paper.

and my practical lessons in high school. In those lessons the teacher would leave is
with a complicated mathematical problem and until the end of the lesson we were
supposed to solve it. The teacher would only rarely interact with us when he was
required to enforce discipline. His scarce involvement with the class meant that once a
student resolves the problem the whole class has resolved the problem. While some
students were actively working together in order to solve a single problem others would
exploit the teachers lack of observation to avoid doing anything. The students who were
cooperating on solving the problem were treated enjoyed the freedom of independent
thought, cooperation with peers on solving a problem together
References
- He concluded that learning is a process which we initiate by ourselves by
mobilizing our inner resources (our perception, awareness, cognition,
imagination, intuition, creativity, etc.) to meet the challenge at hand.

- Silence is a tool. It helps to foster autonomy, or the exercise of initiative. It also

At first The Silent Way didnt garner much attention from other methodologist, passing
by almost unnoticed. But at the end of the century more and more people have
experienced the Silent Way first hand by one of the many seminars and lectures by
Gattegno. While the speed of the students acusation of the language was astonishable
the methods unusual approach to teaching remains, for the most part, unpopular.
. that of the teacher adopting an active role in the class and the students are expected to
passively listen, if prompted answer a question and get evaluated by repeating the
knowledge that they have acquired from their teachers For the longest time schools
were place where students got thought but did little learning. The teacher would take the
active role while the student would be passive and listen and sometime speak if
prompted by the teacher. Teaching languages the norm was to use the metod of listening
and repeat where students would listen to the correct pronunciation of the teacher and
repeat after him. In short term they are being thought the correct way of saying things,
and their success depends on the teachers criteria. In 1971 Gettrude came up with a
new method of teaching, one that subverts the common practice, and puts the teacher in
the passive role while the students are fulfilling the role of an active speaker in the class.
The method is called The Silent Way and as its name suggest the teacher for the most
part does not say anything during the lesson, and the students are the ones who speak,
correct their own mistakes and improve in relation to their own criteria. This way,
instead of the students being thought the correct way, they learn to judge their own
answers and results by their own criteria.
An Egyptian born mathematician he not only advanced the study of the field in
mathematics but also in psychology, physics, chemistry and education. He has worked
all over the world and has become a distinguished linguist with over 100 of published
works