THE SILENT WAY

The objective of The Silent Way Method of language teaching is for students to work as independent language learners. The teacher speaks very little when using this method. The role of the teacher is to draw the learners' attention to the way that they are going about the act of learning. The teacher facilitates the students' discoveries and helps the students to gain insight into the functioning of the language. In order to use this method some specific materials are required.

    * A Sound/Color Wall Chart: made up of different color rectangles in which each color represents a phoneme or sound of the English language.

    * Word Wall Charts: words are written using the same color code as the sound/color wall chart suggests. These charts display the structural vocabulary of the language.

    * Spelling Charts: These charts are referred to as the Fidel. They show the possible spellings for each phoneme and they also use the same color code as the sound/color wall chart.

    * Rods: these are cards containing sounds which correspond to the sound/color wall chart. These rods allow students to create words using phonemes.

A pointer should be used by the teacher to help guide the class as they vocalize the sounds. A pointer can also help to teach which syllable has the stress on it by tapping that syllable harder than the others. This aids in the development of proper pronunciation of words in the target language.

Stevick highlights the five basic principles that underlie this method:

1. Teaching should be subordinated to learning.

2. Learning is not just imitation or exercise.

3. By learning, the mind is furnished by his own work, trial and error, experimentation, deliberate, suspension of trials and review conclusions.

4. While working, the mind turns to all what has been acquired, mainly their experience in learning the native language.

5. Whether to make the work of the teacher to the learner, the teacher should stop interfering and let go of their work.

Advantages

• Student-student and student-teacher have more interaction
• The self-esteem of the students will be increased and this will enhance learning.

Disadvantages

• It is valid in small groups of students.
• Language is separated from its social context.

Here is an example of a class with this method:

Look for the material used in this method