3. Caleb Gattegno and the Silent way
The silent way(SW), a method of language
teaching, originated in the early 1970s and
introduced by Caleb Gattegno, who, an
Europe educator, is well known for the use
of colored sticks called cuisenaire rods and
for his approach to the teaching of initial
reading in which sounds are taught by
colors.
4. Basic Premises for SW
The method is based on the premise that
teacher should be silent as much as possible
and the learners should be encouraged to
produce language as much as possible.
The SW assumes that learners work with
resources and nothing else, as they are
solely responsible for what they learn.
5. Basic Premises for SW
“Teaching should be subordinated to
learning.”
Silence makes students to concentrate on
what is to be learned.
6. Learning Hypotheses
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.
7. Theory of Learning
A successful learning involves commitment of
the self to language acquisition through the use
of silent awareness and then active trial.
Silent Way learners acquire “inner criteria”.
The Silent Way student is expected to become
independent, autonomous and responsible.
8. Independent Learners
Independent learners are aware that they
must depend on their own resources and
realize that they can use the knowledge of
their own language to open up some things
in a new language.
10. Responsible Learners
Responsible learners know that
they have free will to choose
among any set of linguistic
choices, the ability to choose
intelligently and carefully is said to
be evidence of responsibility.
11. Goals of the Silent Way Teacher
Students are able to use the language for self-
expression.
They need to develop independence from the
teacher, to develop their own criteria for
correctness.
They become independent by relying on
themselves.
The teacher should give them only what they
absolutely need to promote their learning.
12. Characteristics of the Teaching Process
The teacher sets up situations that
focus on the structures of the
language. These are introduced
through a language-specific sound-
color chart.
13. Characteristics of the Learning Process
Student begin their study of the language
through its sounds.
The students receive a great deal of practice
with a given target language structure without
repetition for its own sake.
14. Nature of Student-teacher Interaction
The teacher is silent. He is still very active,
however-setting up situations to”force
awareness,” listening attentionally to students’
speech, and silently working with them on their
production through the use of nonverbal
gestures and the tools he has available.
15. Nature of Student-Student Interaction
Student-student verbal
interaction is desirable (students
can learn from one another) and
is therefore encouraged.
16. How to Deal with Feeling of Students?
When their feelings interfere, the teacher tries
to find ways for the students to overcome them.
Through feedback sessions at the end of the
lessons, students have an opportunity to express
how they feel.
It is hoped that a relaxed, enjoyable learning
environment will be created.
17. How to Accomplish Evaluation?
Although the teacher may never give a
formal test, he assesses student learning all
the time.
Since “teaching is subordinated to learning,”
the teacher must be responsive to immediate
learning needs.
The teacher’s silence frees him to attend to
his students and to be aware of these needs.
18. The learning hypotheses
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.
19. Theory of learning
A successful learning involves commitment
of the self to language acquisition through
the use of silent awareness and then active
trial.
Silent Way learners acquire “inner criteria”.
The Silent Way student is expected to
become independent, autonomous and
responsible.
20. Independent learners
Independent learners are aware that they
must depend on their own resources and
realize that they can use the knowledge of
their own language to open up some things
in a new language.
22. Responsible learners
Responsible learners know that they have
free will to choose among any set of
linguistic choices, the ability to choose
intelligently and carefully is said to be
evidence of responsibility.
25. Types of learning & teaching
activities
The teacher models a word, phrase, or sentence
and then elicits learner responses.
Learners then go on to create their own utterances
by putting together old and new information.
Charts, rods, and other aids may be used to elicit
learner responses.
Teacher modeling is minimal, although much of
the activity may be teacher directed.
29. The principles
Silence is a tool. It helps to foster autonomy, or
the exercise of initiative. The teacher should give
only what help is necessary.
Students need to develop their own inner criteria
for correctness.
Students should rely on each other and
themselves. The teacher’s silence encourages
group cooperation.
30. The teacher works with the students while the
students work on the language.The teacher is
responsible for creating an environment that
encourages student risk taking and that facilitating
learning. He is a neutral observer, neither pleased by
correct performance nor discouraged by error.
Errors are important and necessary to learning.
They show the teacher where things are unclear.
At the beginning, the teacher needs to look for
progress, not perfection. Learning takes place in
time. Students learn at different rates.
The principlesThe principles
31. Students should receive a great deal without
repetition.
The elements of the language are introduced
logically, expanding upon what students already
know.
The teacher can gain valuable information from
student feedback. Students learn how to accept
responsibility for their own learning.
The principlesThe principles
32. Some learning takes place naturally as we sleep.
Students will naturally work on the day’s lesson
then.
The syllabus is composed of linguistic
structures.
The skills of speaking, reading, and writing
reinforce one another.
The principlesThe principles
33. 3. Students need to develop their own
inner criteria for correctness.
The teacher should give only what
help is necessary.
to observe their students at work in order to learn
how to work with them
to evaluate progress from moment to moment
to provide non-repetitive and motivating practice
to provide meaning through direct perception, not
through translation
to create a relaxed atmosphere of mutual
cooperation
to take into account students' individual needs and
varying levels of competence
34. The Silent Way respects
The learners and their learning processes -
Because students have already mastered their
native language, they are treated as sophisticated
language learners.
The impacts of teaching upon learning - The Silent
Way techniques are designed to allow teachers to
intervene without interfering with the learning
processes.
The language being learned - The materials and
techniques are designed to bring students into
contact the totality and complexity of the new
language. Yet, used in specific ways, they provide
opportunities for working analytically on very
pinpointed issues.
