The Silent Way is a language teaching method devised by Caleb Gattegno based on the teacher being as silent as possible. It uses physical objects like Cuisenaire rods to facilitate problem-solving in the target language. The objectives are near-native fluency and learner autonomy. The theory views language as arbitrarily associated sounds and meanings organized by grammar rules, separated from social context and taught through artificial situations represented by rods. Learners work independently and correct themselves while the teacher silently monitors and uses gestures to elicit responses without direct correction or modeling.

1. The Silent Way
Prepared by: Youssef BOUDARKA
CRMEF – SM
Eng.Department

2. OUTLINE:
I. The SW : A Definition
II. Basic Premises of SW
III. Objectives of the SW
IV. Theory of language & Learning
V. Teachers’ & students’ roles
VI. Pedagogical Materials
VII.Advantages & Disadvantages

3. The Silent Way
The SW is the name of a method of language
teaching devised by Caleb Gattengo.
 It is based on the idea that teachers should be
as silent as possible during a class but learners sh
ould be encouraged to speak as much as possible

4. Basic Premises of SW
. There are three basic principles:
 - The learner needs to discover or create.
 - Learning is made easier by the use of phy
sical objects such as Cuisenaire rods.
 Learning is made easier by problem-solvi
ng using the target language.

5. Objectives of The SW
Near-native fluency in the target language.
 The teacher facilitates the students' & helps the stud
-ents gain insight into the functioning of the language.
Learners autonomy and independence.

6. Theory of Language
Language is seen as groups of sounds arbitrarily associated with specif
meanings and organized into sentences or strings of meaningful units
by grammar rules.
Language is separated from its social context and
taught through artificial situations, usually represented by rods.
Gattegno views language itself "as a substitute for
experience, so experience is what gives meaning to language" (Gattegno
1972: 8).

7. Theory of Learning
Gattegno recommends that the learner needs to "return
to the state of mind that characterizes a baby's learning -
surrender" (Scott and Page 1982: 273).
The "artificial approach" that Gattegno proposes is base
d on the Principle that successful learning involves com
mitment of the self to language acquisition through the u
se of silent awareness.

8. Teacher ‘s roles
A technician or an engineer who facilitates learning/ neutral
observer.
Teacher silently monitors learners’ interactions with each other.
The teacher uses gestures, charts, and manipulates in order to elicit
& shape students’ responses.
"Teach, test, get out of the way"

9. Learner’s roles
Learners are expected to develop independence, autonorny, and
responsibility.
The absence of correction and modelling requires students to
develop « inner critera » and to correct themselves.
Learners work collectively rather than competitively.
A learner should be a teacher, problem-solver, and a self-evaluat
or.

10. Pedagogical Materials

15. Disadvantages
•. The learner works in isolation and com
munication is lacking badly in a Silent Way
classroom.
•With minimum help on the part of the tea
cher, the Silent Way method may put the l
earning itself at stake.
•The material ( the rods and the charts) us
ed in this method will certainly fail to intro
duce all aspects of language. Other materi
als will have to be introduced.

16. Advantages
Learning through problem solving looks attractive especially because it fosters:
– creativity,
– discovery,
– increase in intelligent potency and
– long term memory.
The indirect role of the teacher highlights the importance and the centrality of th
e learner who is responsible in figuring out and testing the hypotheses about ho
w language works. In other words teaching is subordinated to learning