The Silent Way is a language teaching method developed by Caleb Gattegno in 1963, emphasizing the use of silence and physical props like Cuisenaire rods for effective learning. This method promotes active student participation, self-expression, and cognitive engagement while reducing the teacher’s role to that of an observer. Though less commonly used today, it significantly influences pronunciation teaching and encourages learners to become independent and responsible in their learning process.

1. THE SILENT WAY

2. WHAT IS SILENT WAY
◦ Language teaching method
◦ Created by Caleb Gattegno
◦ Extensive use of silence as a teaching technique

3. Caleb introduced this method in 1963;
in his own book
entitled, Teaching Foreign Languages
in Schools:
The Silent Way

4. PRINCIPLES
◦ Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers and creates
rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned
◦ Learning is facilitated by accompanying physical objects.
For Gattegno, he used colored sticks called Cuisenaire
rods and Fidel charts to teach sounds
◦ Successful learning involves self commitment
SOUND COLOR CHART
CUISENAIRE
RODS

5. APPROACH
+uses cognition in the learning process
+fun
-learning before you start English
- too distant from the teacher
CONSTRUCTIVISM

6. OBJECTIVES
◦ Students should be able to use the language for self-expression, to express their thought
perception and feelings
◦ Learners should acquire 'inner criteria' that will help them in other spheres of life
◦ Students should become independent, autonomous and responsible

8. LEARNER ROLES
◦ Active participation
◦ Use the knowledge of their native language
◦ Involve in verbal interactions with each other
◦ Participate in correction activities

9. TEACHER ROLES
◦ Stevick defines the Silent Way teacher's tasks as
(a) to teach,
(b) to test, and
(c) to get out of the way (Stevick 1980: 56)
◦ Act as the neutral observer
◦ To present learning goals that are clear and attainable

10. PROPS USED
Colored
Cuisenaire
rods
1
The sound-
color chart
2
Word charts
3
Fidel charts
4

11. ROLE OF
PROPS
To illustrate the
relationships between
sound and meaning in
the target language
1
Subject to manipulation
by the students and the
teacher, independently
and cooperatively, in
promoting language
learning by direct
association
2

12. CUISENAIRE
RODS

13. SOUND COLOR CHART

14. WORD CHART

15. FIDEL CHART

16. PROCEDURE
◦ Students begin their study of the language through its basic building blocks, its sounds.
◦ For much of the students-teacher interactions, the teacher is silent.
◦ Student-student verbal interaction is desirable and is therefore encouraged.
◦ The teacher constantly observes the students. When their feelings interfere, the teacher tries to
find ways for the students to overcome them.

17. TECHNIQUES
◦ Teacher's silence
◦ Cognitive coding with the use of props
◦ Peer correction
◦ Self-correction gestures
◦ Structured feedback

18. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SILENT WAY AND
OTHER TEACHING METHODOLOGIES
• Silent way is slower than most other methods
• Focuses more on 'quality than quantity'
• No use of textbooks
• Attention given on patterns & structure of the language being taught
(Conduct a discussion in class on the similarities and differences between silent
way and the other methods)

19. END NOTES
◦ Now used only by a small number of teachers
◦ Influential in the teaching of pronunciation

20. THANK YOU