THE SILENT WAY METHOD

Principles and Techniques

PRINCIPLES

Teacher goals

Evaluation:

Lang for self-expression; students dev. Independence; inner criteria

Teacher/student roles: teacher

technician to focus attn on prior knowledge; students actively explore language

may be largely informal, continuous; transfer learning to new contexts; no teacher praise/criticism..steady progress, not perfection desired

Errors: natural..used as basis for

instruction..self-correction, peer feedback encouraged..teacher correction last resort

Process: sound/pronun introduced first thru

sound-color Fidel charts; simulated sits. Focus on single structures; students prompted by minimal cues; students asked to describe reactions; stud. respons. encouraged

Lang/culture: inseparable..no fixed linear

structured syllabus; develops according to needs..all skills addressed but writing later

Native lang: used for instructions/pronun but

no translation; initial feedback sessions; schema within 1st lang used

Techniques
Cuisenaire rods Teachers silence Peer correction Fidel charts Self-correction gestures Word chart Structured feedback

COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LEARNING METHOD

Principles and Techniques

PRINCIPLES

communicative lang. Use; stud. Reasons. For learning; whole person, non-defensive learning Teacher/stud roles: teacher as counselor, reduces threat; stud goes thru stages from dependent to independent Process: conversation in native lang; teacher translates in chunks; taperecorded into transcript; emerging grammar needs

Teacher goals:

Process

elements: security-aggressionattention-reflection--retentiondiscrimination; teacher builds rapport w/studs.; studs. Feelings acknowledged/responded to Lang/culture: integrated to

(contd): 6

build communication/dev. Creative thinking

Emphasis: initially

understanding/speaking with stud-designed syllabus; reading/writing on emerging needs

Principles (contd)

Native lang: initially heavy use of translation; pantomime also used Evaluation: not usual test; studs. Emotionally prepared; tests more integrative (not discrete)--write para or oral interview; selfevaluation

Principles (contd)

Error: non-threatening response through modeling correct usage Physical layout: circles with teacher outside circle

Techniques
Taperecording student conversation Transcription of recorded conversation Reflection on experience Reflective listening

Human computer

Small group tasks