About the creator of silent method

The Silent Way is a language-teaching approach that was created by Caleb Gattegno, a mathematician. First
introduced by Gattegno in 1963 in his book “Teaching Foreign Languages in Schools: The Silent Way”, the
approach is a clear response to the rigid and restrictive teaching approaches that were common at the
time.

Rules and principle

As the name suggests, this approach requires the teacher to use their silence as a tool to develop learner
autonomy and encourage active student participation. A mixture of silence and simple gestures means that
it’s impossible for the teacher to dominate the lesson. Rather the role of the teacher is to correct where
necessary, but students are encouraged to speak as much as possible and are better able to develop their
independent problem-solving skills.

Key characteristics of the Silent Way in language teaching

1. Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates: The Silent Way belongs to a tradition that views
learning as a problem solving, creative, discovering activity in which the learner is a principal actor rather
than a bench-bound listener

2. Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects: Most of the traditional tools for
language instruction (textbooks, worksheets etc.) are not used as part of this teaching approach. Instead,
teachers use different coloured Cuisenaire rods (traditionally used in maths teaching) and wallcharts that
indicate the correct pronunciation of certain letters.

Use Cuisenaire rods to make a sentence. Assign different color to each part of speech (verb is blue, noun is
white, adjective is yellow,). Have students come up with examples of their own sentences that follow the
same structure. Or shuffle the rods and ask students to re-create the original
sentence.

3. Learning is facilitated by problem solving involving the material to be learned: Advocates of the
approach often refer to Benjamin Franklin’s famous words as evidence of its efficacy: “Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Silent Way Method Teacher Role

The teacher’s role in this method is to provide a supportive environment where students can take risks and
experiment with language. This means that the teacher speaks very little, instead using visual aids to help
convey meaning.

Students are encouraged to work together to figure out new concepts, and they are given ample time to
process information before moving on.

This hands-off approach can be challenging for some teachers, but it allows students to take ownership of
their learning and really engage with the material.

Advantages of the Silent Way

All of the research is clear – students just learn better when they are active participants in their own
learning. Allowing students to do most of the talking in a lesson is a great way to help educators to
accomplish this.

This approach forces students to find their own solutions, rather than relying on the teacher to come to the
answer. As such it also gives them experience of how to handle difficult situations when using their target
language for real.
Both of the above factors help students to assume more responsibility for their learning. This can have a
positive impact on their motivation and engagement, which helps build their confidence and overall
fluency.

A Silent Way classroom also makes extensive use of peer correction. Students are encouraged to help their
classmates when they have trouble with any particular feature of the language.

Disadvantages of the Silent Way

As referenced above, the approach may well feel strange and scary to some students. It may also present
particular problems for students who have specific educational challenges or who typically require extra
support .