The silent way(The Humanistic Approaches to Learning)

The Humanistic Approaches to Learning

An explosion of new and radical approaches to learning a language came to light in the 1970s. These approaches
are often grouped under the title of Humanistic Approaches due to their method of concentration, touching on the
innate ability and capacity that all learners are presumed to possess.
They center on the learner as an individual and consider that learning is not just about the intellect, but also about
educating the “whole person,” taking a person’s interests, goals, and enthusiasm into account, so that full potential
can be achieved. This approach to learning is student centered, with learners encouraged to take responsibility for
their own learning and being intrinsically, rather than extrinsically motivated. The primary goal of a humanistic
education is human well-being, including the primacy of human values, the development of human potential, and
the acknowledgment of human dignity.

THE SILENT WAY

Developed by Caleb Gattegno, The Silent Way is a humanistic approach to learning language based on cognitive
theory (Brown & Lee, 2015). The method is based on student discovery with the instructor staying mainly silent.
The instructor provides single word or sentences stimuli to prompt students if they struggle (Brown & Lee).
Gattegno applied Montessori theory to this method, basing the method on the fact that learning a second language
is a natural process (Mocanu, 2012). Charts with encoded pronunciation are intended to develop students
perception in a method based on senses and perception (Mocanu, 2012). A technique of feedback assists with basic
problems, after which the language will be acquired naturally (Mocanu, 2012). Additionally, Gattegno understood,
upon reflection on himself as a learner, that an important part of learning is making mistakes; from mistakes,
students learn what is right and wrong, or what is adequate or inadequate and can improve from that point (Young,
2000).

Pros:

 non-threatening approach
 attempt at natural learning
 engaging students in discovery often aids in quality of learning
 focus on the student rather than the instructor
 students free to make mistakes as they learn, which helps with learning

Cons:

 students want and need more guidance than the method advocates
 novelty of charts wears off particularly in older learners
 some students may feel frustrated with the lack of input by the instructor.
Silent Way
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the language-teaching method. For the jazz album, see In a Silent Way.

The Silent Way is a language-teaching method created by Caleb Gattegno that makes extensive use of
silence as a teaching method. Gattegno introduced the method in 1963, in his book Teaching Foreign
Languages in Schools: The Silent Way.[1] Gattegno was critical of mainstream language education at the time,
and he based the method on his general theories of education rather than on existing language pedagogy. It is
usually regarded as an "alternative" language-teaching method; Cook groups it under "other styles", [2] Richards
groups it under "alternative approaches and methods"[3] and Jin & Cortazzi group it under "Humanistic or
Alternative Approaches".[4]
The method emphasizes learner autonomy and active student participation. Silence is used as a tool to achieve
this goal; the teacher uses a mixture of silence and gestures to focus students' attention, to elicit responses
from them, and to encourage them to correct their own errors. Pronunciation is seen as fundamental to the
method, with a great deal of time spent on it each lesson. The Silent Way uses a structural syllabus and
concentrates on teaching a small number of functional and versatile words. Translation and rote repetition are
avoided, and the language is usually practiced in meaningful contexts. Evaluation is carried out by observation,
and the teacher may never set a formal test.
One of the hallmarks of the Silent Way is the use of Cuisenaire rods, which can be used for anything from
introducing simple commands ("Take two red rods and give them to her.") to representing objects such as
clocks and floor plans. The method also draws on color associations to help teach pronunciation; there is a
sound-color chart which is used to teach the language sounds, colored word charts which are used for work
on sentences, and colored Fidel charts which are used to teach spelling. While the Silent Way is not widely
used in its original form, its ideas have been influential, especially in the teaching of pronunciation.

Background and principles

Gattegno was an outsider to language education when Teaching Foreign Languages in Schools was first
published in 1963. The book conspicuously lacked the names of most prominent language educators and
linguists of the time, and for the decade following its publication Gattegno's works were only rarely cited in
language education books and journals.[5] He was previously a designer of mathematics and reading
programmes, and the use of color charts and colored Cuisenaire rods in the Silent Way grew directly out of this
experience.[6]
Gattegno was openly sceptical of the role the linguistic theory of his time had in language teaching. He felt that
linguistic studies "may be a specialization, [that] carry with them a narrow opening of one's sensitivity and
perhaps serve very little towards the broad end in mind".[7]The Silent Way was conceived as a special case of
Gattegno's broader educational principles, which he had developed to solve general problems in learning, and
which he had previously applied to the teaching of mathematics and of spelling in the mother tongue. Broadly,
these principles are:[8]

1. Teachers should concentrate on how students learn, not on how to teach

2. Imitation and drill are not the primary means by which students learn
3. Learning consists of trial and error, deliberate experimentation, suspending judgement, and revising
conclusions
4. In learning, learners draw on everything that they already know, especially their native language
5. The teacher must not interfere with the learning process
These principles situate the Silent Way in the tradition of discovery learning, that sees learning as a creative
problem-solving activity.[6]

Design and goals[edit]

The general goal of the Silent Way is to help beginning-level students gain basic fluency in the target language,
with the ultimate aim being near-native language proficiency and good pronunciation.[9] An important part of this
ability is being able to use the language for self-expression; students should be able to express their thoughts,
feelings, and needs in the target language. In order to help them achieve this, teachers emphasize self-
reliance.[10] Students are encouraged to actively explore the language,[11] and to develop their own 'inner criteria'
as to what is linguistically acceptable. [12]
The role of the teacher is that of technician or engineer. The teacher's task is to focus the students' attention,
and provide exercises to help them develop language facility; however, to ensure their self-reliance, the teacher
should only help the students as much as is strictly necessary.[13] As Gattegno says, "The teacher works with
the student; the student works on the language."[14] For example, teachers will often give students time to
correct their own mistakes before giving them the answer to a question. [15] Teachers also avoid praise or
criticism, as it can discourage students from developing self-reliance.
In the Silent Way students are seen as bringing a vast amount of experience and knowledge with them to the
classroom; namely, their first language. The teacher capitalizes on this knowledge when introducing new
material, always building from the known to the unknown.[16] The students begin their study of the language by
studying its sound system. The sounds are associated to different colors using a sound-color chart that is
specific to the language being learned. The teacher first elicits sounds that are already present in the students'
native language, and then progresses to the development of sounds that are new to them. These sound-color
associations are later used to help the students with spelling, reading, and pronunciation.

The Silent Way uses a structural syllabus. The teacher will typically introduce one new language structure at a
time, and old structures are continuously reviewed and recycled.[10] These structures are chosen for
their propositional meaning, not for their communicative value.[17] The teacher will set up learning situations for
the students which focus their attention on each new structure.[14] For example, the teacher might ask students
to label a floor plan of a house in order to introduce the concepts of inside and outside.[18] Once the language
structures have been presented in this way, learners learn the grammar rules through a process of induction.[17]
Gattegno saw the choice of which vocabulary to teach as vital to the language learning process. He advised
teachers to concentrate on the most functional and versatile words, to help students build a functional
vocabulary.[17]
Translation and rote repetition are avoided, and instead emphasis is placed on conveying meaning through
students' perceptions, and through practicing the language in meaningful contexts. [19] In the floor plan example,
the plan itself negates the need for translation, and the teacher is able to give the students meaningful practice
simply by pointing to different parts of the house.[18] The four skills of active listening, speaking, reading, and
writing are worked on from the beginning stages, although students only learn to read something after they
have learned to say it.[20]
Evaluation in the Silent Way is carried out primarily by observation. Teachers may never give a formal test, but
they constantly assess students by observing their actions. This allows them to respond straight away to any
problems the students might have.[21] Teachers also gain feedback through observing students' errors; errors
are seen as natural and necessary for learning, and can be a useful guide as to what structures need more
practice.[15] Furthermore, teachers may gain feedback by asking the students at the end of the lesson. [11] When
evaluating the students, teachers expect them to learn at different rates, and students are not penalized for
learning more slowly than their classmates. Teachers look for steady progress in the language, not perfection.
[15]