Levadnaya Madina 320 group
Case study 3: Theme: “Silence is Golden”
1. What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘silence’?
When I hear the word silence, I think about all the questions and problems that bother my soul.
2. When are the best times for silence?
Regarding the silence during the lesson, I guess it takes place when students perform individual
assignments. In other words, keeping silence helps to focus on assignments.
3. When does silence worry you?
The silence worries me in those moments when I am sad, because I begin judging myself for all the
actions I have done. Sometimes silence serves as a cold weapon to kill self-esteem.
4. Would you like life and the world to be more silent?
In the world million events that deserve worldwide publicity happen every day. Consequently, there
are global problems that should be discussed. In my opinion, the world should not be quieter. But
people's lives should be calmer, strangers should not express "unnecessary opinions" thereby making
the lives of others "noisy".
5. Is silence golden? Why do you think English has this expression? If it isn’t golden, what
colour is it?
In my understanding, silence is golden means that sometimes it is better to say nothing at all than to
say something that should not be said. There is such expression: “Keeping your mouth shut is a great
virtue”. That’s why Americans say that silence is golden. Speaking about silence’s color, it has no
color as it is an abstract concept.
6. How often do you experience awkward silences when you are talking to someone?
I rarely experience awkward silence when I’m talking to someone, it mostly happens when I'm in
love with a guy and don't know what to say out of embarrassment.
Read the scenario.
Think about Aibek’s problem: what are the reason of his struggles? Aibek studies at English faculty.
This year he has started his studies. He is a good student, but often stays quite in the class. Even in
class participation when there conversation activities he prefers to stay calm and speak very little.
This worries his English class teacher for assessment and examination reasons. However, Aibek has
no problem in handing in his written assignments on time. More importantly he gets As and Bs from
his written work. However, his teacher thinks his continuous silence deprives him getting scores for
oral participation, which is one aspect of assessment criteria. She worries he might decrease his
motivation level.
Problem: silence, learning process, cognitive process, speaking skill and language acquisition.
Solution: I believe that the teacher should talk with Aybek and ask why he is inactive in the
classroom, perhaps he is embarrassed to make mistakes. The teacher should also choose a type of
assignment that will encourage the involvement of all students in the conversation. For example,
during group work, all the guys will be involved in discussing the topic, and Aibek will also have to
share his thoughts in front of the class.
Over to you: Discuss the following questions with your partner. 1. How the types of cognitive
learning can interconnect with silence?
I suppose that types of cognitive learning are directly related to the problem of silence in the
classroom. Different approaches in the learning process contribute to overcoming the passivity of
students, as it is necessary to find an individual approach to each student.
Extension: Brainstorm the advantages and functions of silence.
Product: Brainstormed ideas on silence (poster).
Silence
Advantages:
Functions of silence:
Silence in classrooms offers
the potential for more
democratic forms of
interaction. Students realize
the value of silence for their
own sake or for the sake of
others.
Silence can be used to:
Add dramatic effect to a lesson.
Allow students to think at their
own pace (not that of the teacher
or their peers).
Increase relaxation and calm.
Give space for creative, intuitive,
or reflective thinking.
Promote access to the creative and
non-verbal right brain.
Promote equality among nonverbal, introverted, or LEP/ELL
students and their peers/teachers.