THE SILENT WAY «Tell me and I will forget, Teach me and I will remember, involve me and I will learn» Benjamin Franklin BACKGROUND “The Silent Way it is based on the premise that the teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom and the learner should be encouraged to produce as much language as possible.” (Richards; ROGERS, 2007, p.81). BACKGROUND Learning hypotheses: 1) Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned. According Richard; Rogers (2009), Jerome Bruner distinguishes two traditions of teaching: Expository mode: “The student is the listener” Hypothetical mode: Views learning as a problem- solving, creative, discovering activity, in which the learner is principal actor rather than a bench-bound listener. Learning is facilitated by accompanying physical objects. The rods and the color-coded charts (Fidel charts), provide physical foci for student learning and also create memorable images to facilitated student recall. 2) 3) Learning is facilitated involving the material by problem solving to be learned. The learner’s grappling with the problem of forming an appropriate and meaningful utterance in a new language, leads the learner to realization of the language. Theory of language He feels 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”(Gattegno 1972; 84). The silent way takes a structural approach to the organization of language to be taught. The sentence is the basic unit of teaching. Gattegno sees vocabulary as a central dimension of language learning and the choice of vocabulary as crucial. Theory of learning Gattegno recommends, for example that the learner needs to “return to the state of mind that characterized a baby’s learning surrender” (Scoot and Page 1982; 273) Gattegno states that the processes of learning a second language are “ radically different” from those involved in learning a first language. Gattegno’s repeated emphasis on the primacy of learning over teaching places a focus on the self of the learner, on the learner’s priorities and commitments. Silence is considered the best vehicle for learning. Awareness is educable. Silent way learners acquire “ inner criteria” The silent way is not merely a language teaching method. Gattegno sees language learning through the silent way as a recovery of innocence “a return to our full powers and potentials”. Gattegno aims is not just second language learning, it is nothing less than the education of the spiritual powers and of the sensitivity of the individual. Objectives General objective: to give beginning level students oral and aural facility in basic elements of the target language The general goal set for language learning is near-native fluency in the target language, correct pronunciation and mastery of the prosodic elements of the target language. Immediate objective: provide the learner with a basic practical knowledge of the grammar of the target language. Students should be able to Correctly and easily answer questions about themselves, their education, their family, travel and daily events Speak with a good accent Give either a written or an oral description a picture, “including the existing relationships that concern space, time and numbers” Answer general questions about the culture and literature of the native speakers of the target language Perform adequately in the fallowing areas: spelling, grammar (production rather than explanation) reading comprehension and writting. The syllabus Structural syllabus: lesson planned around grammatical items and related vocabulary. Language items: introduced according to their grammatical complexity and their relationship to what has been taught previously. The imperative: is normally the first structure introduced, because of the ease with action verbs may be demonstrated using Silent Way materials. Types of learning and teaching activities The teacher models a word, phrase, or sentence and then elicits learner responses. Learners go on to create their own utterances by putting together old and new informations. Charts, rods, and other aids may be used to elicit learner responses. Teacher modeling is minimal, although much of the activity may be teacher directed. Learner’s role Learners are expected to develop independence, autonomy and responsibility. Independent learners are aware that they must depend on their own resources and realize that they can use the knowledge of their own language to open up some things in a new language. Autonomous learners choose proper expressions in a given set of circumstances and situations. Responsible learners know that they have free will to choose among any set of linguistic choices, the ability to choose intelligently and carefully is said to be evidence of responsibility. Learners are expected to interact with each other and suggest alternatives to each other, they must learn to work cooperatively rather than competitively The roles of the student ; To make use of what they know To free themselves of any obstacles To actively engage in exploring the language No one can learn for us, Gattegno would say; To learn is our personal responsibility. ‘ The teacher works with the student; the student works on the language. Teacher’s Role Teacher silence is, perhaps, the most demanding aspect of the Silent Way. Teacher silently monitors learners’ interactions. The teacher's role is one of neutral observer. The teacher is a technician or an engineer who facilitates learning. The teacher's tasks as: to teach: the presentation of an item once, typically using nonverbal clues to get across meanings to test: elicitation and shaping of student production is done in as silent a way as possible to get out of the way: the teacher silently monitors learners' interactions with each other and may even leave the room while learners struggle with their new linguistic tools Sequence and timing are more important than in many kinds of language teaching classes, and the teachers' sensitivity to and management of them is critical. The teacher uses gestures, charts, and manipulatives in order to elicit and shape student responses and so must be both facile and creative Sequence of learning Fidel charts Sound-color chart Word chart Cuisenaire Fidels The pronunciation charts, called "Fidels," have been devised for a number of languages and contain symbols in the target language for all of the vowel and consonant sounds of the language Fidels Sound-Color Chart The chart contains blocks of color, each one representing a sound in the target laguage. The colours on the sound-colour chart are identical to those on the Fidel and word charts. Sound-Color Chart Stop One word for each finger Repeat Speak louder Word Chart The teacher, and later the students, points to words on the wall charts in a sequence so that students can read aloud the sentences they have spoken. The way the letters are colored (the colors from the sound-color chart are used) helps the students with their pronunciation. Cuisenaire The colored cuisenaire rods are used to directly link words and structures with their meanings in the target language, thereby avoiding translation into the native language Cuisinaire Rods for story telling and vocabulary Application Classes often begin by using Fidel charts in the native language The first part of the lesson focuses on pronunciation Rods, pictures, objects, or situations are other aids used for presentation in order to connect sounds and meanings L1 can be used to give instructions when necessary. Meaning is made clear by focusing the student's perceptions, not by translation The teacher models a word, phrase or sentence and then elicits learner responses Application After modeling the utterance, the teacher will have a student attempt to produce the utterance and will indicate its acceptability If a response is incorrect, the teacher will attempt to reshape the utterance or have another student present the correct model Students are presented with the structural patterns of the target language and learn the grammar rules of the language through largely inductive processes Application Lessons follow a sequence based on grammatical complexity, and one element presented at a time A typical order would be like this: colors, numbers, prepositions, daily activities, daily dialogues and so on Reading and writing are sometimes taught from the beginning ADVANTAGES Silent Way learners acquire «inner criteria» Fosters cooperative learning between individuals. Creates a correctly, adequately working interlanguage The self-esteem of the students will be increased and this will enhance learning Learners gain practical knowledge and use of the target language DISADVANTAGES Method should be used in small groups of students The rigidity of the system may be meaningless. How successfully it might be used at more advanced levels is questionable. Language is separated from its social context and taught through artificial situations usually by rods CONCLUSION The innovations in Gattegno’s method derive primarily from the manner in which classroom activity are organized, the indirect role the teachers is required to assume in dircting and monitoring learner performance, the responsibility placed on learners to figure out and test their hypotheses about how the language works, and the materials used to elicit and practice language. AYŞE DUNKAT DERYA DEMİRÇALI İREM AYDIN ELİF BURCU KUTLU RABİYE ÇAKIR BUSE DUMANLI
