The Silent Way is a teaching method that considers learning to be a conscious, cognitive process. However, the Silent Way tries to involve the whole of the learner, considering cognitive and affective aspects. That is why Roslyn Young can conclude: “The Silent Way is usually considered to be one of the alternative or humanistic approaches to language teaching.”
Taking this into consideration, the question can be of interest whether the Silent Way is a method which can easily be used at a typical German grammar or comprehensive school. It seems obvious that there are several factors which prevent the method from being applied at German schools – other alternative methods such as Suggestopedia, Superlearning or the Birkenbihl Method cannot find their way into German classrooms either. Sometimes only small parts of the method are applied as in the case of Suggestopedia whose traces can be found in the way some texts are dealt with in modern text books such as the new Green Line books. Therefore, this paper will try to see whether the thesis that the Silent Way is not suitable for a typical German classroom will prove to be the result of a superficial prejudice or not. To achieve this aim, the paper will give a short overview over the method in a first step. Secondly, some aspects which seem to be important for the role the method could play at German schools will be considered: The roles of learners and teachers and especially the image of the ideal Silent Way learner will be concerned as well as the learning process in its various stages and aspects like group sizes or materials that are needed. The latter do also often prove to be of note in the decision for or against a method at school. Finally, those aspects will be evaluated in order to find out whether they support the thesis or not. Needless to say, there are essential differences within the German school system. Therefore, especially in this last point, the grammar schools of Saxony-Anhalt shall serve as representatives of the German system because this seems to be the most obvious solution for a paper written at Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. As little has been written on this method and its implementation in Germany in general and Saxony-Anhalt in special, this approach seems to be the most recommendable one.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Analysis of the Silent Way
2.1 The Method in a Nutshell
2.2 Analysis of Certain Aspects of the Silent Way
2.2.1 The Ideal Learner
2.2.2 The Typical Silent Way Class
2.2.3 The Silent Way Curriculum and the Learning Process
2.2.4 Materials
3 Conclusion
4 Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper investigates the viability of implementing the "Silent Way" language teaching method within the context of the German school system. It explores whether the method’s unique requirements and philosophical foundations are compatible with the communicative demands of modern German secondary education.
- Theoretical foundations of the Silent Way and the Cognitive Approach.
- The specific roles of learners and teachers within this method.
- Structural flexibility and the impact of the method on classroom dynamics.
- Curricular integration and the role of specialized teaching materials.
- Critical evaluation against German state educational guidelines (Rahmenrichtlinien).
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 The Method in a Nutshell
Gattegno’s Silent Way is dominated by those principles which arose out of Chomsky’s view of learning. Learning is seen as hard work done by the student in a conscious way: The Self, through its intelligence, not only works at the beginning of the learning process; it also works consciously.
The outcome of this conscious process is the formation of inner criteria within the learner. Forming hypothesises, the learners try to figure out the system of the target language. Testing those hypothesises while producing language according to these rules shows the students whether they have set the parameters in the right way. As a matter of fact, they will probably have to revise their assumptions at some stages of the learning process. Finally, the learners gain inner criteria that enable them to judge on their own whether an utterance is grammatical or not and, hence, to produce grammatically correct sentences. This development of inner criteria is a very basic aim of the Silent Way. Thus, a feeling of self-reliance is formed within the learner that will lead to the autonomous use of the target language.
These principal goals shall be achieved through a maximum of output from the learner’s side which is opposed with a minimum of input provided by the teacher: It [the Silent Way, P.G.] is based on the premise that the teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom but the teacher should be encouraged to produce as much language as possible.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter defines the Silent Way, contextualizes it within the Cognitive Approach, and outlines the research objective regarding its applicability in German schools.
2 Analysis of the Silent Way: This section provides a comprehensive breakdown of the methodology, examining learner roles, classroom dynamics, the specific curriculum, and the essential learning materials required.
3 Conclusion: The author evaluates the method's feasibility in the German school system, noting a conflict between the method’s structure and the communicative requirements of current state guidelines.
4 Bibliography: This section lists the academic sources and theoretical literature utilized to support the analysis of the Silent Way.
Keywords
Silent Way, Caleb Gattegno, Cognitive Approach, Language Acquisition, Learner Autonomy, Cuisenaire rods, Communicative Competence, German Educational System, Linguistics, Pedagogy, Structural Syllabus, Peer Correction, Affective Filter, Language Teaching Methods, Classroom Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines the Silent Way method to determine if it is a suitable and practical approach for teaching foreign languages in the German grammar school system.
Which theoretical framework supports the Silent Way?
The Silent Way is rooted in the Cognitive Approach, drawing significantly on Noam Chomsky’s theories regarding innate language acquisition and the formation of internal linguistic criteria.
What is the core pedagogical goal of the Silent Way?
The central aim is to foster learner autonomy and self-reliance by requiring students to actively figure out the target language's structure through cognitive effort and peer collaboration.
How is the teacher's role defined in this method?
The teacher remains largely silent to maximize student output, acting as a guide who provides minimal input and uses non-verbal cues to elicit self-correction among students.
What types of materials are central to the Silent Way?
The method heavily utilizes specialized tools, most notably coloured Cuisenaire rods, as well as sound-colour charts and word charts to visualize linguistic relationships.
What are the key findings regarding the method's use in Germany?
The author concludes that while the method is highly flexible, its structural focus conflicts with the communicative, topic-based requirements of the German "Rahmenrichtlinien," and the high cost of materials further complicates implementation.
Why are "feedback sessions" important in this method?
Because the Silent Way can be frustrating and intense for learners, frequent feedback sessions allow them to express concerns and manage the emotional "affective filter" that might otherwise hinder learning.
What does the term "inner criteria" mean in this context?
It refers to the mental system a learner develops to judge the correctness of their own utterances without needing constant explicit feedback or traditional grammar rules from the teacher.
Does the Silent Way encourage interaction?
Yes, peer interaction is highly valued; students are encouraged to learn from one another through a mechanism of peer correction, which fosters a sense of group security.
What role does the student's native language play?
While the target language is primary, the method acknowledges that existing knowledge of the native language can be strategically exploited by the teacher to build a foundation for learning target sounds and structures.
- Quote paper
- Peter Grube (Author), 2007, The silent way - A method for the german classroom?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/84437
