SILENT WAY

NUR HASANAH
R.AYU SOFIA HIDAYATI

BACKGROUND
The Silent Way it is
based on premise that
the teacher should be
silent as much as
possible in classroom
and the learner should
be encouraged to
produce as much
language as possible
(Jack C. Richard &

APPROACH
LANGUAGE
THEORY
Silent Way takes a
structural approach to
the organization of
language to be taught.
Language is seen as
groups of sounds
arbitrarily associated
with specific meanings
and organized into
sentence of meaningful
units by grammar rules.
Vocabulary as a central
dimension of language
learning and the choice
of vocabulary as crucial.

LEARNING
THEORY
Learningis
regarded as a
problem-solving,
creative,
discovering
activity(Richards
& Rodgers 2001:
81), in which the
learner rather acts
and participates
actively than just
being passive.

PRINCIPLES

The work requires language learners to

relate the linguistic signs to the truth
that they have perceive with their
sense. (Stevick, 1980 : 47)
Language is not learned by repeating
after model. Learners need to develop
their own inner criteria for correctness.
(LarsenFreeman, 1986 : 58)
Meaning is made clear by focusing
learners perception, not through
translation (Larsen-Freeman, 1986 : 59)
Reading is worked on from the
beginning but follow from what
language learners already know
(Larsen-Freeman, 1986 : 59 and 2000)

OBJECTIVES
General objective is to give
beginning level students oral
and aural facility in basic
elements of the target language.
Near-native fluency in the target
language and correct
pronunciation.
An immediate objective is to
provide the learners with a basic
practical knowledge of the
grammar of the language.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Teaching pronunciation with "sound colour
charts
Cognitive coding with colour rods
Peer correction to improve co-operative
manner
Self correction gestures
Teacher's Silence
Structured feedback
Fidel Charts: Used to teach sound spelling
association
Word Charts: Used to teach and recycle
vocabulary. The words are written in
different
colours so that students can learn basic
pronunciation patterns

TEACHERS ROLES
Silently monitors learners
interaction with each other.
Responsible for creating an
environment that encourages
student risk taking and that
facilitates learning.
Neutral observer.
Gives just as much help as is
necessary and then just
silent.

LEARNERS ROLES
Choose proper expression in
a given set of circumstance
and situation.
Must independent and use
what they already know.
Learners are expected to
interact with each other and
suggest alternative to each
other, they must learn to
work cooperatively.

ADVANTAGES
Learners interact not only with
teachers, but also with each other.
Learners correct the errors
themselves and teacher view
these errors as the responses to
the teaching and give learners
some hints and help.
Teacher speak so little, they are
free to observe their students
carefully and be available to
them.

DISSADVANTAGES
With minimum help on the part of the
teacher, the Silent Way method may
put the learning itself at stake.
Silent Wayis extremely different from
more commonly used methods of
language learning.
The material ( the rods and the
charts) used in this method will
certainly fail to introduce all aspects
of language. Other materials will
have to be introduced.
Students may be confused with the
symbols of the colored wooden rods.