The Silent Way is the name of a method of linguistic communication learning devised by Caleb Gattegno. Gattegnos name is good known for his resurgence of involvement in the usage of colored wooden sticks called cuisenaire rods and for his series Words in Colour, an attack to the instruction of initial reading in which sounds are coded by specific colorss. His stuffs are copyrighted and marketed through an organisation he operates called Educational Solutions Inc. , in New York. The Silent Way represents Gattegno ‘s venture into the field of foreign linguistic communication instruction. It is based on the premiss that the instructor should be soundless every bit much as possible in the schoolroom and the scholar should be encouraged to bring forth as much linguistic communication as possible. Elementss of the Silent Way, peculiarly the usage of coloring material charts and the colored cuisenaire rods, grew out of Gattegno ‘s old experience as an educational interior decorator of reading and mathematics plans. ( Cuisenaire rods were foremost developed by Georges CuisA­enaire, a European pedagogue who used them for the instruction of math. Gattegno had observed Cuisenaire and this gave him the thought for their usage in linguistic communication instruction. )

The Silent Way portions a great trade with other larning theories and educational doctrines. Very loosely put, the acquisition hypotheses underlying Gattegno ‘s work could be stated as follows:

1 ) A Learning is facilitated if the scholar discovers or creates instead than remembers and repetitions what is to be learned.

2 ) A A A A Learning is facilitated by attach toing ( interceding ) physical objects.

3 ) A A A Learning is facilitated by job work outing affecting the stuff to be learned.

Let us see each of these issues in bend.

1. The educational psychologist and philosopher Jerome Bruner distinguishes two traditions of learning – that which takes topographic point in the expository manner and that which takes topographic point in the conjectural manner. In the expository manner “ determinations covering the manner and gait and manner of expounding are chiefly determined by the instructor as expounder ; the pupil is the hearer. ” In the conjectural manner “ the instructor and the pupil are in a more concerted place. The pupil is non a bench-bound hearer, but is taking portion in the “ play the chief function in it ” ( Bruner 1966: 83 ) ,

The Silent Way belongs to the latter tradition, which views acquisition as a problem-solving, originative, detecting activity, in which the scholar is a chief histrion instead than a bench-bound hearer. Bruner discusses the benefits derived from “ find acquisition ” under four headers: ( a ) the addition in rational authority, ( B ) the displacement from extrinsic to intrinsic wagess, ( degree Celsius ) the acquisition of heuristics by detecting, and ( vitamin D ) the assistance to conserving memory ( Bruner 1966: 83 ) . As we shall see, Gattegno claims similar benefits from scholars taught via the Silent Way.

2. The rods and the coded-coded pronunciation charts ( called Fidel charts ) provide physical focal point for pupil acquisition and besides create memA­orable images to ease pupil callback. In psychological footings, these ocular devices serve as associatory go-betweens for pupil acquisition and callback. The psychological literature on mediation in acquisition and callback is voluminous but, for our intents, can be briefly summarized in a quotation mark from Earl Stevick:

If the usage of associatory go-betweens produces better keeping than repeat does, it seems to be the instance that the quality of the go-betweens and the stuA­dent ‘s personal investing in them may besides hold a powerful consequence on memA­ory. ( Stevick 1976: 25 )

3. The Silent Way is besides related to a set of premises that we have called “ problem-solving attacks to larning. ” These premises are compactly represented in the words of Benjamin Franklin:

A

State me and I forget,

learn me and I remember,

affect me and I learn.

A

In the linguistic communication of experimental psychological science, the sort of capable involveA­ment that promotes greatest acquisition and remember involves processing of stuff to be learned at the “ greatest cognitive deepness ” ( Craik 1973 ) or, for our intents, affecting the greatest sum of problem-solving activity. Memory research has demonstrated that the scholar ‘s “ memory benefits from creatively seeking out, detecting and picturing ” ( Bower and Winzenz 1970 ) . In the Silent Way, “ the instructor ‘s rigorous turning away of repeat forces alertness and concentration on the portion of the scholars ” ( Gattegno 1972: 80 ) . Similarly, the scholar ‘s wrestle with the job of organizing an appropriate and meaningful vocalization in a new linguistic communication leads the scholar to realisation of the linguistic communication “ through his ain perceptual and analytical powers ” ( Selman 1977 ) . The Silent Way pupil is expected to go “ independent, independent and responsible ” ( Gattegno 1976 ) – in other words, a good job convergent thinker in linguistic communication.

A Approach

Theory of linguistic communication

Gattegno takes an openly doubting position of the function of lingual theory in linguistic communication learning methodological analysis. He feels that lingual surveies “ may be a specialisation, [ that ] carry with them a narrow gap of one ‘s sensitiveness and possibly function really small towards the wide terminal in head ” ( Gattegno 1972: 84 ) . Gattegno views linguistic communication itself “ as a replacement for experience, so experience is what gives intending to linguistic communication ” ( Gattegno 1972: 8 ) . We are non surprised so to see fake experiences utilizing items and image charts as cardinal elements in Silent Way instruction.

Considerable treatment is devoted to the importance of hold oning the “ spirit ” of the linguistic communication and non merely its constituent signifiers. By the “ spirit ” of the linguistic communication Gattegno is mentioning to the manner each linguistic communication is composed of phonological and suprasegmental elements that combine to give the linguistic communication its alone sound system and tune. The scholar must derive a “ feel ” for this facet of the mark linguistic communication every bit shortly as possible, though how the scholar is to make this is non wholly clear.

By looking at the stuff chosen and the sequence in which it is presented in a Silent Way schoolroom, it is clear that the Silent Way takes a structural attack to the organisation of linguistic communication to be taught. Language is seen as groups of sounds randomly associated with specific significances and organized into sentences or strings of meaningful units by grammar regulations. Language is separated from its societal context and taught through unreal state of affairss, normally represented by rods. Lessons follow a sequence based on grammatical complexness, and new lexical and structural stuff is meticulously broken down into its elements, with one component presented at a clip. The sentence is the basic unit of instruction, and the instructor focuses on prepositional significance, instead than communicative value. Students are presented with the structural forms of the mark linguistic communication and larn the grammar regulations of the linguistic communication through mostly inductive procedures.

Gattegno sees vocabulary as a cardinal dimension of linguistic communication acquisition and the pick of vocabulary as important. He distinguishes between several categories of vocabulary points. The “ semi-luxury vocabulary ” consists of looks common in the day-to-day life of the mark linguistic communication civilization ; this refers to nutrient, vesture, travel, household life, and so on. “ Luxury vocabulary ” is used in pass oning more specialised thoughts, such as political or philosophical sentiments. The most of import vocabulary for the scholar trades with the most functional and various words of the linguistic communication, many of which may non hold direct equivalents in the scholar ‘s native lingua. This “ functional vocabulary ” provides a key, says Gattegno, to groking the “ spirit ” of the linguistic communication.

A Theory of larning

Like many other method advocates, Gattegno makes extended usage of his apprehension of first linguistic communication acquisition processes as a footing for deducing rules for learning foreign linguistic communications to grownups. Gattegno recommends, for illustration, that the scholar needs to “ return to the province of head that characterizes a babe ‘s learningA resignation ” ( Scott and Page 1982: 273 ) .

Having referred to these procedures, nevertheless, Gattegno states that the procedures of larning a 2nd linguistic communication are “ radically different ” from those involved in larning a first linguistic communication. The 2nd linguistic communication scholar is unlike the first linguistic communication scholar and “ can non larn another linguistic communication in the same manner because of what he now knows ” ( Gattegno 1972: 11 ) . The “ natural ” or “ direct ” approaches to geting a 2nd linguistic communication are therefore misguided, says Gattegno, and a successful 2nd linguistic communication attack will “ replace a ‘natural ‘ attack by one that is really ‘artificial ‘ and, for some intents, purely controlled ” ( 1972: 12 ) .

The “ unreal attack ” that Gattegno proposes is based on the rule that successful larning involves committedness of the ego to linguistic communication acquisition through the usage of soundless consciousness and so active test. Gattegno ‘s repeated accent on the primacy of larning over learning topographic points a focal point on the ego of the scholar, on the scholar ‘s precedences and committednesss.

To talk… requires the descent of the will into the voluntary address variety meats and a clear appreciation by one ‘s lingual ego of what one is to make to bring forth definite sounds in definite ways. Merely the ego of the vocalizer can step in to do nonsubjective what it holds in itself. Every pupil must be seen as a will capable of that work. ( Gattegno 1976: 7 )

The ego, we are told, consists of two systems – a acquisition system and a retaining system. The acquisition system is activated merely by manner of intelligent consciousness. “ The scholar must invariably prove his powers to abstract, analyse, synthesize and integrate ” ( Scott and Page 1982: 273 ) . Silence is considered the best vehicle for acquisition, because in silence pupils concentrate on the undertaking to be accomplished and the possible means to its achievement. Repetition ( as opposed to hush ) “ conA­sumes clip and encourages the scattered head to stay scattered ” ( Gattegno 1976: 80 ) . Silence, as turning away of repeat, is therefore an assistance to alertness, concentration, and mental organisation.

The “ retaining system ” allows us to retrieve and remember at will lingual elements and their organizing rules and makes lingual communicating possible. Gattegno speaks of retrieving as a affair of “ paying Ogdens. ” An “ ogden ” is a unit of mental energy required to associate for good two mental elements, such as a form and a sound or a label and an object. The forging of the nexus through active attending is the cost of retrieving paid in Ogdens. Retention by manner of mental attempt, consciousness, and contemplation is more efficient in footings of Ogdens consumed than is keeping attained through mechanical repeat. Again, silence is a cardinal to triping consciousness and therefore the preferable way to keeping. Retention links are in fact formed in the most soundless of periods, that of slumber: “ The head does much of this work during sleep ” ( Stevick 1980: 41 ) .

Awareness is educable. As one learns “ in consciousness, ” one ‘s powers of consciousness and one ‘s capacity to larn become greater. The Silent Way therefore claims to ease what psychologists call “ larning to larn. ” Again, the procedure concatenation that develops awareness returns from attending, production, self-correction, and soaking up. Silent Way scholars get “ interior standards, ” which play a cardinal function “ in one ‘s instruction throughout all of one ‘s life ” ( Gattegno 1976: 29 ) . These interior standards allow scholars to supervise and self-correct their ain production. It is in the activity of self-correction through self-awareness that the Silent Way claims to differ most notably from other ways of linguistic communication acquisition. It is this capacity for self-awareness that the Silent Way calls upon, a capacity said to be small apprehended or exercised by first linguistic communication scholars.

But the Silent Way is non simply a linguistic communication learning method. Gattegno sees linguistic communication larning through the Silent Way as a recovery of artlessness – “ a return to our full powers and potencies. ” Gattegno ‘s purpose is non merely 2nd linguistic communication acquisition ; it is nil less than the instruction of the religious powers and of the sensitiveness of the person. Mastery of lingual accomplishments are seen in the visible radiation of an emotional inner peace ensuing from the sense of power and control brought approximately by new degrees of consciousness. Silent Way larning claims to “ consolidate the huA­man dimensions of being, which include assortment and individualism as indispensable factors for an credence of others as subscribers to one ‘s ain life ” and even moves us “ towards better and more permanent solutions of contemporary struggles ” ( Gattegno 1972: 84 ) .

Design

Aims

The general aim of the Silent Way is to give get downing flat pupils unwritten and aural installation in basic elements of the mark linguistic communication. The general end set for linguistic communication acquisition is near-native eloquence in the mark linguistic communication, and right pronunciation and command of the prosodic elements of the mark linguistic communication are emphasized. An immediate aim is to supply the scholar with a basic practical cognition of the grammar of the linguistic communication. This forms the footing for independent larning on the scholar ‘s portion. Gattegno discusses the undermentioned sorts of aims as appropriate for a linguistic communication class at an simple degree ( Gattegno 1972: 81-83 ) . Students should be able to right and easy reply inquiries about themselves, their instruction, their household, travel, and day-to-day events ; speak with a good speech pattern ; give either a written or unwritten description of a image, “ including the bing relationships that concern infinite, clip and Numberss ” ; reply general inquiries about the civilization and the literature of the native talkers of the mark linguistic communication ; execute adequately in the undermentioned countries: spelling, grammar ( production instead than account ) , reading comprehension, and composing.

Gattegno states that the Silent Way teaches learners how to larn a linguistic communication, and the accomplishments developed through the procedure of larning a foreign or 2nd linguistic communication can tip employed in covering with “ unknowns ” of every type. The method, we are told, can besides be used to learn reading and authorship, and its utility is non restricted to get downing flat stuA­dents. Most of the illustrations Gattegno describes, nevertheless, every bit good as the categories we have observed, cover chiefly with a basic degree of aural/ unwritten proficiency.

The course of study

The Silent Way adopts a fundamentally structural course of study, with lessons planned around grammatical points and related vocabulary. Gattegno does non, nevertheless, provide inside informations as to the precise choice and agreement of grammatical and lexical points to be covered. There is no general Silent Way course of study. But from observation of Silent Way plans developed by the Peace Corps to learn a assortment of linguistic communications at a basic degree of proficiency, it is clear that linguistic communication points are introduced harmonizing to their grammatical complexness, their relationship to what has been taught antecedently, and the easiness with which points can be presented visually. Typically, the jussive mood is the initial construction introduced, because of the easiness with which action verbs may be demonstrated utilizing Silent Way stuffs. New elements, such as the plural signifier of nouns, are taught within a construction already familiar. Numeration occurs early in a class, because of the importance of Numberss in mundane life and the easiness with which they can be demonstrated. Prepositions of location besides appear early in the course of study for similar grounds.

Vocabulary is selected harmonizing to the grade to which it can be manipulated within a given construction and harmonizing to its productiveness within the schoolroom scene. In add-on to prepositions and Numberss, pronouns, quantifiers, words covering with temporal dealingss, and words of comparing are introduced early in the class, because they “ refer to oneself and to others in the legion dealingss of mundane life ” ( Stevick 1979 ) . These sorts of words are referred to as the “ functional vocabulary ” of a linguistic communication because of their high public-service corporation.

The followers is a subdivision of a Peace Corps Silent Way Syllabus for the first 10 hours of direction in Thai. It is used to learn American Peace Corps voluntaries being trained to learn in Thailand. At least 15 proceedingss of every hr of direction would be spent on pronunciation. A word that is italicised can be substituted for by another word holding the same map.

Lesson

Vocabulary

1. Wood color ruddy.

wood, ruddy, green, xanthous, brown, tap, white, orange, black, coloring material

2. Using the Numberss 1-10

one, two, … 10

3. Wood coloring material red two pieces.

return ( pick up )

4. Take ( pick up ) wood coloring materials red two pieces

spring, object pronouns

5. Take wood coloring materials red two pieces hive him

where, on, under, near, far, over, following to, here, there

6. Wood ruddy where? Wood red on tabular array.

Question-forming regulations. Yes. No.

7. Wood color ruddy on tabular array, is it? Yes, on. Not on.

adjectives of comparing

8. Wood coloring materials ruddy long. Wood coloring material viridity longer. Wood color orange longest.

A

9. Wood coloring material green taller. Wood coloring material red is it?

A

10. Review. Students use constructions taught in new state of affairss, such as comparing the highs of stuA­dents in the category.

A

A

( Joel Wiskin, personal communicating )

Types of acquisition and instruction activities

Learning undertakings and activities in the Silent Way have the map of promoting and determining student unwritten response without direct unwritten direction from or unneeded modeling by the instructor. Basic to the method are simple lingual undertakings in which the instructor theoretical accounts a word, phrase, or sentence and so elicits scholar responses. Learners so go on create their ain vocalizations by seting together old and new information. Charts, rods, and other AIDSs may be used to arouse scholar responses. Teacher modeling is minimum, although much of the activity may be teacher directed. Responses to bids, inquiries, and ocular cues therefore constitute the footing for schoolroom activities.

Learner functions

Gattegno sees linguistic communication acquisition as a procedure of personal growing reA­sulting from turning Student consciousness and self-challenge. The scholar foremost experiences a “ random or about random feeling of the country of activity in inquiry until one finds one or more basiss to construct on. Then starts a systematic analysis, foremost by test and mistake, subsequently by directed experiment with pattern of the acquired bomber countries until command follows ” ( Gattegno 1972: 79 ) . Learners are expected to develop independency, liberty, and duty. Independent scholars are those who are cognizant that they must depend on their ain resources and recognize that they can utilize “ the cognition of their ain linguistic communication to open up some things in a new linguistic communication ” or that they can “ take their cognition of the first few words in the new linguistic communication and figure out extra words by utilizing that cognition ” ( Stevick 1980: 42 ) . The independent scholar chooses proper looks in a given set of fortunes and state of affairss. “ The instructor cultivates the pupil ‘s ‘autonomy ‘ by intentionally constructing picks into state of affairss ” ( Stevick 1980: 42 ) . Responsible scholars know that they have free will to take among any set of lingual picks. The ability to take intelligently and carefully is said to be grounds of duty. The absence of rectification and repeated patterning from the instructor requires the pupils to develop “ interior standards ” and to rectify themselves. The absence of accounts requires scholars to do generalisations, come to their ain decisions, and explicate whatever regulations they themselves feel they need.

Learners exert a strong influence over each other ‘s acquisition and, to a lesser grade, over the lingual content taught. They are expected to interact with each other and suggest options to each other. Learners have merely themselves as persons and the group to trust on, and so must larn to work hand in glove instead than competitively. They need to experience comfy both rectifying each other and being corrected by each other.

In order to be productive members of the acquisition group, learners-thus have to play changing functions. At times one is an independent person, at other times a group member. A scholar besides must be a instructor, a pupil, portion of a support system, a job convergent thinker, and a self-evaluator. And it is the pupil who is normally expected to make up one’s mind on what function is most appropriate to a given state of affairs.

A Teacher functions

Teacher silence is, possibly, the unique and, for many traditionally trained linguistic communication instructors, the most demanding facet of the Silent Way. TeachA­ers are exhorted to defy their long standing committedness to pattern, remodel, aid, and direct desired pupil responses, and Silent Way instructors have remarked upon the strenuousness of temperateness to which early expediency of the Silent Way has subjected them. Gattegno negotiations of subordinating “ learning to acquisition, ” but that is non to propose that the instructor ‘s function in Silent Way is non critical and demanding. Gattegno anticipates that utilizing the Silent Way would necessitate most instructors to alter their perceptual experience of their function. Stevick defines the Silent Way instructor ‘s undertakings as ( a ) to learn, ( B ) to prove, and ( degree Celsius ) to acquire out of the manner ( Stevick 1980: 56 ) . Although this may non look to represent a extremist option to standard instruction pattern, the inside informations of the stairss the instructor is expected to follow are alone to the Silent Way.

By “ instruction ” is meant the presentation of an point one time, typically utilizing gestural hints to acquire across significances. Testing follows instantly and might better be termed evocation and defining of pupil production, which, once more, is done in as silent a manner as possible. Finally, the instructor mutely monitors scholars ‘ interactions with each other and may even go forth the room while scholars struggle with their new lingual tools and “ pay their Ogdens. ” For the most portion, Silent Way teacher ‘s manuals are unavailable ( nevertheless, see Arnold 1981 ) , and instructors are responsible for planing instruction sequences and making single lessons and lesson elements. Gattegno emphasizes the importance of teacher-defined acquisition ends that are clear and come-at-able. Sequence and timing in Silent Way categories are more of import than in many sorts of linguistic communication instruction categories, and the instructors ‘ sensitiveness and manA­agement of them is critical.

More by and large, the instructor is responsible for making an environment that encourages pupil hazard taking and that facilitates larning. This is non to state that the Silent Way teacher becomes “ one of the group. ” In fact, perceivers have noted that Silent Way instructors frequently appear aloof or even gruff with their pupils. The instructor ‘s function is one of impersonal perceiver, neither elated by right public presentation nor discouraged by mistake. Students are expected to come to see supportive but emotionally uninvolved.

The instructor uses gestures, charts, and manipulates in order to arouse and determine pupil responses and so must be both facile and originative as a mime and puppeteer. In amount, the Silent manner teacher, like the complete playwright, writes the book, chooses the props, sets the temper, theoretical accounts the action, designates the participants, and is critic for the public presentation.

A The function of instructional stuffs

The Silent Way is possibly every bit good known for the alone nature of its instruction stuffs as for the silence of its instructors. The stuffs consist chiefly of a set of colored rods, coded-coded pronunciation and vocabulary wall charts, a arrow, and reading/writing exercisings, all of which are used to exemplify the relationships between sound and significance in the mark linguistic communication. The stuffs are designed for use by the pupils every bit good as by the instructor, independently and hand in glove, in advancing linguistic communication acquisition by direct association. The figure of linguistic communications and contain symbols in the mark linguistic communication for all of the vowel and harmonic sounds of the linguistic communication. The symbols are coloring material coded harmonizing to pronunciation ; therefore, if a linguistic communication possesses two different symbols for the same sound, they will be coloured likewise. Classs frequently begin by utilizing Fidel charts in the native linguistic communication, coloring material coded in an correspondent mode, so that pupils learn to partner off a sound with its associated coloring material. There may be from one to eight of such charts, depending upon the linguistic communication. The instructor uses the arrow to bespeak a sound symbol for the pupils to bring forth. Where native-language Fidels are used, the instructor will indicate to a symbol on one chart and so to its parallel on the Fidel in the other linguistic communication. In the absence of native-language charts, or when presenting a sound non present in the native linguistic communication, the instructor will give one clear, hearable theoretical account after bespeaking the proper Fidel symbol in the mark linguistic communication. The charts are hung on the wall and service to assistance in retrieving pronunciation and in constructing new words by sounding out sequences of symbols as they are pointed to by the instructor or pupil.

Merely as the Fidel charts are used to visually exemplify pronunciation, the colored cuisenaire rods are used to straight associate words and constructions with their significances in the mark linguistic communication, thereby avoiding interlingual rendition into the native linguistic communication. The rods vary in length from one to ten centimeters, and each length has a specific coloring material. The rods may be used for calling colorss, for size comparings, to stand for people construct floor programs, constitute a route map, and so on. Use of the rods is intended to advance ingeniousness, creativeness, and involvement in organizing communicative vocalizations on the portion of the pupils, as they move from simple to more complex constructions. Gattegno and his advocates believe that the scope of constructions that can be illustrated and learned through adept usage of the rods is every bit illimitable as the human imaginativeness. When the instructor or pupil has trouble showing a coveted word or construct, the rods can be supplemented by mentioning to the Fidel charts, or to the 3rd major ocular assistance used in the Silent Way, the vocabulary charts.

A The vocabulary or word charts are similarly coloring material coded, although the colorss of the symbols will non match to the phonetics of the Fidels, but instead to conceptual groupings of words. There are typically 12 such charts incorporating 500 to 800 words in the native linguistic communication and book. These words are selected harmonizing to their easiness of application in learning, their comparative topographic point in the “ functional ” or “ luxury ” vocabA­ulary, their flexibleness in footings of generalisation and usage with other words, and their importance in exemplifying basic grammatical constructions. The content of word charts will change from linguistic communication to linguistic communication, but the general content of the vocabulary charts ( Gattegno 1972 ) is paraphrased below:

Chart 1: A the word rod, colors of the rods, plural markers, simple imA­perative verbs, personal pronouns, some adjectives and inquiry words

Charts 2, 3: A staying pronouns, words for “ here ” and “ at that place, ” of, for, and name

Chart 4: Numberss

Charts 5, 6: A words exemplifying size, infinite, and temporal relationships, every bit good as some constructs hard to exemplify with rods, such as order, causality, status, similarity and difference

Chart 7: words that qualify, such as adverbs

Charts 8, 9: A verbs, with cultural mentions where possible

Chart 10: A household relationships

A Charts 11, 12: A words showing clip, calendar elements, seasons, yearss, hebdomad, month,

twelvemonth, etc.

Other stuffs that may be used include books and worksheets for practising reading and composing accomplishments, image books, tapes ; videotapes, movies, and other ocular AIDSs. Reading and composing are sometimes taught from the beginning ; and pupils are given assignments to make outside the schoolroom at their ain gait. These stuffs are of secondary imA­portance, and are used to supplement the schoolroom usage of rods and charts. Choice and execution depends upon need as assessed by instructors and/or pupils.

Procedure

A Silent manner lesson typically follows a standard format. The first portion of the lesson focuses on pronunciation. Depending on pupil degree, the category might work on sounds, phrases, or even sentences designated on the Fidel chart. At the beginning phase, the instructor will pattern the appropriate sound after indicating to a symbol on the chart. Subsequently, the instructor will mutely indicate to single symbols and combinations of symbols, and on proctor pupil vocalizations. The instructor may state a word and have a pupil conjecture what sequence of symbols compromised the word.

The arrow is used to bespeak emphasis, phrasing, and modulation. Stress can be shown by touching certain symbol more forcibly than others when indicating out a word. Intonation and phrasing can be demonstrated by tapping on the chart to the beat of the vocalization.

After pattern with the sounds of the linguistic communication, sentence forms, construction, and vocabulary are practiced. The instructor theoretical accounts an vocalization while making a ocular realisation of it with the colored rods. After patterning the vocalization, the instructor will hold a pupil effort to bring forth the vocalization and will bespeak its acceptableness. If a response is wrong, the instructor will try to reshape the vocalization or have another pupil present the right theoretical account. After a construction is introduced and understood, the instructor will make a state of affairs in which the pupils can pattern the construction through the use of the rods. VariA­ations on the structural subject will be elicited from the category utilizing the rods and charts.

The sample lesson that follows illustrates a typical lesson format. The linguistic communication being taught is Thai, for which this is the first lesson.

1.A A A A A Teacher empties rods onto the tabular array. .

2.A A A A A Teacher picks up two or three rods of different colorss, and after each rod is picked up says: [ mai ] .

3.A A A A A Teacher holds up one rod of any coloring material and indicates to a pupil that a response is required. Student says: [ mai ] . If response is wrong, teacher elicits response from another pupil, who so theoretical accounts for the first pupil.

4.A A A A A Teacher following picks up a ruddy rod and says: [ mai sti daeng ] .

5.A A A A A Teacher picks up a green rod and says: [ mai sii khiawj.

6.A A A A A Teacher picks up either a ruddy or green rod and elicits response from stuA­dent, If response is wrong, process in measure 3 is followed ( pupil patterning ) .

7.A A A A A Teacher introduces two or three other colourss in the same mode.

8.A A A A A Teacher shows any of the rods whose signifiers were taught antecedently and elicits pupil response. Correction technique is through pupil modelA­ing, or the instructor may assist pupil insulate mistake and self-correct.

9.A A A A A When command is achieved, teacher puts one ruddy rod in apparent position and says: [ mai sii daeng nung an ] .

10.A Teacher so puts two ruddy rods in apparent position and says: [ mai sii daeng vocal an ] .

11.A Teacher topographic points two green rods in position and says [ mai sii khiaw vocal an ] ;

12.A Teacher holds up two rods of a different colour and elicits pupil response.

13.A Teacher introduces extra Numberss, based on what the category can comfortably retain. Other colourss might besides be introduced.

14.A Rods are put in a heap. Teacher indicates, through his or her ain acA­tions, that rods should be picked up, and the right vocalization made. All die pupils in the group pick up rods and do rectification is encouraged.

15.A Teacher so says: [ kep mai sii daeng vocal an ] .

16.A Teacher indicates that a pupil should give the instructor the rods called for. Teacher asks other pupils in the category to give him or her the rods that he or she asks for. This is all done in the mark linguistic communication through unambiguous actions on the portion of the instructor.

17.A Teacher now indicates that the pupils should give each other comA­mands sing the naming for of rods. Rods are put at the disposal of the category.

18.A Experiment is encouraged. Teacher speaks merely to rectify an incorA­rect vocalization, if no equal group rectification is forthcoming.

( Joel Wiskin, personal communicating ) Decision

Despite the philosophical and sometimes about metaphysical quality of much of Gattegno ‘s Hagiographas, the existent patterns of the Silent Way are much less radical than might be expected. Working from what is a instead traditional structural and lexical course of study, the method exemplifies many of the characteristics that characterize more traditional methods, such as Situational Language Teaching and Audiolingualism, with a strong focal point on accurate repeat of sentences modeled ab initio by the instructor and a motion through guided evocation exercises to freer communicating. The inventions in Gattegno ‘s method derive chiefly from the mode in which schoolroom activities are organized, the indirect function the instructor is required to presume in directing and supervising learner public presentation, the duty placed upon scholars to calculate out and prove their hypotheses about how the linguistic communication works, and the stuffs used to arouse and pattern linguistic communication.