Silent Way is an approach to teaching foreign languages developed by Dr.
Caleb Gattegno, based on a theory of learning and teaching rather than
on a theory of language. Although Caleb Gattegno’s Silent Way did not
stem directly from the Cognitive Approach, it shares certain principles
with it. For example, One of the basic principles of That Silent Way is
that teaching should be subordinated to learning.
The goals of
teacher who use The Silent Way are Student should be able to use the
language for self-expression to express their thought, perceptions, and
feelings. Students become independent by relying on themselves. The
teacher, therefore, should give them only whwt they absolutely need to
promote their learning
TEACHER and LEARNER ROLES
a) Teacher Roles
1.
The teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom to
encourage the learner to produce as much language as possible.
2. The teacher is expected to create an environment that encourages student’s risk taking that facilitates learning.
3.
The teacher should give only what help is necessary. In other words,
the teacher makes use of what students already know. The more the
teacher does for the students what they can do for themselves, the less
they will do for themselves (Larsen-Freeman 1986).
b) Learner
1. The learner is expected to become ‘independent, autonomous, and responsible’ in language
2.
Learners are expected to interact with each other and suggest
alternatives to each other. They must learn to work cooperatively rather
than competitively. The teacher’s silence encourages group cooperation.
3. In order not to miss what the teacher says, learners must
give the teacher their attention. Learner-attention is a key to
learning.