1. THE SILENT WAY

3. Basic Principles of the
Silent Way :
 Teaching should be subordinated to
learning
 Learning is a process which we initiate by
ourselves by mobilizing our inner resources
(our perception, awareness, cognition,
imagination, intuition, creativity, etc.)
 Creating new utterances
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford University
Press,1992.

4. Principles :
 The teacher should start with something the
students already know and build from that to
the unknown.
 Language learners are intelligent and bring
with them the experience of already learning
a language. The teacher should give only
what help is necessary.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford University
Press,1992.

5.  Language is not learned by repeating
after a model. Students need to
develop their own ’’inner criteria‘‘ for
correctness- to trust and to be
responsible for their own production in
the target language.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992.

6.  Students’ actions can tell the teacher
whether or not they have learned.
 Students should learn to rely on each
other and themselves.
 The teacher works with the students
while the students work on the
language.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992.

7.  Silence is a tool. It helps to foster
autonomy , or the exercise of initiative. It
also removes the teacher from the center of
attention. So he can listen to and work with
the students. The teacher speaks, but only
when necessary. Otherwise, the teacher
gets out of the way so that it is the students
who receive the practice in using the
language.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992

8.  Meaning is made clear by focusing
students’ perceptions, not through
translation.
 Students can learn from one another.
The teacher’s silence encourages
group cooperation.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

9.  If the teacher praises (or criticizes) the
students, they will be less self-reliant. The
teacher’s actions can interfere with students’
developing their own criteria.
 Errors are important and necessary to
learning. They show the teacher where
things are unclear.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992

10.  If students are simply given answers,
rather than being allowed to self-
correct, they will not retain them.
 Students need to learn to listen to
themselves.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

11.  At the beginning, the teacher needs to
look for progress, not perfection.
Learning takes place in time. Students
learn at different rates.
 A teacher’s silence frees the teacher
to closely observe the students’
behaviour.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

12.  Students learn they must give the teacher
their attention in order not to miss what he
says. Student attention is a key to learning.
 Students should engage in a great deal of
meaningful practice without repetition.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992

13.  The teacher can gain valuable
information from student feedback; for
example, he can learn what to work on
next. Students learn how to accept
responsibility for their own learning.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

14.  Some learning takes place naturally as
we sleep. Students will naturally work
on the day’s lesson then.
 The skills of speaking, reading, and
writing reinforce one another.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

16.  What are the goals of teachers who
use the silent way?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

17.  To make students express
themselves.
 To make them develop independence
from the teacher.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

18.  What is the role of the teacher?
 What is the role of the students?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

19. Teacher
Students
 Technician or  To use what they
engineer: assists know
when necessary,  To free themselves
focuses the any obstacles
students’  To engage in
perceptions, force exploring the
their awareness language.
and provide
exercises.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language
Teaching. London : Oxford University Press,1992

20. Candidate Teachers!!!
 BEING SILENT
You are not active, you are a guider,
controller, facilitator, helper.

21.  What are some characterisctics of the
teaching/ learning process?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

22.  Students begin their study of the language
through its basic building blocks, its sounds.
 The teacher sets up situations that focus
student attention on the structures of the
language.
 The students receive a great deal of
practice with a given target language
structure without repitition for its own sake.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992

23.  What is the nature of student-teacher
interaction?
 What is the nature of student-student
interaction?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

24. S-T S-S
 Teacher is silent, but  Student-student verbal
active. interaction.
 She forces awareness  Encourage
 She listens attentively  Teacher is silent.
to students’ speech
 She use nonverbal
gestures and the tools.
 She gives clues.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language
Teaching. London : Oxford University Press,1992

25.  How are the feelings of the students
dealt with?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

26.  Through observation
 Through feedback sessions
 Through providing secure atmosphere.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

27.  How is language viewed?
 How is culture viewed?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

28.  Each language has its own unique
reality or spirit, since it is the
expression of a particular group of
people.
 Their culture, as reflected in their own
unique world view, is inseparable from
their language.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

29.  What areas of language are
emphasized?
 What language skills are emphasized?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

30.  Pronounciation
 Stuctures of language
 Vocabulary (restricted at first)
 All four skills
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

31.  What is the role of the students’ native
language?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

32. It is used:
 To give instructions when necessary
 To help a student improve her
pronounciation
 During feedback sessions
 To introduce new sounds in the target
language.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992

33.  How is evaluation accomplished?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

34.  No formal test
 Through observation
 No praise, no criticism
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

35.  How does the teacher respond to
student errors?
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

36.  The teacher doesn’t criticize errors,
she uses them as a basis for deciding
where further work is necessary.
 The teacher works with the students in
getting them self-correct.
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching.
London : Oxford University Press,1992

37. Techniques and
materials
 Sound-color chart
 Teacher’s silence
 Peer correction
 Rods
 Self-correction gestures
 Word chart
 Fidel charts
 Structured feedback
*Larsen-Freeman, Diane. Tecniques and Principles in Language Teaching. London : Oxford
University Press,1992

38. Word chart

39. Fidel chart

40. Sound color chart

41. Cuisenaire rods

42. Today’s Motto :
” Tell me and I forget
Teach me and I remember
Involve me and I learn.“
Benjamin Franklin