Learning process

In the Silent Way students are seen as bringing a vast amount of experience and knowledge with them to the classroom; namely, their first language. The teacher capitalizes on this knowledge when introducing new material, always building from the known to the unknown.^[14] The students begin their study of the language by studying its sound system. The sounds are associated to different colors using a sound-color chart that is specific to the language being learned. The teacher first introduces sounds that are already present in the students' native language, and then progresses to sounds that are new to them. These sound-color associations are later used to help the students with spelling, reading, and pronunciation.^[12]

The Silent Way uses a structural syllabus. The teacher will typically introduce one new language structure at a time, and old structures are continuously reviewed and recycled.^[8] These structures are chosen for their propositional meaning, not for their communicative value.^[15] The teacher will set up learning situations for the students which focus their attention on each new structure.^[12] For example, the teacher might ask students to label a floor plan of a house in order to introduce the concepts of inside and outside. ^[16] Once the language structures have been presented in this way, learners learn the grammar rules through a process of induction.^[15]

Gattegno saw the choice of which vocabulary to teach as vital to the language learning process. He advised teachers to concentrate on the most functional and versatile words, to help students build a functional vocabulary.^[15]

Translation and rote repetition are avoided, and instead emphasis is placed on conveying meaning through students' perceptions, and through practicing the language in meaningful contexts.^[17] In the floor plan example, the plan itself negates the need for translation, and the teacher is able to give the students a lot of meaningful practice simply by pointing to different parts of the house.^[16] The four skills of active listening, speaking, reading, and writing are worked on from the beginning stages, although students only learn to read something after they have learned to say it.^[18]

Evaluation in the Silent Way is carried out primarily by observation. The teacher may never give a formal test, but he is constantly assessing students by observing their actions. This allows him to respond straight away to any problems the students might have.^[19] The teacher may also gain feedback through students' errors; errors are seen as natural and necessary for learning, and can be a useful guide as to what structures need more practice.^[13] Finally, the teacher may gain feedback by asking the students at the end of the lesson.^[9] When evaluating the students, teachers expect them to learn at different rates, and students are not penalized for learning more slowly than their classmates. Teachers look for steady progress in the language, not perfection.^[13]