The following reflections are based on the observations of Japanese students from Sapporo High School, Japan. There was 1 male teacher leading the class of approximately 10 students. I could relate this session to the Silent Way Method. Class setting was traditional, it was a teacher-fronted class. Teacher was particular about the starting & ending time of class, signifying the relevance of following a time schedule in a school.

Reflections

To begin with, teacher came to the class to give information about ‘Ways to improve English’. Interestingly, teacher wrote his name in English as well as in Japanese. He then cracked 2-3 jokes, I liked this act as it is helpful in creating a good & light environment.

 

Teacher gave a topic for discussion, students are seated in a group & he then silently observes the students. Students are relatively quiet and seemed confused. However, after a while they start talking & they write as well. This emphasized covering the LS skills here. I saw value in following the silent way method here, students learn to become self-reliant after a brief spell of confusion. All 4 skills were emphasized in the class.

Teacher then gives a story to read, students are relatively quiet but the teacher asks funny questions in between. I appreciate that as it makes students laugh.

Students are asked to read & underline the answers (ways to improve English), plus write a para in the end. Furthermore, there is complete silence in the class for approximately 5-7 minutes. During this period teacher is silently strolling in the class. Surprisingly, students do not notice that another person came and took the round of the class while teacher was at standing at the end of the class. Thereafter, teacher wrote something on the blackboard which students notice, they discuss what’s written and teacher guides how to attempt the last paragraph, then he is silent. Students work independently for some more time, they keep looking at the blackboard while writing. Meanwhile, the teacher is silently walking around the class. I liked that the teacher maintained physical presence even while he is silent, this is indirectly very important as from students’ perspective, it ensures in maintaining a supportive environment.

Teacher talk time is way more than student talk time. On the other hand, students are just listening, absorbing most of the time & raising a hand for answering. Teacher gives interesting real-life examples for the topic i.e. ‘Ways to improve English’ like, internet, facebook, school abroad, English language circle, speaking, etc. I like these examples from the perspective of a student and would like to use them in my teaching as well.

 

Teacher possesses the quality of ‘With-it-ness’, one of the 10 qualities of a highly effective ESL trainer. He is flexible and organized. He asks answers for questions students are working on, encourages students to speak, forms further questions based on the student answers & even uses 1-2 sentences in Japanese to ease students.

 

In regard to the Silent Way method, I see a great deal of value for students, it will definitely benefit them after many regular sessions as they will learn to work independently and be self-reliant. They will learn the language (vocabulary), make language, read frequently and learn to think as well as speak fluently in English as well. Since it is boring, having a teacher with a great sense of humor would be an invaluable asset, ensuring further effectiveness of this method.

Lastly, considering the critical times we are facing and the necessity for adopting online teaching, as an observer, I found this session boring as it lacks student interaction. I would not prefer using this in an online setting as it is very boring and monotonous. Hoping for better times ahead to use this method in classroom setting. 🙂