TESOL Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep

The Silent Way method emphasizes learner autonomy and active engagement rather than passive techniques; therefore, saying that students learn through passive techniques does not accurately capture the essence of this approach.

In the Silent Way, the teacher takes on a facilitator role, minimizing their own talk time to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. Students are expected to engage with the language actively, using visual aids like colored rods and charts to help them express ideas and discover linguistic structures independently. This active learning process contrasts with passive techniques, where students would receive information without engaging with it directly.

The method also promotes the idea that students learn best when they are encouraged to experiment with the language, make mistakes, and learn from them. Thus, the correct understanding of the Silent Way highlights the importance of student involvement and active participation in the language learning process.