I taught using the Silent Way for the first time yesterday – more on my preparation and reflections on that in the future.

It was actually an input session on the Cert TESOL course which we’re currently running – Phonology 2: Vowels Sounds.  Deciding to teach the session using the Silent Way was a process in itself as the initial spark came a few months ago when a friend gave me a link to a Spanish company who have recently created an innovative method of teaching using colour phonics.   I really liked this method of introducing vowel sounds by using a colour in which the vowel sound appears (e.g /e/ is red and /i:/ is green).  I set about changing some of the colours and preparing the materials for the session.

To be honest, I can’t remember the exact point when I decided to teach it using the Silent Way, but I think it came about through reading more about the background behind colour phonics – it seemed that the phrase and the name Gattegno kept popping up around the place.

Anyway, more on the preparation for the course tomorrow.