The Silent Way approach to Language Learning

In the 1960s, Caleb Gattegno introduced the Silent Way method of language learning. The Silent Way is based on the theory that individuals should be at the center of their own learning, and that the teacher should largely be silent and subtly provide feedback while the students explore their own abilities. Teachers provide feedback through the use of colors, cuisenaire rods, and word charts. The method somewhat tries to mimic how we learn our native language, through independent exploration. Students learn through experimenting with the language and the gentle guiding feedback of the teacher. The Silent Method seems to me a mix of our human tendency to learn through our own mistakes and Montessori-style experiential learning.