The Silent Period

Today I came face to face with a small group of 4 year olds, who refused to speak English.  The expressions on their faces, those of whom actually made eye contact with me, ranged from complete bewilderment  to dread.  It was my first class with them, but in my experience in working with small kids, I am usually  able to get a few words out of them right away.  With encouragment and a smile, first timers will greet me with "Hello" or "Hi" and offer their names up willingly.  Not so with this group.  Each new trick I tried was met with silence.  "Tough crowd", I commented to the classroom teacher, who grinned back at me.

So on my car ride home I did what I always do, I went over the lesson in my mind, trying to figure out how I could have made it better.  I asked myself "What do I know about language learning and 4 year olds?"  It was then I remembered the "silent period" and the pre-production stage of second language learning.

According to language researcher Stephen Krashen, new learners of English go through a "silent period" in which they may understand what is going on around them, but do not feel comfortable speaking yet.  This stage of second language aquisition, referred to as pre-production, is normal and students in this stage should not be forced to speak before they are ready.  But just because they are silent, doesn't mean they aren't learning.

Here's the list I am made of ideas to remember for next class:

* Ask questions that allow for a yes or no nodding response
* Nonverbal cues such as pointing  and facial experessions are completely acceptable responses
* Encourage miming or charades, drawing, and other non verbal  ways of expressing ideas
* TPR(Total Physical Response) works well with learners in the pre-production stage
* Use lots of pictures and visuals in class

So now I'm ready.  Silent students?  Bring 'em on!