A usual approach with regard to a classroom activity would be to provide a student with an item of grammar, show how it is used in a text and then practice using the item through writing paragraphs, essays or summaries in the target language.

This method was a reaction to what was seen as the failures of the Grammar Translation method, with the major differences being the prioritizing of speaking and listening over reading and writing, and the banning of the mother tongue in the classroom.

Asher believed that students learn a second language in the same way that infants learn their native tongue. He claimed that a lot of the linguistic input young children hear is in the form of a command. They respond physically, which activates the right side of the brain, thus allowing them to be able to internalize language immediately.

Interestingly, while the method has its detractors, there is no question that it was the catalyst for a paradigm changing shift in the way we view the role of the teacher and the student. Silent Way was the first method to really emphasise student learning rather than the teacher’s teaching. Students take an active role in the learning process and are encouraged to participate as much as possible.

To improve communication skills for use in the outside world, the teacher engages learners in the pragmatic and functional use of language, with a focus on meaning and fluency, rather than form and accuracy – very much a practical rather than theoretical way of learning.

This approach addresses all of these concerns. It gives teachers a specific requirement to focus on – getting the students to complete a task. Teachers worried about their classes becoming chaotic because of a lack of structure in the lesson now have clear steps that create guidelines and boundaries – a pre-task, task and post-task.