Which approach uses color-coding for pronunciation and keeps the teacher silent to encourage student talk?

Which approach uses color-coding for pronunciation and keeps the teacher silent to encourage student talk?

• A. Natural Approach
• B. Silent Way
• C. Notional-Functional Approach
• D. Community Language Learning

Answer: (B)

The Silent Way centers on learners discovering pronunciation themselves, using color-coded charts and rods to make phonemes visible, while the teacher stays largely silent to prompt student talk. The color cues guide how sounds are produced and linked to meaning, so students self-correct through observation and experimentation rather than relying on direct instruction. This contrast with other approaches: the Natural Approach emphasizes understanding and producing language through comprehensible input from the teacher, not a silent role; the Notional-Functional Approach focuses on meaning and language functions rather than pronunciation details; and Community Language Learning centers on group dynamics and the counselor-like role of the teacher. The combination of color-coded pronunciation aids and minimal teacher talk is what uniquely characterizes this approach.