The Silent Period
An Examination
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4975889 |
|---|---|
| Authors | John Gibbons (0000-0002-4942-8740, The University of Sydney, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1985 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 255-267 |
| Publication date | 1985-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Language Learning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0023-8333 • E-ISSN: 1467-9922 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-1770.1985.tb01027.x |
| OpenAlex | W1983046872 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 14 |
This paper deals with three widely accepted propositions: (1) that children learning a second language will remain silent for a period of one or more months if they are not pressured to speak, (2) that this period of silence is a result of a need for intake and acquisition before speaking, and (3) consequently the second language curriculum should include an initial period of silence before speaking begins. The data base for propositions 1 and 2 is examined and is found to be based on inadequate research with contradictory findings. Consequently a survey of children (N=47) learning English as a second language in Sydney primary schools was undertaken. It revealed a period of silence with a mean of just over two weeks, with very great individual variation. A survey of the literature on children entering mother tongue education also revealed that a period of withdrawal is common. The conclusions drawn were that: (1) the initial silent period probably begins as a period of silent incomprehension, (2) if the silent period is prolonged this may be a result of psychological withdrawal rather than language acquisition processes, and (3) consequently initial silence in the language curriculum is not necessarily desirable. The early use of routines and patterns is also examined, and it is suggested that these might play a much more significant role in the early stages of the second language curriculum
Aesthetics · Curriculum · Developmental psychology · First language · Language acquisition · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Period (music) · Silence · Silent period · Variation (astronomy) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology
Silence and Participation in the Language Classroom
Targeted Individual Support for Ethnic Minority Preschoolers in the Silent Period in Learning Chinese
Exploring translanguaging behaviors in digital storytelling
Language skills and well-being in early childhood education and care
A classification of receptive bilinguals
Not so silent after all
You Shouldn't Have Brought Me Here
A longitudinal study of two boys’ experiences of acquiring Italian as a second language
Linguistic and psychological perspectives on prolonged periods of silence in dual-language learners
Emergent bilingual children during the silent period
Program-Fair Language Teaching Evaluation
English and other languages for younger children
The Mediational Role of Classroom Practices During the Silent Period
Improving Speaking Skills Through Instruction in Oral Classroom Participation
Communicative Language Teaching
A theoretical framework for the use of music therapy in the treatment of selective mutism in young children
Principles and practice in second language acquisition
Functions of language in the classroom.
The Natural Approach
Sociolinguistic Aspects of Language Learning and Teaching
The Silent Way
Is Second Language Learning like the First
A social competence scale and symptom checklist for the preschool child
Constraints on Language Mixing
Multilingualism in the Northwest Amazon1
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,4 |
| Citation span | 1986 - 2026 (41) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 16 |