THE SILENT PERIOD

An initial silent period, which may last for a very short time, or even months, is a
natural stage when learning a language. Toddlers do not begin to speak until they are
about 1 year old or even older they are however listening and imitating the sounds
they hear around them.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) pupils may also exhibit a Silent
Period This is also part of normal development and children are not passive at this
stage. It is a time for listening, and tuning into the language and routines of the
lessons. It is important not to make them feel anxious or under pressure to speak;
they are absorbing lots of information.

Do not panic the Silent Period is only a cause for concern if it is

prolonged it could last for several months.

Clarke (1992) suggests 10 strategies for support during the Silent Period
summarised below:

Continue talking even when the child does not respond.

Continue to include the child within small groups of children
Structure activities to encourage child to child interaction
Model a variety of questions
Use other children as the focus of the conversations
Use First Language as often as possible
Always accept non-verbal responses
Constantly use praise, even for minimal effort
Activities should include expected responses of repeating words and / or
counting
Provide activities which reinforce language practice through role-play.

Some examples of reasons for a silent period might be:

Waiting to feel safe enough to speak not being laughed at
Being shy at home may equate to being mute at school
Having suffered trauma before arriving in school eg. Asylum Seekers &
Refugees from war - torn countries
Some pupils have continued to be elective mutes to make parents suffer
after leaving all their friends in their homeland

If the silent period is very prolonged, then it is possible through first language
assessment to find out if the child:
has a social language that is age-appropriate
has expressive speech but obvious language difficulties
is an elective mute they may appear to be but some will then speak in First
Language during assessment!

This information may be key to inform any decision-making process. It is important to

collect a wide range of evidence and meet the parents with an interpreter if needed, to
gain background information, especially about previous language development.

Please discuss any concerns with your EMA Advisory Teacher

Babcock Education
Babcock Education