French Silent Way (for beginners who can read and write in their own language)

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The revised Silent Way Rectangle chart and Fidel (Spelling chart) are designed specifically for learners of French as a foreign language. As can be seen in the pictures below, the two types of chart are laid out with the same placement of sounds (red /i/ in the top left, for example). The layout reflects the tongue position and the positions of other articulators used in production.

(Click the pictures to enlarge them.)

There are 3 sizes of letters on the Silent Way Fidel. The largest indicate the most characteristic spellings for each sound. The medium size letters indicate other spellings in common use, especially for verbs. The smallest size is used for uncommon spellings.

The Fidel comes with a key giving examples of all the sound-spelling combinations of French.

The revised Silent Way Word charts follow Gattegno's gradual unfolding of the language for beginners who are literate in their own language. The choice of words and the order in which they appear have been revised by a team of experienced Silent Way teachers.

The first charts in this set introduce the functional vocabulary of French. Notice that combining forms are marked with a tilde (e.g. mienne is constructed on chart 5 as 'm~' + '~ienne').

The final Word charts cover numbers, the calendar, the time, and expression of time; as well as some common nouns.

For sizes, pricing and other information, return to the Silent Way for French page.