Silent period 沉默期

chénmò qī · from English

What is the silent period in language learning?

The silent period is a stage in which a learner, especially a child, mostly listens and does not yet speak the new language.

Young children moving to a new country often say little for weeks or months while taking in input. Some adult approaches deliberately delay speaking to protect pronunciation and comprehension. Others argue early speaking is fine; evidence is mixed.

Examples

A child in an immersion school who understands but does not speak for months; ALG-style programmes delaying speaking

Kungfucius says: Being quiet is not failing; it is downloading.