Re: [sw.online] Digest for silentwayonline@googlegroups.com - 1 update in 1 topic

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Hugh Birdsall

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Mar 13, 2026, 9:01:26 AMMar 13
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Hi Andrew, 

I have been retired for some years now, but your post stirred something in me, so I am responding.

Two things occurred to me. One is that more variations in the  practice might be needed for the new learning to become second nature. The other (connected to the first) is that as a teacher I might have to come up with a better challenge, not necessarily quantitative (although that might be relevant too) but maybe qualitative, one that sparks playfulness, curiosity, and engagement and perhaps somatic awareness in my student. One example Shakti shared in a workshop was to invite the student to say it their old way and then their new way, doing both things a few times in different contexts, offered by the student, from their daily life. Another would be to continue with bigger or different challenges where the new piece is still embedded to see if awareness is there or not. That’s all I can think of at the moment.

Thank you for sparking my interest in what you are working on.

All the Best,

Hugh 


On Thu, Mar 12, 2026 at 10:32 PM <silentw...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Andrew Weiler <anwe...@gmail.com>: Mar 12 05:31PM -0700

I have been coaching advanced level English adult learners (in the
professional fields in the main) for some time now, using the well
established principles and practices of the Silent Way (as I understand and
use them of course). Just to clarify advanced, I need to add these people
in the main are in employ in their chosen fields in Australia.
 
One distinction I have come to is that there are learners who take on what
we do in the coaching sessions and do integrate the awarnesses and skill
changes that have happened in the sessions with reliable regularity over
time..
Then there are those with whom we go through identical processes, but
struggle to integrate what they have arrived at in the sessions in their
regular speech in their normal life. I can stop them in subsequent sessions
and they immediately recognise what the issue is but that ..and the ensuing
work that sometimes we do,..does not appear to make any difference to their
production over time.
 
I have tried various strategies, from talking about it to them, doing
activities that come at the issue from another vantage point,
etc....yet,...
Sometimes some things do shift I can tell but then there are others that do
not
 
One insight I came to, from another area of life, is that getting them just
to note and then count each time they become aware of the mis-take they
made can shift something. The jury is still out however it made me think
that I would put the main issue up here to see what others have arrived at
in this area.
 
Looking forward to the rush of responses! :-)
 
all the best!
Andrew
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Andrew Weiler

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Mar 23, 2026, 10:26:05 PM (9 days ago) Mar 23
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Hi Hugh, 
For some reason, your post seems to have eluded me till now.
Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. The idea of saying it the old way and the new way is something I will explore. Makes sense to me...getting them to switch as a way of exercising their awareness control in another way.

ATB

Hugh Birdsall

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Mar 24, 2026, 7:42:34 AM (8 days ago) Mar 24
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Hi Andrew,

Thanks for responding. I hope it helps.

Best,

Hugh
On Mon, Mar 23, 2026 at 10:32 PM <silentw...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
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