Literacy, Learning and the Language of Silence: Identifying the Processes of Focused Silence as a Pedagogic Tool in Education

Literacy, learning and the language of silence: identifying the processes of focused silence as a pedagogic tool in education. Csikszentmihalyi’s notion of ‘the zone’, a stage of creative practice often interpreted as an immersion in some form of silence, has been fundamental to my evolution as a writer of fiction, and as a teacher of both literacy and creative writing. This contribution will explore techniques for embedding intentional silence methodologies into
teaching literacy-based subjects, nurturing arts-based approaches to learning. Through such teaching the process of silence can make quantifiable differences at all levels of education. Focused silence offers an aid to imagination, to creative thinking, and to problem solving. Through silence learners engage with more than the tangible task; deepening the silence experience engages emotion and whole-body awareness, opening potential for widening benefits related to ownership of ideas, confidence, and motivation – all current issues within teaching and learning. When learners engage with silence, it gives voice to their inner introvert. Learners hear themselves think, and know, through connection with that quieter voice, they have something valuable to say.