The Silent Way teaching method takes its name from the fact that the teacher is supposed to be almost completely silent. The approach was developed by Egyptian educationalist Caleb Gattengo. The teacher is a facilitator rather than an instructor; s/he sets the students problems,  which they have to solve cooperatively by communicating with each other. There is a strong emphasis on pronunciation and coloured pronunciation charts. Cuisenaire rods are used to prompt students' language.