The Banking Concept Analysis

RASAR: The Banking Concept

Summarize: In Paulo Friere’s article “The Banking Concept”, Paulo argues that the banking method is an efficient way of learning in the education system. The students are to sit down, stay quiet, received information, memorize it, and then remember it. Since this method requires them to simply memorize the information, the students don’t completely understand fully the information that they are taking in. The underlying message here about the banking concept is that the teachers feed students the information, acting as if they are completely informed about the whole subject, and then suggesting that the student knows nothing. There is no relationship established between the student and the teacher. The student
just takes it all in. This later created, the students who grow into people who were taught to shut up and listen. The effect on that is that they will not speak for themselves as adults. Friere then proposes a solution he calls the “problem-posing” method. This method uses more dialogue. In this method, a teacher and student created a relationship and learn from one another. This creates an equal authority. A student can develop the skill to critically think.

Analysis: In “The Banking Concept”, Friere exposes his readers to the many flaws behind the “banking” method, then making strong argument towards this way of teaching.
The banking method is no teacher-student communication, one-way learning strategy. He proposed the “problem-posing” method to be a solution. Which allows a beneficial relationship between the student and the teacher. Friere adequately makes his points through positive and negative diction, soothing tone, and general examples and situations. Friere’s word choice is chosen carefully as he uses diction like “lifeless,” “petrified,” and “sickness” which gives a reader a sense of negativity towards the “banking” method. Friere states, “The contents…tend in the process of being narrated to become lifeless and petrified. Education is suffering from narration sickness”. However when his method the “problem-posing” method he used the word “freedom”, “order” and “social peace” just generally is positive. This is using a sense of pathos to appeal to the readers feelings by association the feelings meant with these words and the
methods. His feelings towards the “banking” method was picked up very early since he used a very indicating tone. The reader easily can sense that Friere has a problem with this method. His tone catches the attention of the reader in a unique way. When he speaks, you can tell it means close to his heart and he truly wants to save the students from this method in the education system. His diction ties in with his tone when he appeals to the readers while choosing certain words that overall give a out a positive sense for the education system. Through out this article, he gets the reader to side with him by making them appeal to his logic with this help of his soothing tone. Without his tone, the reader wouldn’t be able to pick up on his passion, and sympathy to the students. As an attempt to see what would happen if we don’t change our system, Friere uses a general example. Since there is no relationship between the students, when they are exposed to adulthood. This creates students who grow into people who were taught to just listen and intake material. The effect on that is that they will not speak for themselves as adults. However is people switch over to the “problem-posing” method, they will receive the material. and that makes them more passive, and more able to adapt to the world. Friere says, “The educated man is the adapted man, because he is better “fit” for the world.”. Here is using the examples to try to foresee which would be better for our students. In his essay, Friere makes claims about the “banking” method. Calling the education system out about why is isn’t beneficial. He uses diction, tone and examples to aid readers to agree with his new “problem-posing” method. Which in time, hopes to be the start of a change in the system that Paulo Friere wants.

Reaction: When I first started reading this article I wasn’t immediately intrigued.
By the end of it, I think it might have been one of the best essays I’ve read. “The Banking Concept”, he calls was a one-way strategy of teaching. The teacher talks, and the student is supposed to receive. To me, this is worst than trying to self-teach yourself. When you self teach, you can learn to understand the subject your own way. But when the teacher just lectured the whole time, it is almost as if you are forced to see the material the way the teacher does and only the way the teachers does. There is no relationship established in the banking concept method. I don’t like that method. I enjoy his solution to that method which was the “problem-posing” There is more communication from student to teacher. I find that an easier way to learn, and if you are struggling it is an easier way to get help. The weird thing is before I read these types of articles, I probably would of never have a complaint if a teacher was teaching me through a “banking concept” method. Correction, I probably wouldn’t have liked or enjoyed lecturing the whole time but I for sure wouldn’t of suggested another way of teaching. I enjoyed hearing about Friere’s argument and new method a lot because it makes after reading the article you are clearly convinced about which is the best method of
teaching.