TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

Operiano, JoanhSamonte Iris Kye

"Babies don't learn by memorizing lists; why should children or adults?“

-from a lecture by Dr. Asher at Cambridge University, England.

WHAT IS TPR?• developed by James Asher, a professor of psychology at San Jose State University, California, in the 1970’s.•a language learning method based on the coordination of speech and action

•It is an experience rather than a concept

It enables students of all ages to understand any language in few exposures

OBJECTIVE:To provide an enjoyable

learning experience, having a minimum of the stress that

typically accompanies learning a foreign language.

PRINCIPLES ELABORATED BY TPR: Spoken language should be developed before

speaking the language.

Understanding through the movement of the student’s body

Students should not be forced to speak.

THE LEARNING HYPOTHESES: Childhood Language Acquisition Theories

Listening before speaking (Natural Approach) and synchronization with the body.

Affective Filter: the lower the stress, the greater the learning

Brain Lateralization:TPR is directed to right –brain hemisphere since it can trigger activities in the left-brain hemisphere.

LEFT BRAIN VS. RIGHT BRAIN

Left Brain: Right Brain:Language activities Motor

activitiesLogical RandomSequential IntuitiveRational HolisticAnalytical SynthesizingObjective SubjectiveLooks at parts Looks at

wholes

ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE TPR EMPHASIZES:.

Grammatical structures and vocabulary are emphasized, imbedded in imperatives.

Understanding precedes production; spoken language precedes the written word.

ROLES: The teacher plays an active and direct role

because she/he decides what to teach, she/he selects and models the material.

The learners listen attentively and respond physically to commands. They are expected to  recognize and respond to new combinations of taught items and they have to produce new combinations of their own.

Method is introduced in students’ native language, but rarely used later in course. Meaning is made clear through actions.

TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS:Lessons begin with commands by the

teacher. Students demonstrate their

understanding by acting these commands out.

Teachers recombine their instructions in novel and often humorous ways; eventually students follow suit.

Activities later include games and skits.

TEACHER-STUDENT AND STUDENT-STUDENT INTERACTION:

The teacher interacts with individual students and with the group, starting with the teacher speaking and the students responding nonverbally.

Later, this is reversed; students issue commands to teacher as well as each other.

ADVANTAGES OF TPR:

easy to implement/no translation reduces stress and pressure to students different style of teaching and learning Fun: Students enjoy the activity! Simple TPR activities do not require a great deal of

preparation on the part of the teacher. TPR is inclusive and works well  in a class with mixed

ability levels. Good for kinesthetic learners who need to be active

in class. Good tool for building vocabulary. Actions help build connections in the brain. Helps learners achieve fluency faster by immersing

learners in activities that involve them in situational language use.

Good instructional practice for ESL learners in their silent period.

Works well for child and adult learners.

DISADVANTAGES OF TPR: Most useful for beginners. Preparation becomes an issue for

teachers at higher levels. Students are not generally given the

opportunity to express their own thought in as creative manner.

It is easy to overuse TPR and begin to bore students.

May limit teachers in term of scope of language that can be addressed.

Can be a major challenge for shy students.