TPRS Method teaching and learning Chinese

Make everyminuteCOUNT!!!

We focus on

FLUENCY

Fluency and TPRS®Fluency and TPRS®

In order to successfully In order to successfully teach teach fluencyfluency

the teacher must:the teacher must:

Focus on the details of a Focus on the details of a story story

NotNot focus on the language focus on the language

TPRS® is a method of second-language teaching that uses highly-interactive stories to provide comprehensible input and create an atmosphere of immersion in the classroom.TPRS Chinese Coursewww.tprsc.com

What is TPRS®?

Use words students know

Speak slowly

Key 1: ComprehensibleKey 1: Comprehensible

Repetitive questionsContinually start overAdd detailsMultiple locationsMultiple characters

Key 2: RepetitionKey 2: Repetition

Recycle the Story

✓at any point, stop, go back, and

review the story✓re-circle the recycled parts

✓continue story when you get back to where you left

off

Surprise details“Playing the game”PersonalizationPositive exaggeration

Key 3: InterestKey 3: Interest

Teach to the Eyes!

✓teach STUDENTS not curriculum

✓look in individual student’s eyes when teaching

✓hold students accountable

✓always check for understanding

Story Retells

Have students frequently retell the story to their partners✓after the story ends✓have superstar retell story to class✓Limit the time to two or three minutes

Shelter Vocabulary

Limit vocabulary to a few hundred words per year

Don’t shelter grammar

Use whatever grammar is

necessary to express meaning.

Use lessons each Use lessons each day to practice day to practice structure.structure.

Structure is the Structure is the key to fluency.key to fluency.

Teaching Teaching fluency…fluency…

Data - TeacherData - Teacher

Data - TeacherData - Teacher

TPRS Ruleswww.tprsc.com

SHORTTERM

MEMORY

Brain Processing ModelBrain Processing Model

E

N

V

I

R

O

N

M

E

N

T

HEARING

LONG-TERMSTORAGE

SMELL

SIGHT

TOUCH

TASTE

PERCEPTUALREGISTER

OUT OUT OUT

WORKINGMEMORY

www.tprsc.com

Rule #1:We don’t pay attention to We don’t pay attention to

boring thingsboring things..

Rule #2:We have 30 seconds to repeat We have 30 seconds to repeat something before it is forgotten.something before it is forgotten.

Rule #3:Students must pay attention Students must pay attention

in order to learn.in order to learn.

How do we get them to pay attention?

• “The novel stimuli – the unusual, the unpredictable, or distinctive are powerful ways to harness attention.”

Emotions get our attention.

People usually forget 90% of what they learn in a class within 30 days.

Rule #4Most of what we learn is visual.Most of what we learn is visual.

• Dramatize the story

• Props

dramatize the story

✓wigs & hats✓cardboard cutouts✓ funny noses✓ funny glasses✓ stuffed animals✓ toys

use props

Rule 5:The initial learning is important.

One could increase the life span of a memory simply by repeating the information in timed intervals.

Rule 6:There are two types of memories