Total Physical Response

ESL 5053Emre & Tiffany & Tyler

Definition & Objectives

• Teaching language through physical (motor) activity + actions

• Aquiring language via motor movement – a right-brain hemisphere activity

• Most effective if utilized at the beginning level of language acquisition

• Best used to teach basic oral skills• Helps students to produce uninhibited, spontaneous

communication

Theoretical Basis: James Asher

• Process of Language Acquisition: Stimulus + Response:• Daddy says: “Look at daddy…” (Stimulus) • Child responds: Child directs head/eye gaze in

Daddy’s direction • Child responds physically before s/he can produce

verbally

Theoretical Basis: Connections to other Theories:

• Inspired by the book English Through Actions (Palmer & Palmer, 1959)

• Comprehension Approach (Winitz, 1981)• Learners need to develop comprehension skills first, then

learn to speak

• Natural Method (Krashen & Terrell, 1983)

Benefits of TPR

TPR

Approach: Focus on Listening, Grammar, + Vocabulary

• Setting: University/College Classroom• Profile of Learners: adult ESL students• Role of Teacher: commander + director + feedback provider• Role of Student(s): listener + performer• Selected Language Aspect/Feature: grammar structure,

pronunciation, & pragmatics • Description of Activity: Action-based drills in the imperative

(command) form

Design: Teacher Composer + Student Musician

• The activity is designed to ensure that the targeted language features are introduced in manner that is explicit and salient to the learner

• Learners will acquire + organize+ understanding macro details of language input via body movement

• Activities: Action-based drills, role plays, slide shows with visuals,

Procedure:

• To enhance the effectiveness of the activity:• Employ realia• Visual aids for vocabulary comprehension• Use repetition• Act out and Demonstrate

A Word of Caution….

• “The tool can be used at all levels to help students internalize new vocabulary and grammatical features. But, this requires a conservative application of this powerful tool. Sure, use it in the beginning to catapult students into the target language, then withdraw the technique and save it for future use downstream in training. This is the skillful use of TPR. How to do this successfully is not obvious to most instructors. ”

- Richards & Rogers (2014)

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References • Asher, J. 1977. Learning Another Language through Actions: The Complete Teacher’s Guid Book. Los

Gatos, CA: Sky Oaks P:roductions. 2nd edn. 1982.

• Living with Brain Injury. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biausa.org/images/leftbrainrightbrain.jpg

• Krashen & Terrell. 1983. The Natural Approach. Alemany Press.

• Palmer, H. and D. Palmer. 1925. English through Actions. Repr. London: Longman, Green,1959.

• Richards, J.C. and Rodgers, T.S. 2001. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 3rd Ed. New York: Cambridge University Press.

• TPR World. (n.d.). http://www.tpr-world.com/