8 Total Physical Response (pages107-119)

1- Why is ‘the Comprehension Approach’ called so?It is called so because of the importance it gives to listening comprehension.

2- How does ‘the Comprehension Approach’ differ from many language teachingapproaches?Most of language teaching approaches have students speaking the target language fromthe first day. ‘The Comprehension Approach’ emphasizes listening comprehensionbecause it is based on the 1960s and 1970s research which gave rise to the hypothesisthat language learning should start first with understanding and later proceed toproduction.

3- What is the rationale of ‘the Comprehension Approach’?(a) After the learner internalizes an extensive map of how the target language

works, speaking will appear spontaneously.(b) The student’s speech will not be perfect, but gradually speech will become

more target-like.(c) This is exactly how an infant acquires its native language. A baby spends

many months listening to the people around it long before it ever says a word.(d) The child has the time to try to make sense out of the sounds it hears. No

one tells the baby that it must speak.(e) The child chooses to speak when it is ready to do so.

4- Name four methods of foreign language instruction that are based on theprinciples of ‘the Comprehension Approach’.

(a) Krashen and Terrell’s Natural Approach(b) Winitz and Reed’s self-instructional program and Winitz’ The Learnables.(c) Michael Lewis’ Lexical Approach(d) James Asher’s Total Physical Response (TPR)

5- What are the main principles of Krashen and Terrell’s Natural Approach?1) Emphasis is placed on students’ developing basic communication skills and

vocabulary through their receiving meaningful exposure to the target language.2) The students listen to the teacher using the target language communicatively

from the beginning of instruction.3) The students do not speak at first.

4) The teacher helps his students to understand him by using pictures andoccasional words in the students’ native language and by being as expressive aspossible.

5) It is thought that if the teacher uses language that is just in advance of students’current level of proficiency, while making sure that his input is comprehensible,acquisition will proceed ‘naturally.’

6) Creating a ‘low affective filter’ is also a condition for learning that is met whenthere is a good classroom atmosphere.

7) If anxiety is reduced, the students’ self-confidence is boosted.8) The filter is kept low as well by the fact that students are not put on the spot to

speak; they speak when they are ready to do so.

6- State the main principles of Winitz and Reed’s self-instructional program andWinitz’ The Learnables.

1) Students listen to tape-recorded words, phrases, and sentences while they look ataccompanying pictures.

2) The meaning of the utterance is clear from the context the picture provides.3) The students are asked to respond in some way, such as pointing to each picture

as it is described, to show that they understand the language to which they arelistening, but they do not speak.

4) Stories illustrated by pictures are also used as a device to convey abstractmeaning.

7- State the main principles of Michael Lewis’ Lexical Approach.1)The Lexical Approach is less concerned with student production and moreconcerned that students receive abundant comprehensible input.2)Especially at lower levels, teachers talk extensively to their students, whilerequiring little or no verbal response from them.3)Students are given exercises and activities which raise their awareness aboutlexical features of the target language.4)Students are encouraged to notice multi-word lexical items such as ‘I see what youmean’ and ‘Take your time. There’s no hurry.’ In this way, the phrasal lexicon ofstudents can be developed.

8- What was the claim of James Asher’s which led him to develop the TotalPhysical Response Method (TPR)?

Asher claimed that the fastest, least stressful way to achieve understanding of anytarget language is to follow directions uttered by the instructor (without nativelanguage translation).

9- State the main principles of the Total Physical Response Method (TPR)?1) Meaning in the target language can often be conveyed through actions. Memory is

activated through learner response. The target language should be presented inchunks, not just word by word.

2) The students’ understanding of the target language should be developed beforespeaking.

3) Students can initially learn one part of the language rapidly by moving theirbodies.

4) The imperative is a powerful linguistic device through which the teacher can directstudent behavior.

5) Students can learn through observing actions as well as by performing the actionsthemselves.

6) It is very important that students feel successful.7) Students should not be made to memorize fixed routines.8) Correction should be carried out in an unobtrusive manner.9) Students must develop flexibility in understanding novel combinations of target

language chunks.10) Language learning is more effective when it is fun.11) Spoken language should be emphasized over written language.12) Students will begin to speak when they are ready.13) Students are expected to make errors when they first begin speaking. Teachers

should be tolerant of them. Work on the fine details of the language should bepostponed until students have become somewhat proficient.

10- What are the goals of teachers who use TPR?Teachers who use TPR believe in the importance of having their students learn tocommunicate in a foreign language.

11-Why was TPR developed?TPR was developed in order

(a) to reduce the stress people feel when studying foreign languages and(b) to encourage students to persist in their study beyond a beginninglevel of proficiency.

12-According to Asher, how should a foreign language be taught?Asher believes that foreign language learning should be based upon the way childrenlearn their native language.

13- What is the role of the teacher? What is the role of the students?The teacher: (1) Initially, the teacher is the director of all student behavior. (2) Thestudents are imitators of her nonverbal model.The students: (1) At some point (usually after ten to twenty hours of instruction),some students will be ‘ready to speak.’

(2) At that point there will be a role reversal with individual students directing theteacher and the other students.

14- What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process?1) The first phase of a lesson is one of modeling.2) The instructor issues commands to a few students, then performs the actions with

them.3) In the second phase, these same students demonstrate that they can understand

the commands by performing them alone.4) The observers also have an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding.5) The teacher next recombines elements of the commands to have students

develop flexibility in understanding unfamiliar utterances.6) These commands, which students perform, are often humorous.7) After learning to respond to some oral commands, the students learn to read and

write them.8) When students are ready to speak, they become the ones who issue the

commands.9) After students begin speaking, activities expand to include skits and games

15- What is the nature of student-teacher interaction? What is the nature ofstudent-student interaction?Student-teacher interaction: (1) The teacher interacts with the whole group ofstudents and with individual students. (2) Initially the interaction is characterized bythe teacher speaking and the students responding nonverbally. (3) Later on, thestudents become more verbal and the teacher responds nonverbally.Student-student interaction: (1) Students perform the actions together. (2) Studentscan learn by watching each other. (3) At some point, observers must demonstratetheir understanding of the commands in order to retain them. (4) As students begin tospeak, they issue commands to one another as well as to the teacher.

16- How are the feelings of the students dealt with?

1) One of the primary ways to reduce the stress people feel when studyingforeign languages is to allow learners to speak when they are ready.

2) Forcing students to speak before they are ready will only create anxiety.3) When students do begin to speak, perfection should not be expected.4) Another way to relieve anxiety is to make language learning as enjoyable as

possible.5) The use of zany commands and humorous skits are two ways of showing that

language learning can be fun.6) It is important that there not be too much modeling, but that students not be

too rushed either.7) Feelings of success and low anxiety facilitate learning.

17- How is language viewed? How is culture viewed?Language: Just as with the acquisition of the native language, the oral modality isprimary.Culture: Culture is the lifestyle of people who speak the language natively.

18- What areas of language are emphasized? What language skills are emphasized?1) Vocabulary and grammatical structures are emphasized over other language

areas.2) Vocabulary and grammatical structures are embedded within imperatives.3) The imperatives are single words and multi-word chunks.4) Understanding the spoken word should precede its production.5) The spoken language is emphasized over written language.6) Students often do not learn to read the commands they have already learned to

perform until after ten hours of instruction.

19- Why are imperatives used in the TPR Method?One reason for the use of imperatives is their frequency of occurrence in the speechdirected at young children learning their native language.

20- What is the role of the students’ native language?(a) TPR is usually introduced in the student’s native language.(b) After the introduction, rarely would the native language be used.(c) Meaning is made clear through body movements.

21- How is evaluation accomplished?1) Teachers will know immediately whether or not students understand by

observing their students’ actions.

2) Formal evaluations can be conducted simply by commanding individualstudents to perform a series of actions.

3) As students become more advanced, their performance of skits they havecreated can become the basis for evaluation.

22- How does the teacher respond to student errors?1) It is expected that students will make errors when they first begin speaking.

Teachers should be tolerant of them and only correct major errors. Even theseshould be corrected unobtrusively.

2) As students get more advanced, teachers can ‘fine tune’—correct more minorerrors.

23- What are the main techniques of the Total Physical Response Method?24-Discuss ……. as a technique of the Total Physical Response Method.

1) Using commands to direct behavior

(a) The use of commands is the major teaching technique of TPR.(b) The commands are given to get students to perform an action.(c) The action makes the meaning of the command clear. Since(d) Keeping the pace lively, it is necessary for a teacher to plan in advance

just which commands he will introduce in a lesson. If the teacher tries tothink them up as the lesson progresses, the pace will be too slow.

(e) At first, to clarify meaning, the teacher performs the actions with thestudents.

(f) Later the teacher directs the students alone.(g) The students’ actions tell the teacher whether or not the students

understand.(h) Teachers should vary the sequence of the commands so that students do

not simply memorize the action sequence without ever connecting theactions with the language.

(i) It is very important that the students feel successful. Therefore, theteacher should not introduce new commands too fast.

(j) It is recommended that a teacher present three commands at a time.After students feel successful with these, three more can be taught.

(k) It is claimed that all grammar features can be communicated throughimperatives.

2) Role reversal(a) Students command their teacher and classmates to perform some actions.(b) Asher says that students will want to speak after ten to twenty hours ofinstruction, although some students may take longer.(c) Students should not be encouraged to speak until they are ready.

3) Action sequence(a) The teacher gives three connected commands. Example: The teachertells the students to point to the door, walk to the door, and touch the door.(b) As the students learn more and more of the target language, a longerseries of connected commands can be given, which together comprise awhole procedure. Example:

1- Take out a pen.2- Take out a piece of paper.3- Write a letter. (imaginary)4- Fold the letter.5- Put it in an envelope.6- Seal the envelope.7- Write the address on the envelope.8- Put a stamp on the envelope.9- Mail the letter.

(c) This series of commands is called an action sequence, or an operation.Many everyday activities, like writing a letter, can be broken down into anaction sequence that students can be asked to perform.

25) Highlights of the Total Physical Response (TPR) Method.1- TPR is a teaching method that could be used with adult learners and younger

children as well.2- The teaching of speaking the target language is delayed.3- Students should not be encouraged to speak until they are ready to do so.4- A teacher should overlook certain student errors in the beginning.5- The imperative could be used to present the grammatical structures and

vocabulary of the target language.6- It is possible to teach all grammatical features through the imperative.7- Accompanying language with action aids recall.