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TEFL Program - Using TPR - Total Physical Response

Page history last edited by Chris Moore 12 years, 7 months ago

Unit 6: Total Physical Response 

 

In this unit, you will learn about a teaching approach called Total Physical Response (TPR), which is particularly useful for young learners with a low level of English. You will also find lots of practical ways of implementing TPR in your classroom.

 

Total Physical Response was developed by James J. Asher and is based on the idea that memory is enhanced through association with physical movement. It is also closely associated with ideas of mother tongue language acquisition in young children, where they respond physically to parental commands, such as "Pick it up" and "Put it down."

 

TPR is based primarily on listening and is tied to physical actions which are designed to reinforce a student's understanding of basic items. TPR is also based on the idea that the human brain has a biological program for acquiring any natural language on earth. The process is visible when we observe how infants learn their first language.

 

In practice, TPR often occurs as a series of instructions for students to follow. To teach with TPR, you need to prepare a set of commands that use the new language you are introducing. Students respond to these commands (without speaking) and, after sufficient practice, give the commands to each other. By doing what the teacher requests, they get to understand the language and see how it is applied in the real world - again this is similar to how a child listens and responds to his parents.

 
a. Do you use instructions in this way in your classrooms?

 

 

b. Can you write some of these instructions down?

 

 

c. How can you use TPR to teach new language?  

 

 

 

 

 

How to Use TPR to teach new language:

 

TPR can be used to introduce or demonstrate a concept to children by using movement and action to create experiences for the children. In this way, it makes learning more meaningful for learners with limited English skills.

 

1. Create a sequence of commands that you can use to teach the content of the lesson. These could focus on a sequence of actions, for example. Prepare to use visual support, such as pictures or real objects, along with actions and movement. 

    

2. Ask students questions to elicit what they already know about what you are going to demonstrate. For example, show an object and see if students can name it.

 

3. Say each command, demonstrate it, and encourage the class to respond to the command as well. Remind students that they don’t need to speak, just do the actions. (You may have to work for quite a while with some beginning-low students before this concept is clear.)

 

4. Now give the commands in sequence, without demonstrating, and see if the class can respond. Quickly demonstrate the command if they have problems.

 

5. Now give the commands out of sequence, again without demonstrating. If the whole group is responding well, give commands to rows, small groups, even individuals - much like in a drill activity. Create new commands by combining previously learned language with the new language from the sequence.

 

6. Ask for student volunteers to give you the commands. Make errors in following their commands so that the class has to correct you.

 

7. Write the sequence on the board and have students copy it, or distribute a handout with the sequence or picture cues.

 

8. Pair students and have the partners take turns giving the commands to each other. You can follow up the TPR lesson by having students give a demonstration in front of the class, or by having students create new sequences based on a related but different situation.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

TPR in Practice - Some Examples

 

1. Teaching parts of the body

 

Use the following instructions: 

 

  • put your left hand in the air
  • put it down

  • put your right hand in the air
  • put it down

  • put both hands in the air
  • put them down

  • put your left foot in the air
  • put it down

  • put your right foot in the air
  • put it down

  • put both feet in the air!

 

This exercise also teaches 'left' and 'right', 'it' and 'them'.

 

2. Teaching classroom language

 

Use any verbs that could be used while teaching. Combine the verbs with nouns in lots of interesting ways. Some combinations include "come to the blackboard", "pick up a piece of chalk", "give the chalk to me", "go back to your chair", "everyone open your books to page 37", "take out a piece of paper", "write your name at the top", "fold your paper", etc.

 

You can add any verb you want, including some funny ones. Ask students to put their paper on their heads or to eat their pens and see how they respond!

 

3. Teaching the language of 'getting up'

 

Write a series of actions which students can act out. An example might be "Getting Up."

  • I'm waking up.
  • I'm rubbing my eyes.
  • I'm yawning.
  • I'm stretching.
  • I'm getting out of bed.
  • I'm washing my face.
  • I'm brushing my teeth.
  • I'm combing my hair.
  • I'm getting dressed.
  • I'm walking to the kitchen.
  • I'm eating breakfast.
  • I'm putting on my backpack.
  • I'm kissing my mother "good-by."
  • I'm opening the door.
  • I'm walking to school.

 

Have students demonstrate their mastery of the commands by pausing after each line and asking students to act it out - this can be done as individuals, groups or whole class.

This whole sequence can be repeated using the past tense once students have mastered the present tense. Even young learners can grasp the concept of "past tense" if you use a calendar to show today (October 26th) "I'm washing my face"; yesterday (October 25th) "I washed my face."

 

 Teaching numbers and letters

 

All you need is a chalkboard or writing paper

Read the following instructions to the students.

  • Go to the chalkboard (or 'Take out a piece of paper')
  • Write 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • Write A B C D E F G H I J
  • Draw a line under the number 4
  • Draw a line under 6, 7, 8
  • Draw a line under 9, 10
  • Draw a line under E F G
  • Draw a line under I J
  • Draw a circle around A B
  • Draw a circle around F
  • Cross out number 1
  • Cross out numbers 3 and 4
  • Cross out A B C
  • Erase 1, 2, 3, 4
  • Erase E F G

 

 

Teaching a predictable sequence of actions

 

Students act out the following:

 

  • Let's go to the zoo. Open the door and get in your car.
  • Turn on the engine in your car.
  • Drive to the zoo.
  • Park the car.
  • Get out of the car.
  • Buy your ticket with a $5 dollar bill.
  • Hold out your hand for your change.
  • Walk to the entrance.
  • Give your ticket to the person at the gate.
  • Open the gate and go in.
  • Wave at the giraffes.
  • Walk like a giraffe.
  • Wave at the monkeys.
  • Laugh like a monkey.
  • Wave at the elephants.
  • Wave your trunk like the elephants.

 

 

Applying TPR to reading stories

Before reading a children's story, select some action words and ask the students to perform these actions as you meet them in the pages. List them on the board.

After reading the story, ask children to summarize the story by acting out the words you have demonstrated.

After reading the story, ask the children to select some words or phrases that they would like to turn into actions.

 

 

Conclusion

 

TPR is a great way of applying how children learn language from their parents to the classroom. By acting out actions, they get to understand both meaning and application. TPR lessons are often creative, fun and motivating, especially at younger ages and lower levels. TPR cannot be used for teaching everything, but it can be a great part of your teaching mix.

 

 

 

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