Total Physical Response (TPR) (VII HO12)

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR)
Introduction:
Total physical response (TPR) is a language
teaching strategy which uses commands,
either written or verbal, to introduce new
language and concepts to students. In a
typical TPR lesson, a teacher will give a
command and the student must follow
the command with a physical response.
For example, if the teacher says, ‘Jump up
and down three times on your left foot!”
the students after hearing the command
(or reading it, in some cases) will do so.
General TPR Hints to Remember:
Resist the temptation to speed through
several lessons. During TPR sessions, students
and teachers frequently become
elated. The students are aware that they
are learning quickly while the teacher is
thrilled at the sight of such rapid progress.
The temptation arises to speed through
several more lessons. This temptation must
be resisted. Remember that many repetitions
are necessary to ensure success.
Don’t jump from unit to unit. The lessons
should build on each other. Once a unit is
started, continue with it. The lessons
provide controlled introduction of new
vocabulary as well as a continuous review.
Both of these elements are necessary for
true internalization of the language.
Keep your command “clean.” Do only
what your command says to do. For
example, if your command is ‘~ump to the
chalkboard, ” that is all you do. If, after you
arrive at the chalkboard you unconsciously
scratch your arm, you will see students
respond by jumping to the chalkboard
and scratching their arms.
Copying others is learning, not cheating.
As students move to the commands, some
will be uncertain. The unsure students may
turn and look at their neighbors to see how
they are moving and mimic them. This is
acceptable behavior. With TPR, students
learn by observing each other as well as by
observing the teacher.
Instant feedback. TPR is helpful to the
teacher because the student’s physical
response is so obvious. It tells the teacher
immediatelywhat eachstudent comprehends
and which commands need to be repeated.
Research has shown that students tend to
learn a second language more effectively
through the motor activi~ medium.
Principles:
O Basic concepts are learned better
through motor activities.
~ A comfortable long receptive period is
needed to obtain a 100% successful
response.
~ Copying others is not cheating.
Characteristics:
O TPR
is totally physical.
~ It is a right-brain approach.
~ Lots of comprehensible input in a
low-anxiety environment is provided;
students will produce language when
they are ready.
@ It is a direct method for teaching
language.
0 It provides many positive rewards.
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Section VII-3 Handout 12 Em~owerina ESOL Teachers: An Overview
@ It deals with
real-life situations.
@ It gives instant feed-back to the teacher.
~ k starts with the imperative.
Strengths:
O Provides a low affective filter.
~ High motivational level.
0 High retention.
@ Good for non-native English students
@ Immediate knowledge of results.
~ Useful with all age levels.
0 Very flexible.
~ Consistent with other natural approaches.
References:
Asher, J. (1988). Learning another
language through actions: The complete
teacher> guidebook. Los Gates,
CA: Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.
Law, B. & Eckes, M. (1990). The more
than just surviving handbook. E5L for
every c/assroom teacher. Winnipeg,
CANADA: Peguis Publishers Limited.
McCloskey, M. L. (1990j. Integrated
language teaching strategies and inte
grated thematic units. Atlanta, GA:
Educo Press.
Illustrations of Total Physical
Response Activities:
The Pointing
Game
With a small group of students, use a
collection of pictures such as those one
might find in a mail order catalog to
reinforce concepts that have been taught.
Ask students to point to various specific
body parts (a head, an arm), to colors
(something green~, or to items of clothing
(a dress, a sweater).
Identifying
Emotions
After the class has acquired simple
commands such as “cry” or “laugh,”
pictures can be placed across the front of
the room of people clearly demonstrating
such emotional reactions. Students can
be asked to take the picture of a person
displaying a specific reaction (someone
crying, someone laughing). Later this
same procedure can be extended to
other kinds of descriptions of emotions,
perhaps more subtle ones [someone who
is sad, someone who is angry).
Dress the Paper Doll
A large paper doll man, woman, or child
with a set of clothes can be made and
mounted on a bulletin board. Velcro can
be used to make the paper clothes stick
to the figure. Students are then asked to
place various items of clothing on it.
Concepts such as checked, polka dotted,
and striped can be taught in the same
manner along with a variety of fabrics
and textures, different kinds of materials
can be cut in the shape of the paper
clothes and glued to them.
Manipulating
Rods
Rods of various colors such as those used
in Gattegno’s Silent Way can provide
realia for teaching numbers, spatial relationships,
colors, and the like (take the
b/ue rod, take three red rods, put the
blue rod beside the red rod and give it to
the teacher].
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Empowering ESOL Teachers: An Overview Section V.U.3 Handout 12
Working
with Shapes
Another idea is to cut squares, rectangles,
triangles, and circles out of various colors
of construction paper and distribute them
to the students. Shapes (hold up the
triangle), colors (hold up the green
triangle), and numbers (hold up three
triangles) can be taught or reinforced.
Ordinal numbers can also be introduced
by placing several shapes in various
positions along the chalkboard. A student
can be asked to place the green
triangle in the third position or the eighth
position. For example, each student in
the class can then be given a small box of
crayons or colored pencils and a handout
with rows of squares, rectangles, triangles,
and circles drawn on it. Commands
such as “Find the first row of
circles. Go to the fifth circle, Color it red”
can be given to reinforce not only the
shape, but the ordinal number and the
color.
written recipe. An extra large version to
which you and the students can refer can
be placed at the front of the room. While
you or a student reads the recipe, other
students can measure, mix the ingredients,
and so on. As a follow-up, students
can bring in favorite recipes to share,
These can be put together to form a class
recipe book to which others can be
added.
As a follow-up, students can cut out of
old magazines pictures of objects that
have shapes similar to those mentioned
above. Another follow-up might be to
have students cut the various shapes
from colored poster board, newsprint,
or wallpaper. Have them arrange the
shapes into a collage.
Following
Recipes
At much later stages, making holiday rice
cakes, baking valentine cookies, or
preparing enchiladas can provide a TPR
experience and can also involve students
in the cultures of other countries and
those within the United States. First
display all the ingredients for any given
recipe and introduce each item, one by
one. Then present each student with a
Excerpted frem:
Richard-Amato, P. A. (1988). Making it happen:
Interaction in the second language classroom-
- from theory to practice, White Plains, NY
Longmans, Inc., pp. 76-78 Reprinted with
permission.
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