Diane Larsen-Freeman

112 Tota l Physical ReS!HJrlSe
Tota l Physical Response 11 3
Observations
Principles
Observations
Principles
4 The reacher sits down and
issues commands to the
volunteers.
5 The teacher directs students
ot her than the volunteers.
The imperative is a powerful
linguistic device through wh ich the
teacher can direct student
behavior.
Students can learn through
observing actions as well as by
performing the actions themselves.
13 A student says, 'Sha ke hand
with you r neighbor.'
Students arc expected to make
errors when they first begin
speaking. Teachers should be
tolerant of them. Work on the
fine deta ils of the language
shou ld be post poned until
students have become somew hat
pro ficient.
6 The teacher introduces new
commands after she is satisfied
that the first six have been
mastered.
7 The teacher changes the orde r
of the commands.
8 When the stude nts make an
error, the teacher repeats the
command while acting it out.
9 The teacher gives the students
com mands they have not
hear d before.
10 The teacher says, 'Ju mp to the
desk.' Everyone laughs.
11 The teacher writes the new
commands on the blackboard.
12 A few weeks later;u student
who hasn't spoken before
gives commands.
It is very important that stud ents
feel successful. Feelings of success
and low anxiety facilitate learning.
Students should not be made to
memorize fixed routines.
Correction sho uld be carried out
in an uno btrus ive manner.
Students must develop fl exibility
in understa nding novel
com binations of target language
chunks. They need to understand
more than the exact sentences used
in training. No velty is also
mot ivating.
Language learning is more
effective when it is fun.
Spoken language should he
emphasized over written
language.
Students will begin to speak when
they are ready.
REVIEWING THE PRINCIPLES
We will next turn to our ten questions in order to increase our understa
nding of Total Physical Response.
1 What are the goals of teachers who use TPR?
Teachers who usc TPR believe in the importance of having their students
enjoy their experience in learning to communicate in a foreign
language. In fact, TPR was developed in order to reduce the stress
peop le feel when studying foreign languages and thereby enco urage
students to persist in their study beyond a beginning level of pro fi ­
crcnc y.
The way to do this, Asher believes, is to base foreign language
learning upon the way children learn their nat ive language.
2 What is the role of the teacher? What is the role of the students?
Initially, the teacher is the director of all student behavior. The students
are imita tors of her nonverbal model. At some point (usually after ten
to twenty hours of instruction), some students will be ' ready to speak.'
At that point there will be a role reversa l with individual students
directi ng the teacher and the other students.
3 What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process?
The first phase of a lesson is one of modeling. The instructor issues
commands to .1 few students, then perfo rms the actions with them. In
the second pha se, these same students demon strate that they can
understand the commands by performing the m alone. The observers
also have an opportunity to demonstrate their understand ing.
The teacher next recombines elements of the com man ds to have