Michelle KindtMichelle Kindt

• Emphasizes comprehensible input & repetition

• Focuses on student interest

• Emphasizes comprehensible input & repetition

• Focuses on student interest

TPRS History

Blaine Ray – creator of TPRS• TPR beginnings• Green Bible• TPRS materials – Look, I Can

Talk series• National TPRS Conference –

Las Vegas 2012!

More TPRSers or CI people

• Susan Gross – Madame TPRS• Carol Gaab – Cuentame! series• Jason Fritze – Reading Guru• Karen Rowan – Fluency Fast

Dr. Stephen Krashen• The Natural Approach

– with Tracey Terrell– Input Hypothesis– Net Hypothesis

• Professor emeritus at the University of Southern California

• Linguist, educational researcher, and activist

• My new hero!

WHEN WE UNDERSTAND MESSAGES - INPUT

We acquire languages in only one way . . .

-Dr. Stephen Krashen

How do you peel a banana?

If, in the end, you get to eat the fruit – the ultimate goal –does it really matter how you

peeled the banana?

Three steps of TPRS

• Establish meaning –Makes it comprehensible

• Storytelling–Provides repetition

• Literacy–Provides repetition

Establishing Meaning

• Write targeted words/structures on board

• Translate into English (banana); parse grammar

• Assign a gesture• Personalized Question & Answer

Tell/Ask the Story

• Could come up with my own, but using something from PQA in class is best

• Typical Plot– A problem– Three locations– Last location problem is resolved:

good or bad

Circling• Asking a series of questions about

each statement of the story• Types of Questions:

– Question that gets a “Yes”– Question that gets a “No”(state negative construction)

– Question that asks “either/or”– Question that uses a “question word”

A TPRS lesson

• With real high school students!• A video of me teaching

– My 3rd year of using the method

What year did you think that was?

3 Weeks into Level 1

Reading (Literacy)• Teacher reads out loud for good

pronunciation (banana)• Students translate into English with

teacher help (banana)• Reading teaches grammar better!• Use Circling technique to get

repetitions of vocabulary and structures

LiteracyIl y a un garçon. Il a un problème. Il n’a pas de nombril. Il est triste. Tout le monde le regarde et rit. Le garçon pleure. Il crie « Pourquoi? » Il ne sourit pas. Il va à la lune. Il saute à la lune avec un « jet-pack ». À la lune, il y a une fille. Elle a un nombril. À la lune, il y a beaucoup de nombrils, aussi. La fille lui donne un nombril. Le garçon et la fille sourient.

Grammar• “Pop-ups” in reading and storytelling• Focusing on MEANING

allows students to absorb grammar without being taught

• We shelter vocabulary, not grammar – small context, rich grammar

This is a PARADIGM SHIFT (banana)

because there is NO explicit

grammar teaching

Constant Evaluation for Comprehension & Engagement

• How does it feel?• Are students with me?• How can I get them back with me?• Humor? Movement? • Placement in the room?

If the students aren’t understanding,they aren’t learning!

Three steps of TPRS

• Establish meaning –Makes it comprehensible

• Storytelling–Provides repetition

• Literacy–Provides repetition

A TPRS Lesson

• 10-? minutes- Gestures & PQA• 20-? minutes- Story• 10-? minutes- Teacher/student retells• 20-? minutes- Reading

• The only rule is CI!(Comprehensible Input)

Acquisition vs. Learning

studyeffortless

understand message

subconscious

feels like nothing is happening know the

rules

conscious practice of structures

understand mechanicsBoth can

improve language

Reflection

Traditionally, what have we seen in a language classroom? How often have we heard “this child can’t learn a foreign language”?

The fact that a student

already speaks a language, means that she is capable of learning another one.

Language is Acoustical

NOT intellectual!

What happens in an acquisition classroom?

Comprehensible input

All children can become fluent this way

– Moms all over the world have a 100% success rate

What happens in a learning classroom?

Drills & practice

Only the best students can become fluent this way

– future language teachers

Can LEARNING produce proficiency?

• Yes, if the students know the RULE• Yes, if the students can focus on

the RULE at the moment of utterance

• But, how many students can do this?

The results . . .

• ACQUISITION produces fluent language use

• LEARNING produces the ability to edit

Acquisition•Listening for meaning•Reading for meaning

Learning•Spelling, Grammar•How Language Works•Quick pop-ups based on MEANING, not rules

Output

•Speaking•Writing

Input

•Listening•Reading

QUIZ - Is it Acquisition?

• Number from 1-8• Listen to my description of

various teaching strategies and activities

• Answer “Yes” or “No”

Is it Acquisition?

1. Skit2. Retell a story3. Write a paragraph4. Information gap5. Story from pictures6. POV retell7. Speech8. Write a letter

Think about L1

• The average child needs about 2 years of listening input before he can speak in simple sentences

• The average child needs about 2 years of reading input before he can write in simple sentences

Reflection

How does traditional teaching force output?

What is the result?

In order to acquire language, two things are needed . . .

Comprehensibility

& Repetition

To sum it all up: Input produces Output

• Listening to French makes you a better SPEAKER of French

• Reading in French makes you a better WRITER of French

In order to acquire language, two things are needed . . .

Comprehensibility

& Repetition

How do we make it comprehensible?

• Establishing meaning with translation

• Gestures

How do we get enough repetitions?

• Questioning technique called CIRCLING

YesYes

OrOr

NoNo

? Word? Word

Make a statement!

• Write the statement in the middle of your card (usually in marker)

• Ask it!• Take a pencil and write some ideas

of different questions you could ask• Ask some!• Which question word(s) would work

best here?

Building your Circling Skills1. Make questions out of your statement

and listen for answers

5. Ask for a detail using a question word and then ask questions with that statement

4. State the negative construction3. Add comprehension checks

2. Restate the original phrase after each answer

More advanced question

• Ask a question that requires a positive or negative structure response

• It checks for production preparedness

Okay, I buy it, but . . .• What does it look like?• How do I get started?• What materials should I use?• How do I assess acquisition?• What about homework?• What about my textbook?• How do I “prepare” them for my

colleagues who don’t buy it?

WHAT do I teach?

• Use a TPRS text– Look, I Can Talk series – Blaine Ray– Cuentame Mas series – Carol Gaab

• Use a TPRS novel– Pauvre Anne and others – Blaine Ray– Los Bakers and others – Carol Gaab

• Full year of lesson plans-www.susangrosstprs.com

TPRS Materials

Blaine Ray & Carol Gaab• Student book: illustrations, short

readings, exercises, activities• Teacher’s guide: suggested

structures, grammar, variations• Novels: culture, values, stretch

language ability

TPRS Materials

• Blaine Raywww.blaineraytprs.com• Carol Gaabwww.tprstorytelling.com• Karen Rowanwww.fluencyfast.com

How do I assess?• Identify which picture is being

described• Vocabulary: kids write meaning in

English• Draw what teacher describes• Illustrate a reading passage• Answer questions from a reading

passage• Write a composition

What do I give for homework?

• Draw today’s story• Write today’s story• Draw your own story to tell• Write your own story• Choice model

How do I teach grammar?

• 3rd person singular Sep-Oct• 3rd person plural Oct-Nov-Dec• 1st person singular Jan-Feb• 2nd person singular March• 1st person plural April• 2nd person plural May

How do I teach grammar?You can follow the traditional idea • Present tense in level 1• Past/imperfect in level 2• Future/conditional/subjunctive in

level 3• Subjunctive/pluperfect in level 4• Less vocabulary – more grammar

in context (reading and listening)

What should I do first?

• Pick one class• Teach all classes with the same

story and vocabulary structures –but change the verb tense

• Add another “level” each year

Get Connected!

• www.groups.yahoo.com/group/moretprs• www.moretprs.net• Attend numerous workshops• Get coached• Go to the NTPRS conference in

Las Vegas!

Michelle Kindt