Total Physical response

By James Asher

TPR

James Asher

Goals

to provide an enjoyable learning experience, having a minimum of the stress that typically accompanies learning a foreign language.

Teaching/learning process:

Lessons begin with commands by the teacher. Students demonstrate their understanding by acting these commands out. Teachers recombine their instructions in novel and often humorous ways; eventually students follow suit. Activities later include games and skits.

Roles

. The teacher plays an active and direct role because he decides what to teach, he selects and models the material.

The learners listen attentively and respond physically to commands. They are expected to recognize and respond to new combinations of taught items and they have to produce new combinations of their own

What abilities are emphasized?

Understanding of the target language should be developed before speaking.

Meaning can often be conveyed through actions, especially by using commands.

Feelings of success and low anxiety facilitate learning.

Spoken language should be emphasized over written language.

- firstly, the speaking ability, after that students developd all the rest.

How are errors viewed?

Teachers should be tolerant of errors which are expected to be made by students. Meaning is more important than form.

Interaction

Teacher-Student and student-student: The teacher interacts with individual students and with the group, starting with the teacher speaking and the students responding nonverbally. Later, this is reversed; students issue commands to teacher as well as each other.

What abilities are emphasized?

Understanding of the target language should be developed before speaking.

Meaning can often be conveyed through actions, especially by using commands.

Feelings of success and low anxiety facilitate learning.

Spoken language should be emphasized over written language.

Now, you are going to experience how to apply TPR in class.