Total Physical Response (TPR)

Reported by:

Kevin Castro & Kathleen Ching

WHAT IS TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE?

TPR is a language teaching method in which

learners listen to instructions in the target

language, and carry out a sequence of physical

actions.

This is based on the belief that second

language is learned most effectively in the early

stages if the pressure for production is taken

off the learners.

PRINCIPLES IN WHICH TPR WAS BASED

James Asher, the proponent of

this method, derived three

principles from his beliefs about

the nature of first language

acquisition.

1. Stress comprehension rather

than production

2. Obey the “here and now” principle

3. Comprehension by listening to

and carrying out instructions

couched in the imperative

CRITICAL ELEMENTS IN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

1. Listening skill is far in advance of speaking.

2. Children acquire listening skill in a particular

way

3. Listening skill may produce a “readiness” for

the child to speak.

CLAIMS IN WHICH TPR WAS BASED

Asher claimed that the fastest and least

stressful way to achieve understanding of any

target language is to follow directions uttered

by the instructor (without native language

translation).

KEY COMPONENTS OF TPR

Movement as memory enhancer

Use of imperatives as the method of instruction

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF TPR

Meaning in the target language can often be

conveyed through actions. Memory is activated

through learner response. The target language

should be presented in chunks, not just word

by word.

The students’ understanding of the target

language should be developed before

speaking.


Students can initially learn one part of the

language rapidly by moving their bodies.

Imperatives are powerful linguistic device

through which the teacher can direct student

behavior.

Students can learn through observing actions

as well as by performing the actions

themselves.


It is very important that students feel successful.

Students should not be made to memorize fixed routines.

Corrections should be carried out in an unobtrusive manner.

Students must develop flexibility in understanding novel combinations of target language chunks.


Language learning is more effective when it is

fun.

Spoken language should be emphasized over

written language.

Students will begin to speak when they are

ready.


Students are expected to make errors when

they first begin speaking. Teachers should be

tolerant of them. Work on the fine details of the

language should be postponed until students

have become somewhat proficient.

FEATURES OF TPR

YES NO

Comprehensible input Language as meaning

Language as structures and vocabulary

Language learning: association of

stimulus-response through physical action

Conscious reflection and analysis of

linguistic structures

Unconscious acquisition Conscious learning

Silent period Immediate production

Input before output

Inductive learning Deductive learning and explanation of

structures

Teacher as leader in the classroom Learners are active participants in learning

process

Activities designed to reduce affective filter Stressful situations leading to anxiety

Use of imperatives

THEORIES INCORPORATED IN THE METHOD

Childhood language acquisition theories

Natural order hypothesis

The right brain – left brain divide (“brain

switching”)

Lowering stress and affective filter

PHASES OF TPR INSTRUCTION

Modeling by the instructor

T. says command and performs action

T. says command; students and T. perform action

Demonstration by the learner

T. says command, students perform action

T. says commands in a random order and random combination,

students perform action

LEARNERS’ ROLES

Listeners and performers

Imitators of the teacher’s nonverbal model

Monitor and evaluate their own progress

TEACHER’S ROLES

Director of all students’ behaviors

Decides what to teach

Serves as model of the target language

Presents the new material

Selects supporting materials for classroom use

SOME STRATEGIES IN USING TPR

Role Reversal

Students command their teacher and classmates to

perform some actions.

Asher says that students will want to speak after

ten to twenty hours of instruction, although some

students may take longer.

Students should not be encouraged to speak until

they are ready.


Action Sequence (or Operation)

The teacher gives three connected commands.

Example: The teacher tells the students to point to

the door, walk to the door, and touch the door.

As the students learn more and more of the target

language, a longer series of connected commands

can be given, which together comprise a whole

procedure.


Action Songs

Storytelling

Use of novel utterances

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you cope with abstraction without using translation?

A: Abstractions are simply vocabulary items that can

be incorporated in several different ways. It is

recommended to delay first the teaching of

abstraction until a large amount of structure in the

TL has been assimilated with concrete vocabulary

items.


Is any homework assigned?

A: Usually not, but this does not mean that it is

inadvisable. Through trial-and-error, each instructor

discovers what mix of activities produces the best

results.


Are there any teacher preconceptions which could block the

successful application of this strategy?

A: There are three: (1) illusion of simplicity, (2)

tendency to be over-ambitious for students, and

(3) narrow tolerance for errors in speaking


What about the transfer of learning from listening

understanding to reading for people who cannot read in

their native language?

A: The transfer will probably be zero. Apparently it is

necessary to have prior skill in the orthography of

one’s native language before there is transport

from listening skill in the second language to

reading and writing.


How can imperative improve pronunciation?

A: The students, during a long time period of silent

acting when the teacher utters a command, are

internalizing a model of the target language which

helps the students monitor and self-correct the

individual’s own speech.


Can production be taught?

A: Production can be shaped, but not directly taught.

There are three reasons for the radical conclusion

that production cannot be taught:

1. In first language acquisition, speech always

lags behind listening comprehension

2. Puberty is a critical factor which determines

whether one will achieve near-native

pronunciation in L2

3. Individual differences


Do you correct mistakes that students make in production?

A: Yes, but since we operate on a developmental

theory to explain production, our feedback is

modeled after the feedback which parents give to

children learning their first language.


How does this method compare and contrast with the Silent

Way?

A: Both methods use commands to manipulate the

students’ behavior. One difference is the point in

training when students produce spoken language.

In the Silent Way, an attempt is made to fine tune

pronunciation immediately. In TPR, there is a delay

in production until students indicate readiness to

speak.

ASSESSING TPR: ADVANTAGES

It is a lot of fun. Learners enjoy it, and this

method can be a real stirrer in the class. It lifts

the mood of the class.

It is very memorable. It does assist students to

recognize phrases or words.

It is good for kinesthetic learners who are

required to be active in the class. It also taps

the visual and auditory skills of the learners.


It can be used both in large or small classes. In

this case, the class size does not matter that

much. As long as you are prepared to take the

lead, the learners will follow.

It works well with mixed-ability classes. The

physical actions get across the meaning

effectively so that all the learners are able to

comprehend and apply the target language.


There is no need to exert a lot of time for the

preparation of materials using the TPR.

It involves the use of both left and right brain in

learning.

ASSESSING TPR: LIMITATIONS

Students who are not used to such things might

find it embarrassing.

It is only suitable for beginner levels. This method

holds stronger in teaching non-abstract vocabulary

items and is unsuccessful in teaching abstracts

which are acquired at advanced levels.

It gives priority to receptive skills, mainly listening,

at the expense of productive skills.

Very less effort is expected from the learner.


It assumes that stress hinders the process of language acquisition denying the fact that positive stress, as explained in some literature, is considered sometimes crucial in learning processes.

Grammatical features and vocabulary items are selected not according to their frequency of need or use in the target language situations, but according to the situations in which they can be used in the classroom and the ease with which they can be learned.


The method is time consuming. Learning a

single vocabulary item, for example, would

require the demand or imperative of the

teacher, the students' demonstration, and

teacher's feedback. It usually involves the

whole class participating in learning one single

item. Yet, the results would be expected to be

more fruitful and lasting than it is with other

methods.

REFERENCES

Asher, J. (1979). Learning Another Language through Actions. Los Galos, CA:

Sky Oaks Productions.

Neupane, G. (2008). Act, Don’t Explain: Total Physical Response at Work.

Journal of NELTA, 13 (1-2), 80-86.

Nunan, D. (2009). Second Language Teaching and Learning. Pasig City:

Cengage Learning.

Adelman, B., Price, E., and Silver, M. (2003). Total Physical Response: A

Curriculum for Adults. St. Louis, MO: English Language and Literacy Center.

Widodo, H. (2005). Teaching Children Using a Total Physical Response (TPR)

Method: Rethinking. Bahasa Dan Seni, 33 (2), 236-248

Total Physical Response (TPR)

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