Total Physical Response on Young Learners

Total Physical Response on Young Learners Salih Güneş gunessalih@windowslive.com Yusuf Türen ctrl_alt_f4@hotmail.com Adil Serihan adilserihan@hotmail.com Mustafa Dağıstanoğlu vicecity_yeah@hotmail.com January, 2012 Mersin Un iversity

1. Background • TPR is a language teaching method built around the coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach language through physical activity. (Richards and Rodgers, 2001) • TPR is developed by James Asher, who is a professor of psychology at San Jose Sate University, Colifornia. • It focuses on developmental psychology, learning theory, humanistic pedagogy, and language teaching procedures.

2. Approach 2.1. Theory of language • reflecting a grammar-based view of language • use of imperative by instructor • imperative as a central linguistic motif of • language use and learning

2.2. Theory of learning • a stimulus-response view of learning theory • ‘’trace theory’’ of memory in psychology • Asher’s learning hypotheses: • The bio-program: Naturalistic processes • Brain lateralization: Right brain motor activities • Reduction of stress: Delaying speech reduces the stress

3. Design 3.1. Objectives • oral proficiency at a beginning level • an uninhibited communication • use of action-based drills in the imperative form

3.2. Syllabus • a sentence-based syllabus • priority of grammatical and lexical criteria • initial attention to meaning rather than to the form • inductive grammar teaching

imperative drills • slide presentations • conversational dialogues • role plays

3.4. Lerners’ roles to listen attentively and respond physically • to produce novel combination of their own • to monitor their own progress • to speak when they feel ready

3.4. Teachers’ roles • an active participant • director of the learning progress • presenting the new materials • selecting supporting materials • providing exposure to language • not to correct students’ mistakes too much

3.5. Materials • In early learning stages; • teacher’s voice, actions, and gestures • In later learning stages; • common classroom objects • pictures, realia, slides, and word charts

4. Procedure Asher presents a course procedure in the following way; • review: a fast-moving warm-up) • new commands: introducing verbs • introducing other items: walk quickly to the door • 1 2 • asking simple questions: Where is the towel? • role Reversal: uttering commands • reading and writing: new vocabularies to illustrate the item

5. Advantages of TPR • stress-free • long term retention • easy to implement • new playing fields • favorable for kinaesthetic learners • little need for materials

5. Conclusion • popular in the 1970s and 1980s by those who emphasize the role of comprehension in SLA. • comprehensible input and reduction of stress as keys to successful language acquisition • Recommended by Asher to be used with other methods and techniques

Total Physical Response on Young Learners