Learn To Speak English -
Get Up To Speed Quickly With TPR

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The first few lessons when teaching students a new language can be crucial. A feeling of not making progress can have a major impact on their self-confidence, enjoyment of the lessons, and desire to continue and persevere.

On the other hand, if they feel they are really learning and remembering new vocabulary, right from lesson 1, they will have sufficient motivation to keep going, and the momentum will build.

Total Physical Response (TPR)

James J. Asher’s Total Physical Response method is particularly good for helping new students grasp initial basic vocabulary and remember it!

For that reason alone, a teacher does well to incorporate this method for 10 to 15 minutes in each of the early lessons.

Dr. Asher, emeritus Professor of Psychology and former Associate Dean at San Jose State University, developed the approach in 30 years of research in the laboratory.

It is based on the way a child first learns language. Dr. Asher uses the expression "language-body conversation" to describe the first communication between parent and child.

The parent speaks and the infant makes a physical response such as looking, smiling, or reaching, etc. Over time, the child internalizes the patterns and sounds of the target language.

Later, the child starts to speak, almost it seems, spontaneously. However, for months the child’s brain has been laying down a map of how language works.

How To Use TPR For Children

Applying this principle, the Total Physical Response (TPR) method can be used with two variations, depending on the age group being taught.

Children can learn using a simple application of TPR with the teacher simply issuing commands such as "Open the door", "Walk up to the wall", "Write your name on your book".

Parts of the body can be taught with commands such as "Touch your nose", "Touch your ear", "Raise your hand." Children often enjoy these kind of exercises and find them fun.

How To Use TPR For Adults

For adults, TPR needs to take a different form. Many adults might find the simple method a little infantile and feel embarrassed performing these actions. So a more advanced form of TPR can be used as follows:

The teacher puts drawings or pictures of a group of related objects and actions on the board. The teacher then points to each item, identifies it verbally, and then performs the associated action.

For example, if the vocabulary revolves around the theme "Waking up routine," one picture may show a toothbrush and toothpaste. The verbal command could be "Brush your teeth". The teacher performs the action after saying the phrase.

Next the teacher points to any of the items on the board (preferably not more than 5 or 6) and the students have to respond with the action. One student can then ask another student to perform the action. Each student now begins to associate the action with the word making a deep mental impression.

The exercise can then be taken a step further by introducing adverbs. "Brush your teeth quickly" could be the next progression, alternated with "Brush your teeth slowly". The adverbs 'quickly' and 'slowly' can then be inserted for each of the 5 or 6 actions on the board.

Finally, actions can be combined. "Brush your teeth quickly and comb your hair slowly" will really begin to ensure the students have got the sense of these basic expressions.

When students divide into pairs and alternate giving each other commands from the examples on the board using various adverbs while the other student performs the actions, a huge number of repetitions can be made within a few minutes without it seeming arduous.

Students Remember - REALLY Remember!

This method also has the advantage of staying in long term memory. Often students who have learned basic vocabulary using this method remember the actions many months later.

TPR can certainly keep a class active, involved, and introduce a fun ingredient into the lesson.

The teacher needs to carefully integrate TPR in various forms in the early stages of learning to speak English, tailored according to the age and learning level of the students.