TOTALPHYSICALRESPONSE

JESSA I. CERBITOReporter

Developed by James Asher, a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at San José

State University the first public institution of higher

learning in California, founded in 1857.

Developed the total physical response method

as a result of his observation of the language

development of young children.

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR)

Based on the theory that the memory is enhanced through association with

physical movement.

It is based on the coordination of language and physical movement.

The method is an example of the comprehension approach to language

teaching.

T MH AR AE I E N

HYPOTHESES

The brain is naturally predisposed to learn language through listening.

Effective language learning must engage the right hemisphere of the brain.

Language learning should not involve any stress, as stress and negative

emotions inhibit the natural language-learning process.

PRINCIPLES

Total physical response is an example of the comprehension approach to language

teaching.

The ultimate goal of the method is to develop oral fluency.

Total physical response is both a teaching technique and a philosophy of language

teaching.

PROCEDURE

The majority of class time in TPR lessons is spent doing drills in which the instructor gives commands using the imperative mood. Students respond to these commands with physical actions. Initially, students learn the meaning of the commands they hear by direct observation. After they learn the meaning of the words in these commands, the teacher issues commands that use novel combinations of the wordsthe students have learned.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

It is fun and easy. It does not require a

great deal of preparation on the part of the teacher.

It is a good tool for learning vocabulary.

Class size does not need to be a problem.

There is no age barrier.

It is not a very creative method. Students are not given the opportunity to express their own views and thoughts in a creative way.

It is limited, since everything cannot be explained with this method. It must be combined with other approaches.

APPLICATION

ACTION STORY

SONG

TOESKNEES

SHOULDER

HEAD

GAME(Simon Says)

CHARADES

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

THANK YOU!