Total Physical Response, Foreign Language Demonstration

This video helps English speakers understand what it's like to be in the role of a learner when the instructor is using Total Physical Response (TPR). In the first part, Whole Body Movements, the instructor teaches English-speaking adults to carry out verbal commands in Indonesian related to standing, sitting, walking, and turning around. In the second part, Expanding Vocabulary, the instructor uses different verbal commands to teach the Indonesian words for body parts and two pieces of furniture. When he is sure the learners understand these spoken words, the instructor begins to teach them to read the same words.

[@masterpej8139]

Who else is here for TEFL Academy? Now I've learned Indonesian words. Haha. This was really helpful!

[@crafty3329]

I'm here for the Level 5 TEFL Academy Certificate! :D I'm a current teacher who trains kids developments. Here's some fun games for a total physical response related session --------> 1. (Physical rhythmic beats) You could get the kids into a cluster if 'enough class space' and get them walking around with different tambourine hits like faster hits for faster walking and slow hits for slower walking, still it's a bit like comprehension skills and it's still like a physical response when you're doing it with them etc. We call this even and uneven rhythm with acceleration and deceleration skills. Even BETTER, you could get them acting in a character of their choice with the tambourine beats! For young kids, it could be like dinosaurs, animals or anything like that, older kids could be a more specialized character such as a doctor, soldier, builder etc. 2. (Tambourines instructions) You could get kids to walk around giving out simple instructions like: walking... Now jump! Walking... Now spin! Walking... Now hop! Walking... Now squat! Walking... Then once they know all of these instructions you could alter for a more challenging approach like saying; 'jump=spin' hop=squat' 'walking=stop' so more mind twisting instructions, this is a good fun activity and I've tried it with kids from 5-10, works nicely! :D 3. (Object game) You could use an object to pass around a circle of kids and each kid will treat the object whatever he or she wants, once the kid illustrates the object the rest can follow. You could call this, 'Pass the object' 4. (babushka game) Can give 3 instructions or more if you wish, 1. hop five times. 2. one leg for 10 seconds and 3. squat for 10 seconds. each tambour beat they have to freeze and the teacher can look to see if anyone is moving can even alter their arms or legs for fun. who is the first to reach the other side wins and they be the person to give instructions. 5. (Mime) Get the kids to act out a scenario which is using drama like movements and bodily movements to tell a story using teachers cue and instructions just like shown on this video, it can be more fun for younger kids like, acting a zoo, an astronaut in space or even a workout exercise. 6. (Mirror work) You can get kids to follow your movements of direction and using the creative body language like brushing teeth, eating, getting dressed etc. TIP; you can even get the students in pairs as a more fun experience for one kid to copy another kids actions, very funny and interesting using the total physical response! 7. (Word Response game but it includes 'verbal') You could pass words around a circle to form a sentence like 'apples' - Next person 'Are' Next person 'Sour' Next person 'And' etc. you can get everyone else to repeat the movements and words, it's like an improvisation activity. Have fun in your warm-ups or end of class fill-ins :D

[@joemason2587]

So helpful, thanks!

[@creativecompanion]

Fantastic! This is how we teach our babies and young children. Our brains are wired to learn this way!

[@born68]

great now all I have to do is find someone in my target language. follow them around all day and night and mimic everything they physically do for 5 years

[@priscilacassou]

hahaha Exactly!! hahhaa

[@NickCooper74]

Ini bagus! I will use TPR in my internship as part of the requirement to earn my MA in TESOL at SIT Graduate Institute. Terimah kasih banyak for this great lesson.

[@izagrek8878]

there is a such a limitation to what you can learn from the language in actions like these

[@0000000000000074]

I came here from the TEFL Academy course. They say this about this approach This method was developed by the American psychologist James Asher in the late 1970s. Asher felt that second languages could be acquired by the same processes as first languages and observed that much of the language directed at children is in the imperative form: look at the plane, give me the dolly, eat your soup, etc. These commands generally require a physical response from the child, which Asher felt served to reinforce the meaning of the language. TPR is intended only for the early stages of second language learning. It mirrors the process described above in that students are taught solely through imperatives which they must obey: stand up, walk to the window, touch your nose and so on. Language taught in this way can be more advanced than you might initially assume. The imperative forms used by the teacher can become quite complex, for example, ‘walk over to the fruit bowl, take a piece of fruit which is yellow and give it to the student sitting on your right’. The approach has some similarities to Krashen and Terrell's theories. For example, in TPR students are not required to produce the target language until they feel like it, which is the same as the silent period in the Natural Approach. As with Audiolingualism, the learning theory underlying TPR is a behaviourist model, seeing learning as taking place through repetition and reward. TPR techniques are widely practised when teaching beginners and young children although teachers may not be particularly aware that this is the approach they are using.

[@federicabianchi8031]

I have learned both English and Spanish (my mothertongue is Italian) and you can maybe do this for a while in the beginning, but at some point you need to study grammar. First of all, I don't know if I'd remember anything at the end of the lessson, but even so there are languages where the grammar is not as easy as in english. In english all you have to remember is to add the S with the third person singular. In Italian is not this easy. "Tocca la testa" would be "touch the head". The infinitive is "Toccare". "Tocca" is imperative, but if you want to use the present simple (presente indicativo) it is six different forms of the verbs. You cannot learn all of this just with gestures. As a child, yes, but as a child you brain is like a empty page. At the age of 40 is diferent, specially if you are not living that language 24/7.

[@sophiat3086]

You are always studying grammar, even if unconsciously. Children learn grammar so they make mistakes, they just do not learn in a traditional way

[@tessfra7695]

..really loved that demonstration, mostly coz i grew up in SEAsia--just one little thg: it's technically '(ber)jalan' esp if you are going to use 'berhenti' & not 'henti' as the verb-stop-, 'kerusi' & 'perlahan-lahan' (''kursi' & pelan-pelan' ) is just how it sounds when native speakers rush thru their diction .....but newsreaders & officials etc, will bother saying it the right way... but, as i said, i enjoyed that one immensely!

[@Deicy55]

It is hard to tell if they are doing the action by following the instruction, or if they are simply imitating some simple actions.

[@victoreduardoalvarezmorale1405]

In the classroom the teacher plays the role of parent. She starts by saying a word ('jump') or a phrase ('look at the board') and demonstrating an action. The teacher then says the command and the students all do the action. After repeating a few times it is possible to extend this by asking the students to repeat the word as they do the action. When they feel confident with the word or phrase you can then ask the students to direct each other or the whole class.

[@26blanco]

this is better than grammar and memorization.the best thing is to do the test,to try oneself and see if it is effective.i think teaching with grammar and translation is boring and tiresome

[@AssimSim1]

The method is very effective because it repeats the process by which the student learned his first language, when you try to teach using grammar and writing you use the slow brain or conscious mind and it makes the process much more difficult.

[@kalinakalina1073]

I like this method too

[@priscilacassou]

Interesting but so limited!!! :( A kid takes years to memorize and learn how to speak those words. It's ok to hear them but they are not answering anything! :( And without learning the sounds they won't be able to pronounce the words correctly (and be understood) for a long while. Also, to learn vocabulary I would have to have all the objects handy to show them and say all the worlds. And to explain the emotions?? And what about abstract words?? Very interesting for some vocabulary and I will try to implement some of this to my classes, but I still think it's really limited... :(

[@andyoshaughnessy1828]

Interesting stuff. I wonder how the students felt afterwards about their learning?!

[@celiagaylard489]

I love this method/approach

[@ProLiteracy]

Thanks! We do too!

[@victoreduardoalvarezmorale1405]

Bases on this video, Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language teaching method built around the coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach language through physical (motor) activity. Children like a lot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

[@AlexG-wk3nh]

tell me, who will have a better conversation in a foreign language , he who knows every grammar rule and 10 words or he who knows a few grammar rules through habbit and knows 10'000 words

[@PhilipSpencer74]

"It's not easy to sit down slowly." Why does he translate into English?

[@ahmadlabeeb7995]

I think this can only develop BICS, and it is time demanding, let alone it ignores the other language skills speaking and writing. It may be embarrassing to teach adults.Nevertheless, it makes sense to an extent

[@robinschell7584]

Why embarassing?