ARTICLE

TOPIC: LEARNING PREPOSITION THROUGH TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Language today is one of the most commonly used means of communication .no one can imagine a world
of today existed without language as mean of communication. It is estimated that today there are almost
6909 living languages that are spoken around the world, ironically 6% of these languages are spoken by
over a million peoples and theses languages account 94% of the total population.

English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian dialects and brought to
Britain in the mid 5th to 7th centuries AD by Anglo-Saxon settlers from what is now North West Germany,
West Denmark and Netherlands, displacing the Celtic languages that previously dominated over there.

Out of all these languages however English is seen as the most important widely spread and most
famous spoken language all around the world. Approximately it is calculated that 330 to 360 million
peoples speak English as their first language, the United States of America has the most native speakers at
258 million.

Additionally there are 62 million native English speakers in United Kingdom alone, 32 million in
Canada. English regarded as the 3rd largest language by number of native speakers, after mandarin and
Spanish. Estimates that include second language speakers vary greatly, from 470 million to more than 1
billion. Combining native and non native speakers, English is the 2 nd most widely spoken language
worldwide.
There are many varieties of English, such as American English, Indian English, British English,
Canadian English, Australian English, Irish English, etc.

English came on Indian sub-continent with the Europeans traders specifically Britishers and soon
became the official language as the bristishers took control all over the Indian space .after independence it
was a possibility that English will be phased out of the Pakistan and India because of Urdu and Hindi being
the loved and respected languages of both countries but it could not because of international standards
and still English plays as the official language of Pakistan after 70 years of independence .it is included as a
compulsory language and is regarded as most important for all fields.

English learning is one of the most important responsibilities of an English teacher and there are
various methods through which English is taught in schools. These methods, techniques and ways are
different depending upon a school policy and teacher’s behavior and educational skills.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the undergoing article is to thoroughly examine the learning methodologies applied to
prepositions learning in detail and then compare the results of other methodologies with Total physical
Response and analyze in detail that whether TRP provides a effective base to children’s for learning
preposition, that are a important part of English speech and spoken English .
It will be also our objective to verify if TRP methodology can be applied to advance students or only
beginners .It should be noted that that mental behavior of the students differs from area to area ,thus
results can differ if someone applies the research in an urban area or rural area ,the results can also differ
in different countries as each country has its own culture ,civilization , traditions and they effect the mental
behavior of the students though many people disagree with this statement .
 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:

As the article refers to learning prepositions through TPR hence first we have to explain what a preposition
is what importance in English is there and what problems generally occur in learning prepositions.

What are prepositions?

Def 1: Prepositions are the words which begin with prepositional phrases
Def 2: A prepositional phrases is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or pronoun and
object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object
English language contains many parts of speech, the components it is created of out of these one
important component is preposition.
What is the importance of prepositions in English?

Prepositions are tricky little beasts. The relative

shortness of the words (most are six letters or under) and their often misplaced role in the overall scheme
of things (why should prepositions be less important than nouns, adjectives or verbs?) mean that we
should treat them carefully and perhaps give them more time in the classroom than is usually the case.

How prepositions are used in English?

In a list of English prepositions you will find very common words such as 'in', 'up', 'behind', 'from', and
'with'. Prepositions hold a privileged position as parts of speech in that they are a ‘closed classes. In other
words, they are a select group of words that don’t accept new members to their club. This is in contrast to
nouns, adjectives and verbs, which welcome new additions to their respective groups all the time.
While prepositions are limited in number, they are important because they act as vital markers to the
structure of a sentence; they mark special relationships between persons, objects, and locations. For this
reason, we should think carefully about how we incorporate the teaching and learning of prepositions into
our classes.

What problem can preposition cause to learner and teachers in the process of learning?

It’s very difficult to use prepositions correctly in English and they present a number of problems for both
teachers and learners.
First, most prepositions, especially the common ones, have several different functions. The preposition ‘at’,
for example, has as many as 18 different functions, depending on which dictionary you consult. As
vocabulary items in their own right, prepositions can therefore present a major challenge and it's not
unusual for learners of English to ask teachers to explain what a word such as 'at' means.
Second, there is no logical way of deciding which preposition goes with a particular noun, verb or adjective.
Consider these examples: the reason for, arrive at, angry with somebody, on a train. In many instances, the
correct preposition cannot be guessed, so the expression must be learned as a whole. The problem is
compounded when a particular vocabulary item – again it’s those commonly used ones that are often
guilty – flirts with many different prepositions, making teaching and learning a longer process than we may
initially account for. Consider the adjective 'available'. As a teacher, which of the following would you
prioritize?
 Tickets are available from the box office.
 Not enough data is available to scientists.
 No figures are available for the number of goods sold.
 There are plenty of jobs available in the area.
All of these sentences are correct, yet in each case the adjective goes with a different preposition. We
need to consider how we would deal with phrases such as 'the reason for' and the best way to teach words
such as 'available', that go with multiple prepositions.
Finally, learners' native language can 'get in the way' of the learning process and interfere with correct
English usage. This is perhaps never truer than in the form of prepositional errors. For example, some
expressions in English do not use a preposition but the same expression in another language does, and vice
versa. In my teaching context, where the majority of learners are native Turkish speakers, I constantly hear
sentences like ‘he married with her’, ‘I hate from that’ and ‘I accessed to the internet.’ Another problem I
regularly encounter among Turkish learners relates to the multiplicity of uses of particular prepositions.
Turkish has one preposition serving the same purpose as 'in', 'on' and 'at' in English, making it difficult for
my learners to distinguish between their various uses.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM:

It is widely analyzed and proven that due to poor teaching at beginners levels, many students in
advance courses still are not able to understand the meanings, , rules , principles of using preposition in
English writing ,as well as spoken English. This article is a little struggle to put light on the problem of the
preposition learning and convey a message to community that the problem can be overcome, but the only
thing required is a little hardwork, concentration and change of style by the teachers.

LANGUAGE:
It is the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of use of the words in a
well organized structured and conventional way
A system of communication used by a particular country or community for interaction, communication and
learning purposes
The style of a piece of writing or a speech
IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE:
Now a day with the advancement in technology the communication gap is narrowing day by day
and people are becoming closer to each other. English is playing a significant role in it. English services as a
medium of communication because it’s an international language and used all over the world. In Pakistan
also no one can ignore the importance of English.

English is taught as a compulsory subject right from the grass root level in Pakistan. But it is
observed that student even completing their masters’ degree language cannot communicate in English
language with confidence. Because prepositions is required to communicate effectively in any language.
Same is with English language. In Pakistan students sometime faces difficulty while dealing with grammar
concepts. The main reason for this research is the methodology used to teach prepositions. To overcome it
and to make our student competent there should be a change in the teaching methodology. Now a day
Total Physical Response method is reported as a most suitable method for learning a second language. This
method helps student to learn English effectively and to get command in structuring sentences via using
prepositions.
In Pakistan, listening skill is also ignored. Student faces stress and fear in of learning a second
language and Total Physical Response method is very effective in overcoming all these hurdles which
students faces in learning a second language.
Total physical response and prepositions:
Total physical response is teaching methodology or technique mainly used physical actions to assist in
language learning. Dr. James J. Asher, the original developer of total physical response, based the
technique on the premise that humans have a natural aptitude for language learning.
Language instructors have to use TPR for learners of multiple ages and aptitudes, and proponents claim it
is effective in teaching grammar because it creates a low-stress environment that encourages rapid
learning and long term retention.
 CHAPTER # 3: METHADOLOGY
History of TPR:

James j. Asher is regarded as the originator of Total physical response although he had a degree of
radio and Television in 1955 and a degree of psychology in 1957 .he researched for a solution to teach
children second languages, in his research James j. Asher found out that most of the interactions that
young children experience with parents or other adults combine both verbal and physical aspects. The
child responds physically to the speech of the parents, and the parent reinforces the child’s responses
through further speech. This creates a positive feedback loop between the parent’s speech and the Childs
actions. Asher also observed that young children typically spend a long time listening to language before
ever attempting to speak, and that they can understand and react to utterances that are much more
complex than those they can produce them.
The method was example of the comprehension approach to language teaching. The listening and
responding (with actions) serves two purposes,1- it is a means of quickly recognizing meaning in the
language being learned, and means of passively learning the structure of the language itself. Grammar is
not taught explicitly, but can be learned from the language input. TPR is valuable way to learn vocabulary,
especially idiomatic terms.., phrasal verbs
Asher developed total physical response as a result of his experience observing young children learning
their first language .he noticed that interactions between parents and children’s often took the form of
speech from the parent followed by a physical response from the child. Asher made three hypotheses
based on his observation
1-That language is learned primarily by listening
2-The language learning must engage the right hemisphere of the brain
2-Language learning should not involve any stress
Specifically Asher says that learner’s best initialize language when they respond with physical movement to
language input. Asher hypothesis that speech develops naturally and spontaneously after learners
internalize the target language through input, and that it should not be forced, in Asher own words….
Asher states that “a reasonable hypothesis is that the brain and the nervous system are biologically
programmed to acquire language, either the first or second or the second in a particular sequence and in
particular mode. The sequence is listening before speaking and the mode is to synchronize language with
individual body.
The second Asher hypothesis is that effective language learning must engage the right hemisphere
of the brain .physical movement is controlled primarily by the Right-Hemisphere, and Asher sees the
coupling of movement with language comprehension as the key to language a question. He says that
left-hemisphere learning should be avoided, and that the left hemi-sphere needs a great deal of expertise
and experience of Right-Hemisphere-based-input before natural speech can occur.
Asher third hypothesis is that language learning should not involve any stress, as stress and
negative emotions inhibit the natural language –learning process. He regards the stressful nature of most
language-teaching methods as one of their major weaknesses. Asher recommends that teachers focus on
meaning and physical movement to avoid stress.
The main text on total physical response is James Asher’s learning another Language through Actions, first
published in 1977.

APPLICATION OF TPR:

Reading: Predicting skills and reading the text

Writing: Making dialogue, Picturing.
Vocabulary: Reality, Demonstrations, Conversations.
Structure: Reality, Demonstrations.

PRINCIPLES:
Total physical response is an example of the comprehension approach to language teaching .methods in
the comprehension approach emphasize the importance of listening to language development, and do not
require spoken output in the early stages of learning .in total physical response ,students are not force to
speak ,instead ,teachers wait until students acquire enough language through listening that they start to
speak spontaneously .at the beginning stages of instructions students can respond to the instructor on
their native language .
While majority of the class time in total phys9ical response is spent on listening comprehension, the
ultimate goal of the method is to develop oral fluency .Asher sees developing listening comprehension
skills as the most efficient way of developing spoken languages skills.
Lessons in TPR are organized around grammar, and in particular around the verb. Instructors issue
commands based on the verbs and vocabulary to be learned in that lesson. However the primary goal in
the lessons is on meaning, which distinguishes TPR from other grammar-based methods such as Grammar-
translations.
Grammar is not explicitly taught, but is learned by induction. Students are expected to subconsciously
acquire the grammatical structure of the language through exposure to spoken language input, in addition
to decoding the messages in the input to find their meaning .This approach to listening is called code
breaking.
Total physical response is also a technique and a philosophy of language teaching. Teachers do not have to
limit themselves to TPR techniques to teach according to the principles of the total physical response
method, because students are only expected to listen and not to speak ,the teacher has the sole
responsibility for deciding what inputs students hear.
 Listening ability and vocabulary must be developed first.
 There must not be any stress in the class.
 Regular repetition.
 Action verbs are the core of TPR.
 TPR is also technique of teaching vocabulary.
 No forcing but exploit the student’s errors for exposing others structure points.
 Expose the natural use of language.
 Create an artificial English community in the classroom.
 The more often we trace memory and the more intensively we repeat, the stronger the memory
associations are and the more likely it will be recalled.

PROCEDURE OF TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE TECHNIQUE:

The majority of the class time in total physical response is spent doing drills in which the instructor gives
commands using the imperative mood. Student’s responds 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 words the students have learned.
Instructors limit the number of new vocabulary items given to students at any one time .this is to help
students differentiate the new words from those previously learned, and to facilitate integration with their
existing knowledge .Asher suggest that students can learn between 12-36 words for every hours of
instructions ,depending on their language level and class size.
While drills using the imperative are the mainstay of total physical response classes, teachers can use other
activities as well. Some typical other activities are role plays and slide presentations. However, beginners
are not made to learn conversational dialogs until 120 hours into their course.
There is a little error correction in TPR. Asher advises teachers to treat learners, mistakes the same way a
parent would treat their children’s .Error’s made by beginner level students are usually overlooked, but as
students become more advanced teachers may correct more of their errors. This is similar to parents
raising their children, as the child gets older the parents more tend to correct their grammatical mistakes.
According to Asher ,TPR lesson plans should contain the detailed commands that the teacher intends to
use .He says, “it is wise to write out the exact utterances you will be using and especially the novel
commands because the actions is so fast moving that there is usually not time for you to create
continuously “.

TPR (TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE) ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES:

TPR has some advantages and disadvantages. Its advantages include:

1) It is a lot of fun. Learners enjoy it, and this method can be a real stirrer in the class. It lifts the pace and
the mood;
2) It is very memorable. It does assist students to recognize phrases or words;
3) It is good for kinesthetic learners who are required to be active in the class;
4) It can be used both in large or small classes. In this case, it is no matter to have how many students you
have as long as you are prepared to take the lead, the learners will follow;
5) 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;
6) It is no need to have a lot of preparation or materials using the TPR. In this regard, as long as you are
competent of what you want to practice (a rehearsal beforehand can help), it will not take a lot of time to
get ready;
7) It is very effective with teenagers and young learners; and
8) It involves both left and right-brained learning;
I. In addition to such advantages, TPR has disadvantages. Among them are:
II. Students who are not used to such things might find it embarrassing. This can be the case initially
that if the teacher is prepared to perform the actions, the students feel happier about copying. In
addition, the students are in a group and do not have to perform for the whole class. This pleasure
is reserved for the teacher.

III. It is only really suitable for beginner levels. Whilst, it is clear that it is far more useful at lower levels
because the target language lends itself to such activities even though it can successfully be applied
at Intermediate and Advanced levels. In this respect, it is essential to adapt the language,
accordingly. For example, when teaching 'ways of walking' (stumble, stagger, and tiptoe) to an
advanced class and cooking verbs to intermediate students (whisk, stir, and grate), TPR can be
employed.

IV. It is not flexibly used to teach everything, and if used a lot, it would become repetitive. This method
is a fun way of changing the dynamics and pace of a lesson used in conjunction with other methods
and techniques. To sum up, TPR should best be combined with others since it needs much energy
so that learners do not feel tired of learning language.

V. Although the use of TPR in the classroom has often been effective, it does have its flaws. One of this
method flaws is that when a teacher uses TPR in their lesson, they will have trouble teaching
abstract vocabulary or expressions. As a remedy, the teacher can write the word on cards with a
picture if applicable. Another flaw is that TPR can be ineffective if the teacher uses it for a long
period of time without switching it with other activities that help teach the target language. Since
TPR is made up of mainly of commands, it tends to neglect narrative, descriptions, and
conversation forms of language.

THE APPLICATION OF TPR IN THE CLASSROOM

TPR can be used to teach and practice such many things as:
 vocabulary connected with actions (smile, chop, headache, wriggle);
  grammatical items, including tenses past/present/future and continuous
 aspects (Every morning I clean my teeth, I make my bed, I eat breakfast);

 classroom language (Open your books);

 imperatives/Instructions (Stand up, close you eyes);

 Story-telling

There is generally no basic text in a Total Physical Response course. Materials and regalia have a
demanding role, yet in forthcoming learning stages. In this case, the teacher's voice, actions, gestures, and
common classroom objects, such as books, pens, cups, and so on are great importance inthe learning-
teaching process using TPR. The teacher may be required to use pictures, regalia, slides, and word charts to
set an interactive activity.

According to Muhren (2003), the basic technique of TPR is simple.

Learners act out commands given by the teacher or their fellow pupils (at a later stage). These commands,
or series of commands, are simple at the beginning (stand up, sit down) but after some time they may
become more complex (I want the boys to stand in a circle please). A TPR sequence can be a chain of
actions relating to a compound task (take pen and paper, sit down, begin at the top of your paper, write
down: Dear ...) or even contain a story-line.

Most importantly, a teacher helps learners to be totally involved in TPR activities so that they can act out
what they have heard. There is no pressure on them to speak the foreign language. Before any learner can
commence to speak out a foreign language spontaneously as well as creatively, she must feel the inner
readiness to do so. When learners are ready, they feel that the words of the language-sound and meaning
integrated and combined into larger utterances -spring from within themselves. This inner readiness will
develop gradually but inevitably with prolonged exposure to the sound of understood language and an
active involvement in its meaning.

Here are sample materials used in TPR:

Sample Materials 1:
Context: Teaching Vocabulary 1
New words: blue, yellow, green, orange, brown, grey, purple, black,
White, card, to pick up
Preparation: A number of small colored cards, one of more cards on
Every pupil's desk, a set of cards on a central desk
Procedures:
1. The teacher picks up cards one by one and says what color they are.
A blue card.
An orange card.
A yellow card.
A red card.
A brown card.
A grey card.
A purple card.
A black card.
A white card.
A green card.
Red.
Blue.
Purple.
2 The teacher gives commands to the class.
Who's got a red card? Show it to me.
Who's got a blue card? Show it to me.
Who's got a yellow card? Show it to me.
3 The teacher invites individual pupils to come out to the central desk.
Devi, pick up a purple card and show it to the class.
Show the class a black card.
Show the class a green card.
Show the class a grey card.
Ridwan.

Sample Materials 2:
Context: Teaching Vocabulary 2
New words: jump, run, hop, stop, on the spot
Preparation: Every pupil holds a colored card; there are five of six different colors.
Procedures:
1. The pupils stand in a circle.
2. The teacher gives commands and models the action. After a while
He/she stops modeling.

Pupils with blue cards, jump up and down. ... stop.

Pupils with red cards, run on the spot. ... stop.

Pupils with yellow cards, hop one one leg. ... stop.
Pupils with brown cards, walk on the spot. ... stop.

Pupils with orange cards, hop on your left foot. ... stop.
Blue cards, run on the spot. ... Don't stop.

White cards, jump up and down. ... Don't stop.

Brown cards, walk on the spot. ... Don't stop.

Blue cards, stop running on the spot.

Orange cards, hop on right leg. ... Don't stop.
Brown cards, stop walking on the spot.

Sample Materials 3:

Context: Teaching Vocabulary 3

New words: chalk, colored chalk, eraser, paper, pen, pencil, book,
Exercise book to take, to come, to sit, to hold up
Preparations: The above items are on a central desk or table and (a number of them) on the pupils' desks
(i.e. the items normally present there).
Procedures:
1 The teacher identifies the objects by simply picking them up from the desk and saying their names.
A piece of chalk,White chalk.
Colored chalks.
An eraser.
A sheet of paper.
A pen.
A pencil.
A book.
An exercise book
Again. A piece of chalk.
Colored chalk.
2 The teacher gives the class commands relating to the items on the pupils’ desks.
Hold up your pens.
Put down your pens.
Hold up your pencils.
Put them down.
Hold up your books.
Put them down.
Show me your erasers.
Show me your exercise books.
Show me your books.

Sample Materials 4: Teaching Series of Vocabulary in Action

Going out for a walk.
(You are listening to the radio.)
Stand up from your chair.
Go to the radio.
Turn it off.
Go to the window.
Look outside.
Sit down again.
Pick up your shoes.
Put them in front of you.
Pull up your socks.
Put your shoes on.
Stand up.
Walk to the door.
Open it.
Go outside.
Close the door behind you.
Take out your key.
Put it in the keyhole.
Lock the door.
Look up at the sky.
Walk away.
Sample Materials 5: Teaching Series of Vocabulary in Action
Writing a letter.
Pick up your pen.
Begin at the top of the paper: Dear...
Write your letter.
Look up from your paper.
Look sad.
Put down your pen.
Rub your eyes.
Pick up your pen.
Go on writing.
Stop writing.
Put down your pen.
Put one hand under your chin.
Think.
Look happy.
Go on writing.
Look up at the clock behind you.
Finish your letter.
Fold the letter.
Take an envelope.
Put the letter inside.
Lick the flap, stick it down.
Write the address on the envelope.
Pick up a stamp, lick it, stick it on.
Stand up.
Run to the letterbox outside.
Hurry up! Hurry up!

Sample Materials 6:
Context: Teaching Present Continuous
New words: stand up, sit down, turn, hop, March, etc.
Preparations: The teacher expresses sentences in the meantime she gives facial expressions and body
movement so that learners comprehend what the teacher commands. In addition, the teacher should
provide real objects such as toothpaste/ brush, comb, cloth, plate/spoon, etc.
Going to School.
I am waking up.
I am rubbing my eyes.
I am yawning.
I am stretching.
I am getting up.
I am going to bath room.
I am washing my face.
I am brushing my teeth.
I am going to bed room.
I am combing my hair.
I am getting dressed.
I am walking to the kitchen.
I am having breakfast.
I am putting on my backpack
I am saying my mother or mt father Good bye
I am opening the door.
I am walking to school.

Sample Materials 7: Teaching Series of Vocabulary in An Action Song

Children enjoy singing. There are lots of action songs. The pupils sing and act out the words of the song.
Here is an example of an action song.

This is the way you wash your face.

wash your face, wash your face.

This is the way you wash your face.

All on a Saturday morning.
This is the way you wash your hands.
wash your hands, wash your hands.

This is the way you wash your hands.

All on a Sunday morning.

This is the way you brush your teeth (...).

All on a Monday morning.

This is the way you brush your hair (...).

All on a Tuesday morning.

This is the way you clean your shoes (...).

All on a Wednesday morning.

This is the way you eat your food.

All on a Thursday morning.

This is the way you drink your tea (...).

All on a Friday morning.

You may know other songs which are full of actions and can be used in the same way.

CONCLUSIONS
When TPR is applied in the classroom, a teacher is required to provide model. The model has three vital
features:
1) Grasping the spoken language must come prior to speaking.
2) Comprehension is developed through body movement,
3) The period of listening period helps a learner to be ready to speak. Such a model does not force the
learner to speak. It is also recommended that TPR be applied for only short periods of time because the
learner will get tired of doing it.

The TPR method also emphasizes two crucial elements: the use of movement as a memory enhancer and
imperatives as the only method of instruction the teacher uses commands to direct the learners.

Most importantly, when applying such a method, the use of mother tongue is deemphasized. If there are
abstract words, a teacher is required to write down them on the white/black boards without expressing
those words. The meaning of words is comprehended generally through an action.