Total Physical Response (TPR)

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language teaching method built around

- The Origins of TPR

- Advantages

a, TPR is fun and easy.

b. TPR is inclusive.

c. Good tool for building vocabulary for long-term retention.

d. Does not require long preparations.

e. Effective for both adult and young learners.

- Disadvantages
a. Challenge for shy students.
b. No opportunity to talk in a creative manner.
c. Can become too repetitive and boring.
d. Preparation becomes an issue at higher levels.
- THE APPLICATION OF TPR IN THE CLASSROOM
TPR can be used to teach and practise such many things as:
a. vocabulary connected with actions (smile, chop, headache, wriggle);
b. grammatival items, including tenses past/present/future and continuous
aspects (Every morning I clean my teeth, I make my bed, I eat breakfast);
c. classroom language (Open your books);
d. imperatives/Instructions (Stand up, close you eyes
e. Story-telling
There is generally no basic text in a Total Physical Response course.
Materials and realia 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 in the learning-teaching process using TPR. The teacher may
be required to use pictures, realia, 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.
- The function and the importance of TPR method in English preposition
teaching
The major technique in this research is the use of commands to
direct behavior. Asher acknowledges that, although this technique is
powerful, a variety of activities is preferred for maintaining student
interest. A detailed description is of using commands is provided below. a.
Using commands to direct behavior It should be clear from the class we
observed that the use of commands is the major teaching technique of TPR.
The commands are given to get students to perform an action; the action
makes the meaning of the command clear. Since Asher suggests keeping
the pace lively, it is necessary for a teacher to plan in advance just which
commands she will introduce in a lesson progresses, the pace will be too
slow. At first, to clarify meaning, the teacher performs the actions with the
students. Later the teacher directs the students alone. The students’
actions tell the teacher whether or not the students understand. 25 Asher
advises teachers to vary the sequence of the commands so that students do
not simply memorize the action sequence without ever connecting the
actions with the language. Asher believes it is very important that the
students feel successful. Therefore, the teacher should not introduce new
commands too fast. It is recommended that a teacher present three
commands at a time. After students fell successful with these, three more
can be taught. b. Role reversal Students command their teacher and
classmates to perform some actions. Asher says that students will want to
speak after ten to twenty hours of instruction, although some students may
take longer. Students should not be encouraged to speak until they are
ready. c. Action sequence At first the teacher will give three connected
commands. For example, the teacher told the student to take out a pencil,
put it in his/ her pencil case, and put the pencil case in his / her bag. As the
students learn more and more of the target language, a longer series of
connected commands can be given, which together comprise a whole
procedure. While we did not see a long action sequence in this very first
class, a little later on students might receive the following instructions: 26
Take out the book! Put it on the table! Now your book is on the table. Take
out a pen. Write your name on your book. Put the pen under the book! This
series of commands is called an action sequence, or an operation

Sources :
http://research.iaun.ac.ir/pd/shafiee-nahrkhalaji/pdfs/UploadFile_5989.pdf
file:///C:/Users/HP/Downloads/TPR2.pdf