TRỊNH NHƯ
THE INTRODUCTION OF TPR
Total physical Response (TPR) is a language teaching method developed
by James Asher, a professor of psychology at San José State University. It is based
on the coordination of speech and physical movement. In TPR, instructors give
commands to students in the target language, and students respond with wholebody actions.

TPR linked to the “trace theory” of memory psychology (Katona 1940)
which holds that the more often or the intensively a memory connection is traced,
the stronger the memory will be recalled. Combining tracing activities such as
rehearsal accompanied by motor activity, hence increase the probability of
successful recall
Asher developed TPR as a result of his experiences observing young
children learning their first language. Asher made three hypotheses based on his
observations: first, that language is learned primarily by listening; second, that
language learning must engage the right hemisphere of the brain; and third, that
learning language should not involve any stress.


Asher saw 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 parent, and the parent reinforces the
child’s responses through further speech. 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 themselves  Children respond physically before
they begin to produce verbal responses.


The method is an example of the comprehension approach to language teaching:
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the rest of the class. And the teacher will ask the other students to watch and listen.
The teacher gives the command “Stand up” to the four students and does it, at that

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time they will follow.
The teacher continues to say and do another command in English “Sit down”, the

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four volunteers will carry out like he does.
The teacher and the Ss do the two orders several times through his command. And
he stops at the order “Stand up”.


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Next, in English the teacher says a new order “Turn around” and act out. The four

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Ss will follow him and face with the chair.
The teacher continues to use this command one more time in order that the

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8.


15. Then, the teacher continues to perform the order “Point to the desk” and the
volunteers follow.
16. Next, the teacher says “Point to the chair” and points to the chair behind the desk.
17. “Stand up” the teacher orders, the four Ss follow. After that he says “Point to the
door”. Then “Walk to the door” the teacher and the volunteers walk together. He
continue to order “Touch the door” and do with the students.
18. The teacher says a variety of commands “Point to the desk. Walk to the desk.
Touch the desk. Point to the door. Walk to the door. Touch the door. Point to the
chair. Walk to the chair. Touch the chair”. After that changing the orders of the
commands, the teacher continues to carry out the action with the students.
The teacher and the volunteers practice the orders several times through the
teacher’s command.
19. The teacher gives commands one more time. But this time, he will have no
movement. The four Ss carry out his commands. The teacher just repeats the orders
and act them out when the Ss get confused.
20. The teacher turns to the other students sitting and observing him and the
volunteers and gives a series of orders “Stand up. Sit down. Stand up. Point to the
desk. Point to the door. Walk to the door. Walk to the chair. Touch the chair. Walk.
Stop. Jump. Walk. Turn around. Sit down”. Ss won’t have any trouble to carry out
these commands.
21. Next, the teacher turns to the four Ss and orders “Stand up. Jump to the desk”.
This is the first time the volunteers have heard this command, they may pause for a
moment and then they manage to do.


22. The teacher continues to give the volunteers a command they haven’t practiced
before “Touch the desk. Sit on the desk”.
23. After that the teacher makes a phrase in format compound sentence “Point to the
door and walk to the door” and the Ss will perform the command.
24. The last step of the lesson is that the teacher will demonstrate the new orders on


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First of all, teacher gives at most three
simple commands to the volunteers. One
by one gradually is said and then teacher
act each out.
The importance of this stage is to ask
students to hear the commands and to
perform them with teacher, not to speak
anything.
After introducing the three more new
commands, teacher combines the six
commands by saying them quickly while
acting them out with the volunteers.
This time teacher still gives the
commands orally but stays still and only
students perform the commands.

Students can memorize the meaning of
the commands by observing teacher’s
actions and try to imitate the actions with
teacher.
Students are expected to understand the
meanings related with their actions before
they speak.
By copying teacher’s action, students
can get basic understanding of the target
language.


target language chunks. Students need to
understand more than the exact sentences
used in training. Novelty is a motivating.
10. Teacher says ‘Jump to the desk’.
Everyone laughs.
Sometimes funny situation helps


Teacher writes the new command on the students comprehend the language more
black board.
easily.
In language teaching, spoken languages
12. A few weeks later, a student who hasn’t should be emphasized over written ones.
spoken before gives commands.
That student has enough motivation to
13. A student says “shake hand with your begin to speak, students will speak when
neighbor”.
they are ready.
Students can make mistakes when they
first begin speaking. So, teacher should
take time and work on the fine details of
the languages. The errors should be
postponed until students have become
more proficient.
11.

REVIEWING THE PRINCIPLES.

VŨ THÙY
1.

activity on the part of the learners).

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Learners’ role
Learner has the primary roles of listener
an performer
Learners are imitators of teacher’s
nonverbal model.

(simply because learners listen attentively
and respond physically to teacher’s
commands.)
- Learners have little influence over the
content of learning.
(since the teacher has to base on the
curriculum format for lessons.)

3.

Major characteristicS of TPR:
(there are 6 common steps in teaching by using TPR. The first step is modelling.)
(1)

A few students are asked to follow teacher’s commands and actions.

(and the teacher performs the actions with them. In the second step,)
(2)

These students perform the commands alone to prove that they

e
1

Teacher
interacts and speaks with both the
whole group of students and with
individual students.
responds nonverbally.
Must demonstrate Ss’
understanding of the commands

2
3
4

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Learner
respond nonverbally.
become more verbal.
perform actions together.
Begin to speak.
Had better issue commands to one
another as well as to the teacher.

Ways to deal with learners’ feelings?
(the main purpose of TPR is to relieve the anxiety of the learner. But how does
teacher can deal with learners’ stress? There are about 4 suggestions. The first
one is: )
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language. Students do not learn to read the commands they have already learned to
perform although they were instructed.

8. What is the role of the students’ native language?


TPR is usually introduced in the student’s native language but After the
introduction, the native language seldom would be used. Meaning is just clear
when using body language.

9.How is evaluation accomplished?
Teacher will know exactly and immediately whether or not student
understand by observing actions. We evaluation by commanding \each student
perform their actions. When student become more advanced, a series action they
create is the basis of evaluation.

10. How does the teacher respond to student errors?
At the first time, Any students will make errors when speaking. Teacher can
be ignore and only correct major errors. When student get more advanced, teacher
can “fine tune”.

DƯƠNG NAM
REVIEWING THE TECHNIQUES
A.

USING COMMANDS TO DIRECT BEHAVIOR:
- A TPR lesson focuses on the use of commands which are turned into actions
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by students.

B.

DEMONSTRATION:
 Introducing commands:
1. First stage: “cook” - “eat” - “drink”
2. Next stage: “wash my hands” - “clean the table” - “take a shower”
3. Action sequence: “cook – eat – drink – wash my hands – clean the table


– take a shower”
Teaching present continuous tense through TPR method:
After getting familiar with the commands, the studens are asked WHQuestions and to give their answers using present continuous.
Teacher: “What am I doing?” – “I am eating” (modelling)
Teacher: “What is she/he doing?” (point to someone)
Students: “she/he is eating”
Then the teacher and students do the same with the remaining verb
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phrases.


Role reversal: after the teacher gives both spoken and written forms of the
commands and students have grasped the relation between the commands


and the relevant actions, it’s about time for them to speak through directing
