By: Jalal Nasser Salman Swadi Alghalib

Third class (A)

Morning study

Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language teaching method developed by James Asher in the 1960s. It
is a language teaching approach based on the coordination of language and physical movement. TPR
attempts to teach language through speech and physical activity at the same time. It is often described
as a simple and straightforward teaching method. One of the chief reasons for creating this method was
to reduce or lessen the stress people feel when studying other languages. Consequently, this will
encourage them to persist in their study beyond a beginning level of proficiency.

This method is mostly appropriate for children. Er Sühendan (2013) accounts “Young learners need to
move, they have got huge amount of energy. They tend to have short attention spans. Children are very
much linked to their surroundings and are more interested in the physical and the tangible.” Further,
Asher (1969) suggests “This approach has some similarity to how children seem to learn their first
language.” However, this teaching approach has been used with adult learners as well.

According to Asher (1984: 35) “TPR introduces the language through the use of commands (imperative
sentences) and has students demonstrate their understanding through action responses”. TPR asserts
that the students comprehension should be developed before speaking. This is noticeably done by
emphasizing the spoken form of language over the written one.

TPR suggests that meaning, in the target language, can be conveyed through actions. “When working
with beginning students, the TPR instructor starts with simple directions in a relationship that is like a
caring parent interacting with an infant” Asher(1984). The imperative is a powerful linguistic device
through which the instructor can regulate students’ conduct. For example, an instructor will utter
commands to students in the target language, then he performs the actions with them. When the
instructor says “stand up” no response is expected from the students. However, when the instructor
preforms the action and stands up the students imitate his nonverbal action accurately. The instructor
keeps giving other commands as “sit down, turn around, walk, clap”, so the students perception, body,
and brain are used to these commands. These commands tackle the right hemisphere of the brain, the
part which controls nonverbal behavior. After this, If students are asked to perform a novel, never heard
before commands, they may hesitate, then they carry out the command properly. As students progress,
they are asked to preform the commands without the instructor’s aid. They preform the commands
successfully. Asher (1984) comments “In TPR, the instructor becomes a movie director who
guides actors – the students – through complicated scenes much like a parent guiding an infant
through intimate caretaking situations.”
While the initial instructions are simple, within a few minutes directions can be expanded in complexity.
The instructor next recombines elements of the commands to have students develop flexibility in
understanding unfamiliar utterances such as: Take out a pen. Take out a piece of paper. Write a letter.
Fold the letter. Put it in an envelope. Seal the envelope. Write the address on the envelope. Put a stamp
on the envelope. Mail the letter. This sequence of commands is called an action sequence, or an
‘operation’. However, it is important to examine whether the students understand the commands or
not. Asher (1984) comments “The body movements of each student will signal immediately how
comfortable they feel. If there is hesitation, for instance, the skillful instructor will slow down and
continue to work with a routine in a compassionate manner until each student feels confident enough
to act alone in response to the instructor’s directions.”

During the earlier stages of applying this method with children or beginning adults learners, only the
instructor speaks and gives commands. Thus, the target language should be presented in chunks(
phrases or group of words which can be learnt as a unit), not just by words. At some point, (usually after
10-20 hours of training) some students will be ready to talk. They will begin to speak when they are
ready. However, Students are very likely to make errors when they first begin speaking. Still, whenever
corrections for errors happen, they should be carried out in an unobtrusive way. Instructors should
tolerate with such errors. When students become proficient, work on the fine details can be made. Also,
forcing students to speak may have some counterproductive results; where the students anxiety and
stress might increase.

Students can learn by watching each other as well as the instructor. When students are more
acquainted with the oral commands, they learn to read and write them. Further, after they learn to
speak, they issue commands to one another as well as to the instructor. Similarly, activities expand to
include skits and games.

Students learning process is preferred to be enjoyable and funny. This is because language learning is
more effective when it is fun. This also helps students’ anxiety to decrease. The use of zany commands
and humorous skits are two ways of showing that language learning can be fun. Equally, and because it
helps to facilitate students‘ learning, it is profoundly important for the students to feel successful.

In the Total Physical Response Approach, just as with the acquisition of the native language, the oral
modality is primary. “This listening fluency can be demonstrated by observing the complexity of
commands which the young child can obey before he learns to speak; and even as speaking develops,
listening comprehension is always further advanced.” Asher (1984).

Further, vocabulary and grammatical structures are more stressed than other language areas. These are
embedded within imperatives. The imperatives are represented by single words as well as multi-word
chunks. The main reason for the usage of imperatives is their frequent occurrence in the speech
directed at young children learning their native language.

Moreover, the perception and comprehension of the spoken word should take precedence over its
production. Similarly, the spoken language is given priority over written language. Meaning, however, is
transmitted through body movements. By moving their bodies, students can acquire some parts of the
language rapidly.

Works cited:
Asher, James. (1969). The Total Physical Response Approach to Second Language Learning. The
Modern Language Journal, 53(1), 3-17. doi:10.2307/322091

Asher, James. (1984). Language By Command The Total Physical Response Approach to Learning
language. The Way Of Learning.
Bui, Gavin. (2018). Total Physical Response.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324015114
Er, Sühendan. (2013). Using Total Physical Response Method in Early Childhood Foreign
Language Teaching Environments. Www.sciencedirect.com
Freeman and Anderson. (2011). Techniques & Principles in Language Teaching. New York.
Oxford University Press.