Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TASK 1
In century spanning the mid-1880s to the mid-1980s, the language –teaching professio was
involved in a search. That search was for what was popularly called “ methods”, or ideally, a single
method, generalize across widely varying audiences, that would succesfully teach student a foreign
language in the classroom. Historical accounts of the profession tend therefore to describe a
succession of methods. Each of which is more or less discarded as a new method takes its place.
We will turn to that “ methodical” hstory of language teaching in moment, but first , we should try to
understand what we mean by method.
What is a method ? About four decade ago Edward Anthony ( 1963 ) Gve us a definition that
adirably withstood the test of time. His concept of “method” was the second of three hierarchical
elements , namely approach, method and technique. An approach according to Anthony was a set of
assumption dealing with the nature of language , learning and teaching. Method was described as an
overall pla for systematic presentation of language based upon a selected approach. Techniques
were the specific activities manifested i the classroom that were cosistent with a method and
therefore were in harmony with an approach as well.
To this day , for better or worse, Anthony’s term are still in common use among language
teacher. A teacher may , for example , at tthe approach level , affirm the ultimate importance of
learning in a relaxed state of mental awareness just above the threshold of consciouness. The
method that follow might resemble, say, suggestopedia. Techiques could include playing baroque
music while reading a passage in the foreign language getting student to sit in the yoga position while
listening to a list of words, or having learners adopt a new name in the classroom and role-play that
new person.
A couple decade later, Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers ( 1982, 1986 ) proposed a
refomulation of the concept of “method”. Anthony’s approach, method and technique were renamed ,
respectively , approach, design and procedure, with a superordinate term to describe this three-step
process, now called “ method “. A method , according to Richard and Rodgers, was “ an umbrella
term for the specification and interrelation of theory and practice” ( 1982:154 ). A approach defines
assumption, beliefs and theories about the nature of language and language learning. Design specify
the relationshp of those theories to classroom materials and activities. Procedures are the techniques
and practices that are derived from one’s approach and design.
Through their refomulation , Richard and Rogers made two principal contribution to our
understanding of the concept of method:
1. They specify the necessary elements of language – teaching design that had heretofore been left
somewhere vague. Their schematic representation of method described six important features of
1.0 INTRODUCTION.
Total Physical Response Method is an example of a new general approach to foreign language
instruction which has been named “the comprehension approach”. It is called this because of the
importance it gives to listening comprehension. Method consistent with the comprehension approach,
on the other hand, begin with the listening skill. The idea of focusing on listening comprehension
during early foreign language instruction comes from observing how children acquire their mother
tongue. A baby spends many months to says a word, no one tells the baby that is must speak. The
child chooses to speak when it is ready. That also happen in this method, the students will speak until
they are ready. In the total physical response method, students listen and respond to the spoken
target language commands of their teacher. Commonly, this method is used with beginning class or
kindergarten.
TPR is a learning strategy developed by Dr James Asher, a professor at San Jose State
University , where the students understand the new language first before they have to speak it, write
it , or read it – just a child learns language the first time.
TPR is based on the premise that human brain has a biological program for acquiring any
natural language on earth-including the sign language of the deaf. The process is visible when we
observe how infants internalize their first language.
“ Asher reasoned that the fastest , least stressfull way to achieve understanding of ay target
language is to follow directions uttered by the instructor ( without native language translation )”
( Larsen 2000 : 108 ).
Total Physical Response ( TPR ) is a language teaching method built around the coordination
of speech and action; it attempt to teach laguage through physical ( motor ) activity. TPR is linked to
the “ trace theory “ of memory in psychology which holds that the more often or the more intensively a
memory connection is traced, the stronger the memory association will be and the more likely it will
be recalled. Retracing can be done verbally ( e.g. by rote repetition ) and/ or in association with motor
activity, hence increase the probability of succesful recall.
Asher’s emphasis on developing comprehension skills before the learner is tought to speak
links him to movement in foreign language teaching . It shares the believe that :
Comprehension abilities precede productive skills in learning a language.
The teaching of speaking should be delayed until comprehension skills are established.
Skilld acquired through listening transfer to other skills.
Teaching should emphasize meaning rather to other skills.
Teaching should minimize learner stress.
The approach is based upon structuralist or grammar-based views of language. The verb in
the imperative is considered to be the central linguistic motif around which language use and learning
are organized. The commands employed in the classroom are used to teach anything beginning with
focusing on prepositions to the conditional and subjunctive moods (e.g., Henry would you prefer to
serve a cold drink to Molly, or would you rather have Eugene kick you in the leg?). Since Asher
considers second language learning as a parallel process to child language acquisition, the language
contents are based on concrete nouns and imperative verbs, i.e. nonabstractions, the immediate
surrounding in the classroom. As for teaching abstractions, they should be delayed until students
have internalized a detailed cognitive map of the target language. Once students have internalized
the language code, abstractions can be introduced and explained in the target language. Though the
syllabus of TPR is structure-based and grammar-focused, the emphasis is on meaning rather than on
form. Language is presented in chunks so that it would be internalized as wholes rather than as
single lexical items. In the early stages teachers similarly to parents should refrain from too much
correction in order not to inhibit learners.
Asher does not directly discuss the nature of language or how languages are organized. However,
the labeling and ordering of TPR classroom drills seem to be built on assumptions that owe much to
structuralist or grammar-based views of language. Asher states that "most of the grammatical
structure of the target language and hundreds of vocabulary items can be learned from the skillful
use of the imperative by the instructor" (1977: 4). He views the verb, and particularly the verb in the
imperative, as the central linguistic motif around which language use and learning are organized.
Asher sees language as being composed of abstractions and non-abstractions, with non-abstractions
being most specifically represented by concrete nouns and imperative verbs. He believes that
learners can acquire a "detailed cognitive map" as well as "the grammatical structure of a language"
The general objectives of TPR are to teach oral proficiency at a beginning level. Another sub-
goal of the method is to have students enjoy their experience in learning a foreign language, to
reduce the stress that people feel when studying foreign languages and thereby encourage them to
persist in their study beyond a beginning level of proficiency.
The general objectives of Total Physical Response are to teach oral proficiency at a beginning level.
Comprehension is a means to an end, and the ultimate aim is to teach basic speaking skills. A TPR
course aims to produce learners who are capable of an uninhibited communication that is intelligible
to a native speaker. Specific instructional objectives are not elaborated, for these will depend on the
particular needs of the learners. Whatever goals are set, however, must be attainable through the
use of action-based drills in the imperative form.
5.4 Procedure.
Asher provides a lesson-by-lesson account of a course taught according to TPR principles, which
serves as a source of information on the procedures used in the TPR classroom. The course was for
adult immigrants and consisted of 159 hours of classroom instruction. The sixth class in the course
proceeded in the following way:
Review. This was a fast-moving warm-up in which individual students were moved with commands
such as: Pablo, drive your car around Miako and honk your horn.
Jeffe, throw the red flower to Maria.
Maria, scream.
Rita, pick up the knife and spoon and put them in the cup.
Next, the instructor asked simple questions which the student could answer with a gesture such as
pointing. Examples would be:
Where is the towel? [Eduardo, point to the towel!]
Where is the toothbrush? [Miako, point to the toothbrush!]
Where is Dolores?
Role reversal. Students readily volunteered to utter commands that manipulated the behavior of the
Total Physical Response has characteristic. Asher who developed this method, focused in
particular on two characteristics of first language acquisition which is written in David Nunan’s book
( 1991, 244).
1.”The child gets a vast amount of comprehensible input before beginning to speak. Young
children comprehend language which is far in excess of their ability to produce.
From the above description, the students try to comprehend the utterances of language before
trying to produce verbal language. They learn by using physical movements or actions. To make it
easy for the students, the teacher should not give abstract words first. It can be delayed until students
can comprehend the target language. Asher ( 1991, 244) stated that: “Abstractions should be
delayed until students have internalized a details cognitive map of the target language. Abstractions
are not necessary for people to decode the grammatical structure of a language. Once students have
internalized the target language”
But the are also other characteristic that have been discussed by the others:
1. The teacher directs and the students “act” in response.
2. Understanding of the spoken language must be developed in advance of speaking.
3. Understanding and retention is best achieved through movement of the student’s bodies in
response to commands.
4. Listening and physical response are emphasized over oral production.
5. Students should never be forced to speak before they are ready . As the target language is
internalized, speaking will be emerged naturally.
6. Grammar and vocabulary are emphasized over other long areas. Spoken language is emphasized
over written language.
7. Whenever possible , humor is injected into lesson to make the learners more comfortable in
learning languages.
( Omagglo, 1986, http://www.Englisraven.com/methods TPR.html )
7.0 Principles
7.1 Stimulating memory with psychomotor associations:
Language in the form of the teacher's commands is synchronized with body movements. According
to Asher, this is the way to recreate the process by which children learn their first language.
Beginning foreign language instruction should address the right hemisphere of the brain, the part
which controls nonverbal behavior.
7.6 Selection of grammatical features and vocabulary items from the immediate classroom
surroundings:
These are the imperatives in the first place and concrete nouns. With imagination, almost any aspect
of the linguistic code for the target language could be communicated using commands. E.g., the
future and present tenses can be embedded into a command as, "When Luke walks to the window,
Marie will write Luke's name on the blackboard!"; Abstract nouns are presented at the later stages
once the students are ready to decode the grammatical structure of a language.
8.0 Syllabus.
10.0 Techniques.
1) Using commands in action sequences: The use of commands is the major teaching technique
of TPR (Larsen-Freeman, 1986). The teacher models the commands and performs the
corresponding actions to make the meaning clear. Students fulfill the commands (action-based drills)
with the teacher, individually and in groups. When they begin to speak they direct commands to the
teacher and to each other.
a) Moving whole body or parts of body: Stand, walk, sit, jump, run, etc.; Touch your feet, head,
shoulders, etc.
b) Moving things (manipulatives): Put the book under the chair; Point to the purple paper; Pick up
the eraser and put it on your feet; Set the clock to 2:00.
c) Moving abstractions/pictures: Put the picture of the cookie on the table; Put the picture of the
principal in the picture of the office; Give the card labeled 'Sunday' to Juan; Pick up the card labeled
'Monday' and put it next to the card labeled 'Thursday'.
d) Action sequences (series of commands or operations): Action sequences are based on
numerous everyday activities, like writing a letter, cleaning the house, eating breakfast, etc, that are
broken down into separate commands, e.g. Eating Grapes:
-- Look at the grapes.
-- Turn on the water.
-- Put the grapes under the water.
-- Wash the grapes.
-- Don't use soap.
-- Shake the grapes dry.
-- Pick a grape.
-- Give it to a friend.
-- Pick another grape.
-- Chew it.
-- Chew it some more.
-- Swallow it.
2) Role reversal: When students are ready to speak, they command their teacher and classmates to
perform some actions.
4) Slide presentations: These are used to provide a visual center for teacher narration, which is
followed by commands, and questions to students, such as, "Which person in the picture is the
salesperson?"
Using the body movement in the process of learning is suitable to the characteristic of the
children because children like to do physical movement. They like to move from one place to another
place. They like to go around without thinking whether they disturb their surrounding or not. They
don’t like to keep staying in one place which forces them not to do something. Geoffrey Broughton
stated that” Young children are physically active”(1980, 169) .
Besides that children also like to imitate and mime. They will give attention to other people
and try to imitate merely like other people do and say. This is the way how children learn and
develop their knowledge. This is supported by George Broughton et al ( 1980, 169) Rivers that
“Children love to imitate and mime: they are uninhibited in acting out roles, and they enjoy repetition
CONCLUSION
Total Physical Response is one of the learning processes which involves the students actively in the
classroom activities. It can be affective in delivering explicit instruction in learning. The effectiveness
of the Total Physical Response has been shown by the experts in some countries and has given
significant improvement of students’ achievement in learning English especially vocabulary in
language target. As children are physically active by nature, Total Physical Response will make
language learning especially vocabulary more effective because children feel fun during the learning.
This methods of instruction “injects the lesson with both physical activity and fun as the students
playact their roles and respond to both simple yes/no questions and more complex questions about
who, where, when, etc.” (James Asher, http:/www.tpr-world.com )
LESSON PLAN.
Preparation:
Make stick figure pictures on sheets and laminate for vocab to TPR/ have tape ready to stick them
on the board.
Processing activities:
1. Hold two pics at a time- one in each hand and call out for one to be pointed to by students – far
right or far left. Raise the correct one after.
2. Call for 5 students to stand in front of the class each holding one picture. As the teacher calls out
the action, the person holding the corresponding picture to raises and lowers correct picture.
Increase speed when you’re sure they have it to help them hear target language at native speed.
3. Stick up the pictures on the board. Number them below and call out the action in the target
language for the students to respond through numbers [in their own language until they learn
numbers in target language]
4. Have students compete to draw quickly on mini-chalk boards when you shout out action and tell
them to raise quickly when finished. Erasable boards are good, or have them fold and tear paper
for 8 sides to draw on.
12. First stick to one picture for all the 4 questions and then go ahead with the other pictures.
13. For more advanced questioning, mix the 4 levels among many pictures.
14. Can also be used with stick figures once the real humans have been used “ John is touching
his head, yes or no? He is touching his nose
Week : 6th
Day : Tuesday
Date : 21st February 2012
CLASS 2 BIJAK 3
LEVEL INTERMMEDIATE
Following instructions.
Practise.
1. Tapette - Divide the class into 2 teams, they 20 Identifying details.
minutes
select goofy name and motto. Then call for one
person from each group. Have 10 pictures
taped to the board. Give the two people the fly
swatters and call out the picture. The first to hit
it gets the point Applications.
2. Charades – Write command on slips of
paper and students choose, read silently, act Example:
out, others guess in target language. Teacher :He is clapping?
3. Teacher touches - one picture and gives – first students answer in
choices while teaching “he” and “she” - target language “yes”
example “He’s touching or standing up?” and teacher confirms
“she’s sitting down or he’s sitting down?” Gives and says, “Yes, he is
Closure
5 Flash Cards
1. Let's review today's lesson.
minutes
(action)
AFTER 2. Teacher chooses a sentence and mime it.
3. Pupils say it in English. Recalling
4. Do this with their peer in the classroom.
TASK 2
CONNECTED THEORIES.
TPR is based on behaviourism, a theory developed by B.F. Skinner. This theory sees learning merely
as a result of imitation, practice, reinforcement and habit formation (Lightbown and Spada, 2006,
p.34). According to behaviourism, an individual will show a certain behaviour due to imitation. If he
then receives enough positive feedback, this person will continue to show this kind of behaviour and
eventually this action will develop into a habit (Lightbown and Spada, 2006, p. 10). In the same way,
according to behaviourism, in order to learn a foreign language, a language student only needs to
imitate the language he/she hears from the teacher and react to his feedback. Language
development is seen as a result of habit formation (Lightbown and Spada, 2006, p.34). This view of
language learning becomes apparent in TPR with regards to its focus on performance by the teacher
and imitation by the students.
Apart from behaviourism, TPR can also be connected to the 'trace theory' in psychology which claims
that "the more often or the more intensively a memory connection is traced, the stronger the memory
association will be and the more likely it will be recalled" (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p.73).
CONCLUSION
After completed this course work successfully, overall it can be summarized that a play through
learning is very important in teaching process and thus learning able to create indirectly learning
atmosphere. In this modern civilatization, the society now aware of on this importance of play.
Apart from that, in generating the quality pupils, various aspects have to be taken into consideration
like multiple intelligence, thinking level and motivation. This case because human being is a unique
creation that different from other creatures. Hence approach that is suitable according to thinking
level and cognitive very important pupil in produce first class human module.
Teachers also do not perform discrimination on pupil because they should know and aware that
every pupil have the skill and thinking that is different and depends on teachers to use approach,
method and technique that suit with pupil's ability. By giving inducement and opportunity that is
optimum to pupil thus we can produce human that is quality from all other aspect.
REFLECTION
Finally all works that planned have been completed a. The coursework that I thought impossible to
be completed ultimately completed successfully . I have been through so many obstacles in way to
complete this assignment that I faced. The coursework which encompasses topic that learned in
Learner and Learning subject was challenging because it required me to do rational on the TPR
method that can be intergrated to the learning process. In my first topic, I had learned about TPR
concept. Which previously, the TPR is considered absorb the appearance children that is distinctive.
Apart from that, it can help physical development and emotion, TPR also can expand children's
thoughts. I learn and deepen in children's world so that I can apply learning techniques and lesson in
class later. For as a teacher, its important to identify ability and pupil's weakness that is different
from development cognitive side and physical. After that , teacher can use technique and method
based on learning model and lesson proposed by phsicologist 's figures children during in class.
Something that I never expect all this while. We cannot purposely ignore in our daily life because
there are more new findings which can open our mind . Hence we have to come into all things with
open heart but we also should be careful beside that.
Early information that made certainly from the guide lecturer that helps me and friend in completing
References :
1. The English Language Teacher’s Handbook, Joana Baker, Heather Westrup ( 2006 ), Continuum
International Publishing Group,London.
3. The Practise of English Language Teaching, Jeremy Harmer (2004), Person Education Limited,
England.
5. Techniques And Priciples In Language Teaching, Diane Larsen – Freeman ( 2000), Oxford
University Press, United Kingdom.
7. Krashen, S.D. Principle and practise in second language acquisition. Retrieved 23rd March 2012
from http://www.sdkrashen.com./Principles_Practise /index.hml
8. Haynes, J ( 2005 ), Stages of second language acquisition. Retrieved 5th February 2012, from
http://www.everythingtesl.net/inservice/language_stages .php
APPENDIX