Total

Physical
Response
Presented by:
Alemia & Hingco
What is TPR?
Total Physical Response is
a method in language
teaching which is based on
the coordination of speech
and action or language and
physical movements.
 Developed by:
TPR is a method developed by
Dr. James J. Asher (1977), a
professor of psychology at San Jose
State University of California.
Asher developed TPR as a result of
his experiences observing young
children learning their first
language.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE
(TPR)
The coordination of speech and action.
Learners roles of listener and performer.
Learners monitor and evaluate their own progress.
Reading and writing is taught after grammar and
vocabulary.
Learning language by gesture (body movements).
The teacher and the students are the actors. Students
should be more active and talkative.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
WITH RHYTHM
WITH RHYTHM
WITH RHYTHM
WITH RHYTHM
LET’S TRY!
ACTIVITY
 Principles
Comprehension is developed before
production.
Learners are not required to speak in
the early stages.
Learning is inductive.
Why TPR is important?
Total Physical Response is important because
it helps you remember words and phrases by
using your body. It's great for people who like to
move while learning, and it makes learning a new
language fun and active.
OBJECTIVES OF TPR
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
commu­n ication that is intelligible to a native
speaker. We work using action-based.
 SYLLABUS OF TPR
The TPR syllabus is sentence-based with
grammatical and lexical criteria being primary in
selecting teaching items. Grammar structures and
vocabulary are selected according to their
frequency of need or use in the classroom (not in
target language situations) and the ease with
which they can be learned.
Total Physical Response
Activities
1. TPR Storytelling
Session
Tell a story to the whole class. It
can be about anything: fairytale,
adventure, even horror and
comedy. Tell it with plenty of
gestures and actions, which you
repeat often. (That’s the TPR way!)
Total Physical Response
Activities
2. Simon Says with a Twist
A vocabulary-oriented game like
Simon Says is analogous to the process
that takes place as children acquire
their first language. Adults often give
instructions to kids, like “throw the ball”
“come here” or “eat your chicken.” (By
virtue of repetition and validation—and
gesturing—children are able to figure
out what mommy wanted to be done.)
Total Physical Response
Activities
3. The Amazing Race
You only have to send them
off to do some task or
demonstrate comprehension by
performing prescribed motions.
(With TPR, you can always check
for comprehension because you
can just look at their actions.)
Total Physical Response
Activities
4. TPR Theater
This one’s for those a little bit
advanced in the target language since
“TPR Theater” has some improv added
into the mix. It is, for all intents and
purposes, an impromptu play. Your role
as the teacher is to narrate and move
the story forward by telling the
characters in front of the class what
they need to do.
Total Physical Response
Activities
5. Action Songs for the
Whole Class
Action songs are actually TPR–but
with music. Children love them. They
add melody and cadence that the brain
can latch on to. They are the perfect
memory aids that can effectively
embed language and movement into
long-term memory.
 TEACHER AND LEARNER ROLES

The teacher plays an active and direct role in TPR.

He/she decides what to teach, who models and
presents the new materials, and who selects
supporting materials for classroom use. The teacher
usually initiates the interaction, even when learners
interact with each other. According to Asher, the
instructor is the director of a stage play in which the
students are the actors.
 PIECES OF REFERENCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iQmQNZJJlE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr9QTISemxE
Thank you
very much!
Alemia & Hingco