Total Physical Response

James Asher

1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

• In the 1960s and 1970s research gave rise to the hypothesis that language learning should start first with understanding and later proceed to production (Winitz 1981). After the learner internalizes an extensive map of how the target language works, speaking will appear spontaneously. Of course, the student's speech will not be perfect, but gradually speech will become more target-like.

• James Asher was a professor of psychology at San José State University, San José California. On the basis of his research, Asher reasoned that the fastest, least stressful way to achieve understanding of any target language is to follow directions uttered by the instructor (without native language translation).

• The assumptions underlying Asher's method can be traced back to the work by Palmer & Palmer English Through Actions, who emphasize the desirable link in learning between language use and physical activity, especially performing the teacher's commands by children.

• Asher models his method on the process of language learning by a child. He thinks that the majority of mother-child interactions take the form of imperatives given by the mother and performed by the child. Before children can produce utterances, they demonstrate their comprehension of the command by physical action (a baby spends many months listening to the people around it long before it ever says a word. The child has the time to try to make sense out of the sounds it hears. No one tells the baby that it must speak. The child chooses to speak when it is ready to do so). In his view, the replication of this process by adults is a route to successful second language learning. He states (1982:54):

'The first step in learning another language is to internalize the code in the same way you assimilated your native language, which was through commands.'

2. GOALS:

• Having the Ss enjoy their experience in learning to communicate in a foreign language.

• Reducing the stress people feel when studying foreign languages and thereby encourage Ss to persist in their study beyond a beginning level of proficiency.

3. THE ROLE OF THE T & STUDENTS:

initially:

• the T is the director of all student behavior

• the Ss are imitators of the nonverbal model

at some point (usually after ten to twenty hours of instruction):

• some Ss will be ' ready to speak'

• at that point there will be a role reversal with individual Ss directing the T and the other ss

4. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TEACHING & LEARNING PROCESS:

1. The T gives a command in the target lg and performs it with the ss.

• to clarify the meaning

• The T gives the commands quite quickly. It is necessary for a T to plan in advance just which commands she will introduce in a lesson . If the T tries to think them up as the lesson progresses, the pace will be too slow.

• Meaning in the target lg can often be conveyed through actions.

• Memory is activated through learner response.

• The target lg should be presented in chunks, not just word by word.

• The Ss say nothing- their understanding of the target lg should be developed before speaking.

2. The T sits down and issues commands to the volunteers.

• these same Ss demonstrate that they can understand the commands by performing them alone

• The T directs Ss other than the volunteers (Ss can learn through observing actions as well as by performing the actions themselves).

• The T introduces new commands after she is satisfied that the first ones have been mastered. Asher believes it is very important that the Ss feel successful. Therefore, the T should not introduce new commands too fast . It is recommended that a T present three commands at a time. After Ss feel successful with these, three more ca n be taught.

3. The T recombines elements of the commands to have Ss develop flexibility in understanding unfamiliar utterances (Ss should not be made to memorize fixed routines).

• The T also gives the Ss commands they have not heard before.

• These commands are often humorous.

• Ss must develop flexibility in understanding novel combinations of target lg chunks.

• They need to understand more than the exact sentences used in training. Novelty is also motivating.

• When the Ss make an error, the T repeats the command while acting it out (correction should be carried out in an unobtrusive manner).

4. The Ss learn to read and write new utterances.

5. When Ss are ready to speak, they become the ones who issue the commands.

• A few weeks later, student who hasn't spoken before gives commands.

• Ss will begin to speak when they are ready.

• Ss are expected to make errors when they first begin speaking. Ts should be tolerant of them.

• Work on the fine details of the lg should be postponed until Ss have become somewhat proficient.

6. After Ss begin speaking, activities expand to include skits and games.

NATURE OF STUDENT-T & STUDENT-STUDENT INTERACTION.

The teacher:

• interacts with the whole group of Ss and with individual students.

• Initially: the teacher speaking and the Ss responding nonverbally.

• Later on: the Ss become more verbal and the teacher responds nonverbally.

Students:

• perform the actions together.

• Ss can learn by watching each other.

• At some point, however, Asher believes observers must demonstrate their understanding of the commands in order to retain them.

• As Ss begin to speak, they issue commands to one another as well as to the teacher.

5. FEELINGS OF THE STUDENTS.

• One of the main reasons TPR was developed was to reduce the stress people feel when studying foreign languages. One of the primary ways this is accomplished is to allow learners to speak when they are ready. Forcing them to speak before then will only create anxiety. Also, when Ss do begin to speak, perfection should not be expected.

• Another way to relieve anxiety is to make lg learning as enjoyable as possible. The use of funny commands and humorous skits arc two ways of showing that lg learning can be fun.

• Finally, it is important that there not be too much modeling, but that Ss not be too rushed either. Feelings of success and low anxiety facilitate learning.

6. THE WAY HOW LG & CULTURE IS VIEWED.

Language:

• the oral modality is primary

Culture:

• is the lifestyle of people who speak the lg natively.

7. EMPHASIZED AREAS OF LG & LG SKILLS.

• Vocabulary and grammatical structures are emphasized over other lg areas.

• Vocabulary and grammatical are embedded within imperatives (single words and multi-word chunks).

• One reason for the use of imperatives is their frequency of occurrence in the speech directed

• at young children learning their native language.

• Understanding the spoken word should precede its production.

• The spoken lg is emphasized over written language.

• Ss often do not learn to read the commands they have already learned to perform until after ten hours of instruction.

8. THE ROLE OF THE STUDENTS' NATIVE LANGUAGE:

• TPR is usually introduced in the student's native language.

• After the introduction, rarely would the native lg is used.

• Meaning is made clear through body movements.

9. EVALUATION:

Ts will know immediately whether or not Ss understand by observing their students' actions.

Formal evaluations can he conducted simply by commanding individual Ss to perform a series of actions.

As Ss become more advanced, their performance of skits they have created can become the basis for evaluation.

10. HOW DOES THE T RESPOND TO STUDENT ERRORS?

• It is expected that Ss will make errors when they first begin speaking. Ts should be tolerant of them and only correct major errors. Even these should he corrected unobtrusively.

• As Ss get more advanced, teacher s can ' fine tune' -correct more minor errors.

LLL

Asher claims that all grammar features can also be communicated through imperatives. To give an example of a more advanced lesson, one might introduce the form of the past tense as follows:

TEACHER: Ingrid, walk to the blackboard,

(Ingrid gets up and walks to the blackboard).

TEACHER: Class, if Ingrid walked to the blackboard, stand up.

(The class stands up).

TEACHER: Ingrid, write your name on the blackboard,

(Ingrid writes her name on the black board).

TEACHER: Class, if Ingrid wrote her name on the blackboard sit down,

(The class sits down).

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. This series of commands is called an action sequence, or an operation. Many everyday activities, like writing a letter; can be broken down into an action sequence that students can he asked to perform:

Take out a pen.

Take out a piece of paper.

Write a letter, (imaginary)

Fold the letter;

Put it in an envelope,

Seal the envelope.

Write the ad dress on the envelope .

Put a stamp on the envelope.

Mail the letter.

Stand up lève-toi [l(ə)ve]

Sit down assois-toi

Turn around retourne

Jump saute [sote]

Touch your head touche ta tête [tuʃ]

Walk to the window approche-toi de la fenêtre

Point to the door montre la porte du doigt [mɔ̃tʀ] [pɔʀt] [dwa]

Point to the window montre la fenêtre du doigt [f(ə)nɛtʀ]

Point to the desk montre le bureau du doigt [byʀo]

Point to the chair montre la chaise du doigt [ʃɛz]

Point your head montre ta tête

Touch the desk touche le bureau

Jump to the door saute vers la porte

Seat on the desk assois-toi sur le bureau

Touch the door touche la porte

Jump to the window saute vers la fenêtre

Touch the chair touche la chaise

Touch the desk and Jump touche le bureau et saute

Turn around and Walk to the window retourne et approche-toi de la fenêtre

Point to the door and walk to the door montre la porte du doigt et approche-toi de la porte

Point to the desk, touch your head and Jump

Montre le bureau du doigt, touche ta tête et saute

Seat down, stand up and turn around

assois-toi, lève-toi et retourne

Sit on the desk, Jump to the door, turn aroun and seat down.

assois-toi sur le bureau, retourne et assois-toi

assois-toi

lève-toi

montre la chaise du doigt

saute

touche ta tête

montre la porte du doigt

touche le bureau

montre la fenêtre du doigt

retourne

montre ta tête

touche la porte

montre le bureau du doigt

assois-toi sur le bureau

saute vers la fenêtre

saute vers la porte

touche le bureau ET saute

retourne ET assois-toi sur le bureau

montre la porte du doigt ET touche la chaise

Montre le bureau du doigt, touche ta tête ET saute

assois-toi, lève-toi ET retourne

assois-toi sur le bureau, retourne ET assois-toi

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