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Total Physical Rcsponse (TPR)

This method is also known as Leaming Another Language Tlirougli Actions and was originally introduced by James Asher (1974). It is a language teaching method in which items are presented in the foreign language as orders, eommands, and instructions requiring a physical response from the leamer (e.g. opening a window or standing up). Tliis is thought to lead to morę meaningful and effective leaming. Tliis model allows a wide initial tolerance for errors. After the learners have achieved a certain ability to understand and to make themselves understood, the teacher can begin to narrow his tolerance for errors. The syllabus is sentence-based, primarily lexical and grammatical. Teaching may proceed without materials. Materials play a primary supplementary role (word charts, slides, pictures) and are teacher-produced:

improving listening comprehension by making learners not only react orally, but also physically to eommands, orders in foreign language (physical ability inereases the storage capacity)

based on observation how children leam their first language listening is developed far in advance of speaking

understanding should be developed through movements of the student's body teacher should force students to speak, they should reach a point of readiness to speak - a wide initial tolerance for errors that can create a climate without stress, its goal is spontaneous eommunication, later the tolerance is narrowed the method seems to be effective in the beginning levels of language proficiency

Three prindples:

1)    comprehension rather than production

2)    “here and now” principle

3)    to carty out eommands, orders, instructions