Total Physical Response

&
Communicative
Approach
Prepared by:
Zixi
Yanlin
Vero
 Total Physical Response
Total Physical Response (TPR) is developed by James
Asher, a professor of psychology at San Jose State
University, California.
It is a method of teaching language or vocabulary
concepts by using physical movement to react to
verbal input.
The process mimics the way that infants learn their first
language, and it reduces student inhibitions and
lowers stress.
The purpose of TPR is to create a brain link between
speech and action to boost language and vocabulary
learning.
It attempts to teach language through physical
 Total Physical Response

According to Asher, TPR is based on the premise that the

human brain has a biological programme for acquiring
any natural language on earth.
Including the sign language of the deaf.
TPR is offered as an example of a general approach
called comprehension approach.
Comprehension approach places the value on the
students understanding of the target language, and thus
it emphasized the listening skills.
TPR can be used to teach and practise
many things
Classroom
language
(Open your
books) Tenses
past/present/future
and continuous
aspects
-(Every morning I
clean my teeth, I

TP
Vocabulary eat breakfast)
connected
with actions
(smile,
wriggle)
R
Storytellin Instructions
g (Stand up)
Typical Activity
A typical TPR activity might contain instructions
such as "Walk to the door", "Open the door", "Sit
down" and "Give Maria your dictionary".
The students are required to carry out the
instructions by physically performing the activities.
Given a supportive classroom environment, there is
little doubt that such activities can be both
motivating and fun, and with a fairly limited amount
of repetition basic instructions such as these could
be assimilated by the learners.
Examples
Examples
Advantages of TPR

Advantages

Good for
It is a lot of Very
kinaesthetic
fun memorable
learners

It works well with

It involves both mixed-ability
classes. Physical
left- and right- actions get across
brained learning. the meaning
effectively.
 Communicative
Approach
Communicative Language
Teaching(CLT) is an approach to
the teaching of second and foreign
languages.
It emphasizes the ability to
communicate the meaning of the
message, instead of concentrating
on grammatical perfection.
It is also referred to as
Communicative Approach.
Functional dimension of language

control
behaviours
interac
Obtain
information t with
others
Languag
e
Express
learn persona
l
feelings
communicate
information
 Using the Method
The most common educational model applied in the
context of the Communicative Method is the Functional-
Notional approach, which emphasizes the organisation of
the syllabus.
This breaks down the use of language into 5 functional
categories that can be more easily analysed:
1. personal (feelings, etc.),
2. interpersonal (social and working relationships),
3. directive (influencing others),
4. referential (reporting about things, events, people or language itself),
5. imaginative (creativity and artistic expression).
These 5 broad functions are then delivered by the teacher
in the classroom using the 3 Ps teaching model, which
stand for Presentation, Practice and Production.
Example
Practising question forms by asking learners to
find out personal information about their
colleagues. It involves meaningful
communication.
 Example
In the classroom
Classroom activities guided by the
communicative approach are
characterised by trying to produce
meaningful and real communication,
at all levels.
As a result there may be more
emphasis on skills than systems, lessons
are more learner-centred.
The teacher gives the students a small
paper with a word they have recently learnt.
Then one of the student continue and so
on
 Students will be more motivated by
Advantages learning to communicate
Students will learn to communicate
effectively
The interaction between students and
teachers
Harmonious relationship, more close w/
teacher
Communicative language teaching
encourage students to participate in,
sometimes accompanied by scenes or
simulated scenarios,
Students are more close to life, they become
the main character, naturally they were
interested in the English language.
THANK
YOU