Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
105
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
105-109
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
Total Physical Response (TPR) is a dynamic language teaching method that combines physical movement with verbal
input to enhance language acquisition. This article examines various TPR activities, such as commands, storytelling,
role-playing, and games, which engage students physically while they learn. These activities accommodate diverse
learning styles, benefiting kinesthetic learners who excel with movement.
The article emphasizes TPR's effectiveness in improving vocabulary retention, listening skills, and engagement. By
linking actions to the language being taught, TPR reduces anxiety, creating a more enjoyable and less intimidating
learning environment. Variations like group commands and interactive storytelling offer flexibility for different age
groups and proficiency levels, making TPR a versatile method.
Additionally, TPR promotes natural language acquisition by mirroring how children learn their first language
—
through
listening and physical response before speaking. The article concludes that incorporating diverse TPR activities
accelerates learning and fosters a dynamic, inclusive classroom atmosphere.
KEYWORDS
Collaborative approach, language acquisition, inclusive, learning styles, kinaesthetic, student engagement,
comprehension skills, commands, storytelling, role-playing, div movement, innovative method, traditional method,
neural connections, physical act, active participation.
Research Article
DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
AND THEIR BENEFITS IN TEACHING LANGUAGE
Submission Date:
October 04, 2024,
Accepted Date:
October 09, 2024,
Published Date:
October 14, 2024
Crossref doi
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajps/Volume04Issue10-15
Mahmudova Zilola Shukhrat qizi
Chirchik State Pedagogical University, English teacher of the English language theory and practice department,
Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajps
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
106
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
105-109
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
INTRODUCTION
In the ever-evolving landscape of language acquisition,
educators constantly seek innovative methods to
enhance student engagement and foster deeper
understanding. Total Physical Response (TPR), a
methodology that integrates physical movement with
language learning, has emerged as a powerful tool for
fostering proficiency across various age groups and
learning contexts.
According to psychologists each child has unique traits,
and their developmental progress varies. Psychologists
argue that placing language expectations on young
children, psychologists should consider pedagogical
aspects, such as the students’ curiosity and
enthusiasm.
This article delves into the multifaceted benefits of TPR
activities, exploring how they revolutionize traditional
learning styles, improve communication skills, and
cultivate a positive learning environment.
METHODOLOGY
TPR activities, used judiciously and integrated with
other activities can be both highly motivating and
linguistically purposeful. Careful choice of useful and
communicative language at beginner level can make
TPR activities entirely valid. Many learners respond
well to kinaesthetic activities and they can genuinely
serve as a memory aid. A lot of classroom warmers and
games are based, consciously or unconsciously, on TPR
principles.
One of the most significant advantages of TPR
activities lies in their ability to cater to diverse learning
styles. Traditional language learning often prioritizes
rote memorization and passive absorption of
knowledge. However, TPR activities tap into the power
of kinesthetic learning, allowing students to connect
physical movement with language. By acting out
vocabulary words and commands, learners forge
deeper neural connections, enhancing memory and
facilitating recall. Imagine a classroom learning the
directions "jump," "touch your toes," and "sit down."
Through the physical act of performing these actions,
students not only associate the words with their
meanings but also solidify the information in their long-
term memory. This kinesthetic engagement caters to
students who learn best through movement, ensuring
inclusivity and optimizing learning outcomes for all.
Furthermore, TPR activities significantly enhance
communication skills by providing a platform for active
participation. Unlike traditional methods that
emphasize passive listening, TPR requires students to
respond physically to instructions and prompts. This
constant interaction fosters a dynamic learning
environment where students are not just absorbing
information but actively using the language. For
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
107
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
105-109
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
instance, a game like "Simon Says" can be adapted for
language learning with instructions like "Simon says
touch your head" or "Simon says jump three times."
This playful activity encourages students to listen
attentively, comprehend the instructions, and execute
them accordingly, honing their listening and
comprehension skills in a fun and engaging way.
In a TPR lesson, teachers model actions which students
then mimic as they simultaneously hear vocabulary
words and commands in the target language. As a
particular action is associated with each vocabulary
word or phrase, students rapidly and naturally acquire
language while establishing long-lasting associations
between the brain and the muscles.
There are 2 phases in the TPR learning process.
1) Modelling by the instructor
2) Demonstration by the learner
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 it is also likely that
with even a fairly limited amount of repetition basic
instructions such as these could be assimilated by the
learners, even if they were unable to reproduce them
accurately themselves.
RESULTS
The basic idea of TPR is that a language learner hears
something in the language and physically responds to
it. However, TPR is not just limited to whole div
commands such as walking, turning around, and
pointing to your nose. In fact, there are four major
types of activities that can be done using the TPR
mindset. I like to refer to them as TPR-B, TPR-O, TPR-P,
and TPRS. (TPRS is the only one of these expressions
that is widely known, the others are terms I've made
up.) .
1) TPR-B for "TPR with div", which includes
everything that can be done with general div
movement: stand up, sit down, turn around, turn right,
turn left, lift up your arm, touch your nose, etc. This is
best done in a room with some space to move around.
2) TPR-O stands for "TPR with objects". This is best
done sitting a table that has some objects on it. For
example, one day you could raid the produce stand and
then sit down with your Turkish friend to a table of
fruit. That day you could not only learn the words for
"apple", "banana", "orange", and so on, but also, "give
me", "take", "put", "smell", "bite", "roll", "peel", and
"show me".
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
108
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
105-109
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
For this activity, your friend could start off with: "This
is an apple. This is an orange. This is an apple. This is an
orange. Where is the apple? Where is the orange?"
Once again new words can be fairly quickly built up one
at a time.
3) TPR-P stands for "TPR with pictures". Pictures are
extremely effective language learning tools. Let's say
that you're actually living in England and have gone
around and taken 150 or so pictures of people doing
different things and then arranged these pictures in an
album. Your English friend could go through and say
"This is a man. This is a boy. This is a man. This is a boy.
Where is the man? Where is the boy?"
Taking your own pictures, you can probably find some
children's picture or story books that are also useful for
this kind of learning. Newspaper and magazine
pictures work well too.
4) TPR-S -was developed by Blaine Ray and is being
used in classrooms throughout the United States. It
involves the teacher (and eventually the students)
acting out simple stories as a means of understanding
the story and internalizing vocabulary. The last section
of this article gives an internet link for more
information about this approach.
CONCLUSION
Different variations of TPR offer a flexible and
engaging approach to language teaching that
addresses the diverse needs of learners. By
incorporating commands, storytelling, role-playing,
games, and group activities, TPR not only improves
language retention and comprehension but also
creates an inclusive, stress-free learning environment.
Its benefits extend beyond language acquisition,
fostering listening skills, confidence, and a love for
learning. As educators continue to seek effective
methods for language teaching, TPR remains a
valuable and dynamic tool that can transform the
language learning experience.
REFERENCES
1.
A.Asrifan. Using Songs in Teaching English
Language for The Young Learners. PPS Umpar.
Research Article. Pare-Pare: Univ. Muhammadiyah
Pare-Pare. 2009.
2.
D.Larsen-Freeman. Techniques and Principles in
Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University
Press. Linse, C. 2005. The Childrens Response: TPR
and Beyond. English Teaching Forum 43/1: 8-11.
3.
D.Nunan. Language Teaching Methodology: A
textbook for teachers. Hemel Hemp- stead:
Prentice Hall International. 1991.
4.
Dr.Kumari V.R.Saritha, Hand Book of the
Approaches and Methods of English language
teaching, BookRix, 2017.
5.
G.Roth. Teaching Very Young Children: Pre-school
and Early Primary. London: Rchmond Publishing.
1998.
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
109
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
(ISSN
–
2771-2273)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
105-109
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
6.
J.K.Shin. Teaching Young Language Learners: From
theory to practice. Boston: Heinle, Cengage
Learnin. 2014.
7.
J.Moon. Children Learning English. Oxford:
Macmillan Publishers Limited. 2005.
8.
J.W.Creswell. Educational Research. Boston:
Pearson Education. Hapidin. (2006). Model-Model
Pendidikan Untuk Anak Usia Dini. Jakarta: Ghiyats
Alfiani Press. 2012.
9.
S.Margaret. Barbara Adelman and Elizabeth Price.
Total Physical Response (TPR): A Curriculum for
Adult. English Language and Literacy Center, St.
Louis, MO 63105.
10.
S.Phillips. Young Learners. Oxford: Oxford
University Press. 1993.
11.
Z.Sh.Mahmudova.
Problems
of
students’
formation of speaking skills and teacher’s role in
their solutions. Web of Teachers, Volume 2, Issue 4.
2024.
12.
W.R.Lee. Language Teaching Games and Contests.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1986.
