ELT 213 APPROACHES TO ELT I Total Physical Response Week 10 Assist. Prof. Dr. Seden Eraldemir Tuyan

Total Physical Response has common features with “Comprehension Approach” The importance is given to Listening (opposite to some other methods) The idea of Comprehension Approach comes from child language acquisition: Speaking is a natural product of listening comprehension Many methods are based on L1 acquisition.

Natural Approach (Krashen and Terrell) Krashen and Terrell’s “Natural Approach”shares certain features with the Direct Method: Emphasis is on students’ developing basic skills and vocabulary through receiving meaningful target language exposure (In Direct Method, Communication through pictures and words is fostered) If the teacher uses language just above students current level and if the input is comprehensible, acquisition will be natural Creating low affective filter is also important.

Winitz and Reed’s self instructional program and Winitz’ The Learnables Students listen and look at relevant pictures The meaning is understood from the context of the pictures Students are expected to respond, not by speaking, but by pointing to a picture or showing that they have understood.

Lewis’ Lexical Approach Focus is more on students’ receiving abundant comprehensible input than on their production Teacher talks a lot and requires little or no verbal response from students (especially at lower levels) Students are expected to raise awareness about lexical features of the target language.

Asher’s Total Physical Response (TPR) It combines information and skills through the use of the kinesthetic sensory system This combination of skills allows the student to assimilate information and skills at a rapid rate As a result, this success leads to a high degree of motivation.

Left Brain Right Brain Logical Sequential Rational Analytical Objective Looks at parts Random Intuitive Holistic Synthesizing Subjective Looks at wholes

TPR and the Right Brain TPR utilizes the right brain by mimicking the way children acquire their L1 With TPR, students understand grammar in the right brain but cannot tell you how grammar works The right brain internalizes without analysis for high-speed learning The critical left brain must analyze everything, which makes for agonizingly slow motion learning.

Related Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMQXFOqyQA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6De52Pzr8c (indonesian)

Observations and Principles Observation 1: T. gives a command in L2 and performs it with the Ss. Principle: Meaning can be conveyed through actions. Right brain (nonverbal center) is involved. Chunks are preferred to single words. Observation 2: Ss say nothing Principle: Listening before speaking

Observation 4: T sits down and gives commands to volunteers Observation 3: T. gives commands very quickly Principle: Actions accompany the language: language can be learned rapidly by moving our bodies. Observation 4: T sits down and gives commands to volunteers Principle: The basic structure to direct student behaviour is imperative

Observation 5: T directs students other than the volunteers Principle: Students learn both by observing and performing actions Observation 6: T introduces new commands after ensuring that the previous ones have been mastered Principle: Feeling of success and low anxiety facilitate learning

Observation 7: T changes order of commands Principle: Students should not memorize fixed routines Observation 8: T corrects the errors by repeating the command and acting it out. Principle: Correction (especially at early stages) should be indirect and through actions (in an unobtrusive manner)

Observation 9: T gives commands they haven’t heard before. Principle: Novelty of commands can be motivating and helps Ss develop flexibility in understanding new combinations of target language chunks. Observation 10: T says “Jump to the desk.” Everyone laughs. Principle: Language learning should be fun Observation 11: T writes the new commands on the board. Principle: Spoken language comes before written language

Observation 12: A student who hasn’t talked before gives commands after a few weeks. Principle: Speaking emerges very naturally. Students will speak when they are ready. Observation 13: A student says “Shake hand with your neighbour.” Principle: The teacher is tolerant of the errors. Delicate points and details are put off for later and higher levels

Reviewing the Principles Goals of the Ts: Develop an enjoyable atmosphere for learners TPR helps reduce the stress when studying foreign languages This can be achieved by basing L2 learning on the way children learn L1. Role of Ts & Ss: Initially, the teacher is the director of all student behaviour In the later stages (10-20 hours of instruction), there is a role reversal: the teacher is being directed.

Characteristics of teaching/learning process: First phase -- modeling: T commands and performs actions with Ss Second phase: Ss perform commands alone Then, T recombines elements of commands: thus, Ss develop flexibility in understanding unfamiliar utterances After learning to respond to oral commands, reading and writing start When Ss are ready, they start to speak and give commands Then activities expand to skits (short sketches) and games.

Nature of interaction: T with whole Ss and individuals Initially T speaks and Ss respond nonverbally Then Ss speak and T respond nonverbally Ss-Ss interaction: they observe and command to each other. Students’ Feelings: To reduce stress Ss speak when they are ready perfection is not expected Learning is made enjoyable There is not too much modeling. Language/culture viewed: Oral modality is primary Culture is lifestyle of native speakers.

Areas of language emphasized: Vocabulary and grammatical structures over other language areas Use of imperatives (single words or multi-word chunks) They occur most frequently in the speech directed at young learners in L1 Understanding spoken word comes before production Spoken comes before written. Role of L1: Usually introduced in L1 Then it is rarely used Meaning is made clear through body movements.

Evaluation: Evaluation is done observing students’ action Formal evaluation can be done by commanding Ss to perform a series of actions In later stages, Ss performance of skits can be used as evaluation. Error correction: Errors should be tolerated Only major errors can be corrected but unobtrusively At later stages, T can ‘fine tune’ by correcting minor errors.

Techniques Using commands to direct behaviour: Use of commands is the major technique. Commands are given to students to perform an action; actions make meaning clear. Role reversal: Students command their teacher and classmates to perform actions. Students speak after the silent period. Students should not be forced before they feel ready Action sequence: The teacher m give connected commands (e.g. "Point to the door, walk to the door, and touch the door")