Languagelearningishard.Peoplewantgoodwaystolearn.OnewayiscalledTotalPhysicalResponse.ItisalsocalledTPR.Thismethodusesthebody.Thebodyhelpsthebrainlearn.ThispapertalksaboutTPR.Wewillseewhatitis.Wewillseehowitworks.Wewillseewhyitisgoodforstudents.

AmanmadeTPR.HisnamewasJamesAsher.Hewasaprofessor.Hewatchedhowlittlechildrenlearnlanguage.Babiesdonotspeakfirst.Theylisten.Parentssaythings.Parentssay"lookatmommy"or"clapyourhands".Thebabyhearsthewords.Thebabydoestheaction.Thebabylearnsbymoving.Thebodyandthemindworktogether.Asherthoughtthiswasapowerfulwaytolearn.Hemadeamethodforschool.HecalleditTotalPhysicalResponse.

WhatisTPRinaclassroom.Theteacherisimportant.Theteachergivescommands.Thecommandsaresimple.Theteachersays"standup".Theteacherdoestheaction.Thestudentswatch.Thentheteachersaysthecommandagain.Thestudentsdotheaction.Theydonotspeakyet.Theyjustmove.Theylistenandtheymove.Aftersometime,thestudentsknowthecommands.Theycandothemwithouttheteachershowingthem.Later,studentscangivecommandstoo.Onestudentcantellanotherstudent"walktothedoor".Theotherstudentdoesit.Learninghappensthroughaction.

TPRusesthebody.Thebodyhasmemory.Yourmusclesrememberthings.Thinkaboutridingabike.Youdonotthinkabouteachmovement.Yourbodyjustknows.Languagecanbelikethat.Whenyouhear"jump"andyoujump,yourbodyrememberstheword.Thewordisconnectedtotheaction.Thisconnectionisstrong.Ithelpsyourememberthewordforalongtime.Itisbetterthanjustreadingawordonapage.

Thismethodisgoodforbeginners.Whenyoustartlearninganewlanguage,speakingisscary.Youareafraidofmistakes.InTPR,youdonothavetospeakatfirst.Youjustlistenandmove.Thisisnotscary.Itfeelssafe.Itfeelslikeagame.Studentsaremorerelaxed.Whenyouarerelaxed,youlearnbetter.Yourbrainisopentonewinformation.Fearblockslearning.TPRtakesawaythefear.

TPRisalsogoodforwordsyoucanactout.Manywordsareaboutactions.Wordslike"run","sit","laugh","cry".Youcanshowthesewordswithyourbody.Youcanalsoteachwordsforobjects.Theteachercansay"touchthebook".Thestudenttouchesabook.Thestudentlearnstheword"book".Thestudentlearnstheword"touch".Itisclearwhatthewordsmean.Theteacherdoesnotneedtoexplaininanotherlanguage.Themeaningisintheaction.

ATPRclassisactive.Studentsarenotsittingallthetime.Theyaremoving.Theyaredoingthings.Thisisgoodforenergy.Itisgoodforattention.Sittingforalongtimeisboring.Movingmakeslearningfun.Youngstudentslikeit.Theyhavealotofenergy.Butolderstudentslikeittoo.Itisdifferent.Itisnotthenormalwayoflearning.Itbreakstheroutine.

PeoplerememberthingsbetterwithTPR.Thememoryisstronger.Thinkaboutawordyoureadinabook.Nowthinkaboutawordyouactedout.Whichonedoyourememberbetter.Mostpeoplerememberthewordtheyactedout.Theactionmakesadeepermemory.Thebrainhasmoreconnectionstotheword.Yousawtheword.Youheardtheword.Youdidtheactionfortheword.Thisusesmanypartsofyourbrain.Usingmanypartshelpsmemory.

TPRisnotforeverything.Itishardtoteachabstractideas.Howdoyouactouttheword"peace".Howdoyouactout"justice".Itisnoteasy.TPRisbestforconcretethings.Thingsyoucanseeanddo.Foradvancedtopics,othermethodsmightbebetter.Butforbasiclanguage,TPRisverypowerful.

TeachersneedtrainingforTPR.Theyneedtothinkofgoodcommands.Thecommandsmustbeclear.Theactionsmustbeeasytodoinaclassroom.Theteachermustbeagoodmodel.Theteachermustbeencouraging.AgoodTPRteachermakestheclasslively.

Somepeoplelearnbyseeing.Somepeoplelearnbyhearing.Somepeoplelearnbydoing.TPRisgreatforpeoplewholearnbydoing.Thesepeoplearecalledkinestheticlearners.Theyneedtomovetolearnwell.TPRhelpsthemalot.Butitalsohelpsothertypesoflearners.Itaddsaphysicalparttolearning.

Inmanyschools,languagelearningisaboutgrammar.Studentsmemorizerules.Thisisnotalwaysfun.TPRmakeslanguageaboutcommunication.Thegoalistounderstandandtodo.Thisismorenatural.Thisishowwelearnedourfirstlanguage.Wedidnotlearngrammarrulesfirst.Welearnedtounderstandcommands.Welearnedtorespond.Speakingcamelater.

ResearchshowsthatTPRworks.Studieslookatstudents.Onegroupusesnormalmethods.AnothergroupusesTPR.TheTPRgroupoftenlearnsfaster.Theyremembermorevocabulary.Theyhavebetterlisteningskills.Theyfeelmoreconfidentaboutthelanguage.Theresultsareclear.TPRisaneffectivewaytolearn.

PeopleofallagescanuseTPR.Childrenenjoyitverymuch.Itislikeplaying.Adultsalsofindithelpful.Itreducesstress.Youarenotworriedaboutperfectgrammar.Youarefocusedontheaction.Thismakesthelearningprocessenjoyable.

TouseTPR,startwithsimplecommands.Usewordsforbodyparts.Usewordsforactions.Usewordsforobjectsintheroom.Keepthecommandsshort.Repeatthemoften.Letstudentsbesuccessful.Letthemfeelgoodaboutunderstanding.Slowlymakethecommandslonger.Combinethem."Walktothetableandpickupthepencil."Thisbuildscomplexityovertime.

Theworldneedsgoodlanguagelearners.Languagesconnectpeople.TPRisatoolforconnection.Itissimple.Itisdirect.Itusesthepowerofthebody.Itmakeslearningalanguagelessstressfulandmorefun.Forthesereasons,TotalPhysicalResponseisavaluablemethodforteachersandstudentseverywhere.