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Total Physical ResponseTotal Physical Response is a language teaching method which is based on the assumption thatthe coordination of speech and action will boost language learning. It was developed by James

Asher in the 70s. e drew from a variety of areas! including psychology! learning theory andhumanistic pedagogy.

According to the trace theory of memory in psychology! the more often and intensively amemory is traced! the stronger the memory association will be and the more li"ely it will berecalled. The retracing can be verbal through repetition and#or in association with motor activity.This clearly reminds us of of the behavioristic psychology which holds a $timulus%Responsemodel of learning. The stimulus in the TPR method is verbal and the response is physical. In thisrespect TPR has many similarities to the &irect 'ethod.

(rom developmental Psychology Asher draws the parallel! he contends e)ists! between first

language ac*uisition and +nd language learning. ,hildren get language through a series ofcommands from their parents to which they react physically. It-s only later that they can produceverbal responses cf Jean Piaget wor"s/. Asher contends that humans are endowed with a sort of

bio program which follows this process of language learning and that! when teaching a +ndlanguage! we must follow the same process so that learning can be successful. Asher in thisrespect adheres to a naturalistic method of language learning cf rashen-s 1atural Approach/.2anguage learning must focus on comprehension and the teaching of spea"ing must be delayeduntil comprehension s"ills are established. Asher also thin"s that the s"ills ac*uired throughlistening transfer to other s"ills and that meaning precedes form.

Asher-s method relies on three assumptions about language. (irst Asher thin"s that a lot of the

grammatical structures of language and many vocabulary items can be learned from the s"illfuluse of the imperative form. In his view! verbs in the imperative are primordial forms upon whichlanguage learning can be organi3ed. ,ommand drills can be a vehicle to the internali3ation of alot of language structures and vocabulary. Another TPR assumption about language is the onethat distinguishes between abstractions and non%abstractions. According to Asher! abstractionsare not necessary to teach language to beginners. 4n the other hand! non%abstractions can help

build a detailed cognitive map and grammatical structure of language. The third assumptionabout language states that language can be internali3ed not only as single items but also aswholes or chun"s. This is an idea that will be later developed by 'ichael 2ewis 566 / in his2e)ical Approach.

Relying on humanistic pedagogy! TPR also stresses the importance of a stress free environment.In fact! second language learning often causes a lot of stress and an)iety. owever! if teachersfocus on meaning transferred into physical activity rather than on abstract language formsstudents are freed from stress and an)iety.

Features of TPR

In a nutshell! here are the most salient features of the TPR8

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The coordination of speech and action facilitates language learning. Grammar is taught inductively.

Meaning is more important than form.

Speaking is delayed until comprehension skills are established.

Effective language learning takes place in low stress environment.

The role of the teacher is central. S/he chooses the appropriate commands to introducevocabulary and structure.

The learner is a listener and a performer responding to commands individually orcollectively.

Learning is ma imi!ed in a stress free environment.

TPR Activities

Activities in the TPR method rely on action based drills in the imperative form. In fact theimperative drills are introduced to elicit physical#motor activity on the part of the learners. Theuse of dialogs is delayed. Typical classroom activities include8

"ommand drills #ole plays on everyday situations $at the restaurant% at the movies &'

Slide presentations to provide a visual center for teacher(s narration% which is followedby commands or )uestions

#eading and writing can also be introduced to further consolidate grammar and

vocabulary and as follow ups

Criticism *sher doesn(t really give a detailed account of his distinction between abstractions and

non+abstraction. ,or e ample% as #ichards and #odgers $- 01 ' state% are tense%aspect and so forth abstractions% and if so% what sort of detailed cognitive map could beconstructed without them2

T3# deals with only the beginning stages of language learning

T3# syllabus and the utterance and the sentences within it are )uestionable as far astheir communicative relevance is concerned

Advantages 4hen used in association with other methods and techni)ues% T3# can yield

tremendous results. ,or many teachers T3# represents a useful set of techni)ues and is compatible with

other approaches to language teaching.

The focus on comprehension is another appealing feature of T3#.

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The method is compatible with new approaches to language learning as it stresses theimportance to meaning rather than form.

Learning highly benefits from T3#(s emphasis on stress reduction.

SuggestopediaThe origin of Suggestopedia

$uggestopedia is a language teaching method developed by the 9ulgarian psychologist! :eorgi2o3anov see picture on the right./ 2i"e ,ommunity 2anguage 2earning and the $ilent ;ay'ethod! $uggestopedia is an innovative method that promises great effective language learningresults. 2o3anov claimed that by using this method one can teach languages appro)imately threeto five times as *uic"ly as conventional methods.

The name of $uggestopedia is from the words < suggestion = and

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7. Concert session (active and passive): in the active session% the teacher reads withspecial intonation as selected music is played. 8ccasionally% the students read the te ttogether with the teacher% and listen only to the music as the teacher pauses in particularmoments. The passive session is done more calmly.

9. Elaboration: The students sing classical songs and play games while 5the teacher acts

more like a consultant

:. Production: The students spontaneously speak and interact in the target language without interruption or correction.

Criticism:

$uggestopedia has been criticised for a number of reasons8

;t is not a practical method as teachers face the problem of the availability of music andcomfortable chairs.

Lo!anov refers in a number of occasions to the importance of memori!ation% e cludingany reference to comprehension and creative problem solving. ;n fact language is notonly about the power of the mind to memori!e. ;t(s about understanding% interacting andproducing novel utterances in different unpredictable situations.

Advantages

In spite of all these disadvantages! some tenets of $uggestopedia have been accepted and adapted by teachers worldwide.

Through Suggetopedia we learn to trust the power of the mind. 4e also learn that deliberately induced states of rela ation can be valuable at times in

the classroom. 4e can also benefit from the use of music to get students sit back and rela .

These are some of the contributions of $uggestopedia that teachers may weigh and adapt todifferent situations.