Sandra Sowiska

Overview of English Language teaching approaches and methods

GPTE, UW

TASK 8: Find in the Internet a fragment of TPR lesson for children (10-15min). Watch the lesson
carefully and observe the following aspects: the innate bio-program described by Asher, brain
lateralization, stress as an affective filter. Describe and comment on your observation.

The movie: Nias' TPR Listening Class Video

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a method that should be used especially among the
youngest students. The main idea of this method is that when we are learning a foreign language,
the language is absorbed during so called ''the codebraking process'', what is very similar to the
learning process of the mother language. In addition, TPR method uses the natural movement of the
whole body according to the teacher's verbal commands, while engaging all the senses.
The classes were conducted in a group of preschool children. They were held in a friendly
and relaxed atmosphere, in which the teacher was a leader and the children were sitting together in a
circle. This TPR method takes into account three most important things, that were used in the film
relating to education. First of all, the innate bio-program, which assumes that listening always
develops earlier than speaking. Children can understand quite complicated sentences, although they
are not able to create them themselves this we could see during the TPR lesson. Children in their
young ages absorb and assimilate everything what is happening around them very easily.
Everything comes naturally, when young learners are ready for it.
Moreover, what is also very significant in this method is a brain lateralization. For effective
learning, it is necessary to use both parts of the brain the right one that is responsible of motor

functions of the body, while the left one is responsible for language and speech. This stimulation
increases learners' productivity. The teacher use a lot of gestures and repetitions, what influence that
childrens learning process is more efficient.
The third very important in effective learning is reducing to the minimum the level of stress.
As a little children everybody learns their mother languages naturally, in a pleasant atmosphere. It is
so important, because, when we get stressed our body and mind defend themselves to absorb the
knowledge. Therefore, in the relaxed atmosphere students feel psychologically more safe. During
the film, we could also observe that the teacher was very nice for children, he smiled a lot and
encouraged children to work and play with him.