The Magic Key In All This Is That Students Are Responding To Never Before Heard Sentences Without The Need To Repeat It Over A

How to Apply TPR Storytelling for the Best Results

With Todd McKay

August 5, 2014 – ELL Symposium, Chester County Intermediate Unit

TPR and TPR Storytelling – Overview and Rationale

Total Physical Response (TPR) has been around for decades. Popularized by the originator Dr. James Asher, it has been recognized as the most thoroughly researched teaching approach in language learning. Since 1965, Asher has conducted numerous research projects and training that demonstrate the effectiveness of TPR. Through the training and extensive research, Asher discovered TPR offers students and teachers the following benefits:

1. Fast language acquisition without the need for translation. 2. Low stress. The teacher who uses TPR can create a fun environment where risk-taking and playfulness in the language are encouraged. 3. Students of all ages (including adults!) retain what has been taught through TPR.

What other approaches can claim all that?

By modeling directions such as “Run to the chalkboard and write your name.” the instructor aids students in making immediate sense of the new language. After performing the action himself, the teacher calls upon students to then demonstrate their comprehension of the same commands. Asher and his many contributors have found that it does not matter whether learners act themselves or observe others respond to these commands initially but it is critical that each person later demonstrate comprehension by physically acting in response to the directions in the target language. This leads to greater retention.

Students when asked to demonstrate their comprehension skill using TPR (non-verbal) outperform on all measures those people who attempt to comprehend then pronounce the utterance in the target language. In other words, repeat-after-me efforts are simply unnecessary.

TPR follows the model of how a child acquires her first language. New language items are acquired by communicating a message such as, “Please put on your coat. It’s cold outside.” and “Come over here and show me your picture.” which results in a physical response.

With TPR, just as second language acquisition research tells us, listening skills are far more advanced than speaking skills. Listening maps a kind of “blueprint” for speaking, where once enough language has been internalized, speaking occurs naturally. This is achieved with TPR by having students eventually give commands to classmates and the teacher in a kind of “role- reversal”.

Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] TPR works because... 1) It is “brain-compatible” meaning we are wired to acquire language this way. (hours of listening, decoding through body movements, delayed speech, no formal grammar explanations) 2) It is highly believable since students feel themselves reacting to what is being communicated in the new language. 3) It is low stress and playful.

All this can occur where students are reacting physically to never before heard sentences that have only been spoken by the instructor once without the need to repeat over and over again.

Here’s what to say to students when beginning TPR: You are going to pick up some of this new language in a fun and effective way that will help you to remember it. We are going to play a kind of Simon Says game where I will say some commands and show you what it means by acting it out for you. Then we’ll later see if you remember the directions and can act them out yourself. Please do not repeat after me -- just watch. Let’s get started!

...or better yet a suggestion from Ramiro Garcia, a pioneer in TPR: Rattle off for students at lightening speed the sequence of commands you want them to eventually understand by the end of the lesson. When they look at you with mouths agape, smile and say, “I have a promise for you: by lesson’s end you’ll know exactly what I just said.” They may say, “Yeah, sure. No way!” Of course, after the TPR lesson, be sure to once again rapidly say the sequence of directions and if all goes well, your students will think you’re a miracle worker!

Here are some easy steps to doing TPR:

1. Say and model the first direction on your card. Students remain silent and do not repeat the words. For example, say “Stand up” then stand up from your teacher’s chair as you motion for at least two students to stand from their seats. Next, repeat the direction and have other students respond by standing. As they stand up, you can also stand again to confirm their understanding especially if there is hesitation. 2. Say the next command on your card and proceed as described above in step 1. 3. Once you have introduced three directions by following steps 1 and 2, begin to call on individual students to perform those same instructions as you say them without any modeling. 4. Now that students are “stabilized” (easily understanding those directions), try saying the novel commands you’ve written on the back of the card. Do not model them for the students. If they can perform those novel (never before heard) instructions, they are well on their way to fluency.

How To Design A TPR Lesson

1) List the vocabulary (and structures) you wish to teach. TPR works best with concrete items such as, “Run to the door.” and “Throw the french fries to John.” This list can come from chapter content, a required test, a reading, etc. 2) Chunk those items into logical groups of 3 (3 action verbs, 3 nouns, etc.) 3) Script the commands on index cards or in a notebook for easy use. 4) Write out the novel commands (never before heard recombinations). 5) Create frequent playful and even silly commands to keep students’ interest high. Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 2 My TPR Lesson

New items:

Teaching Commands (3 at a time):

Novel Commands (to check comprehension using recombined items):

Let’s try some sequences:

1. Say two or three commands (that you had already taught as described above) in a sequence such as, “Stand up and point to the door. Go to the table and sit in the chair.” Say this as quickly as students can perform the actions. It helps to write these on a separate card. 2. Write a sentence or more from that TPR sequence on the chalkboard to see if a student can read it and show comprehension by performing it. 3. Consider having a student read a sentence or two from the card and see if a classmate can perform it.

Expand your lesson with... Sequences:

Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 3 Expand again using a TPR Narrative. This is the essence of TPR Storytelling (TPRS)!

1. Read the first sequenced direction you wrote on the index card and call on a volunteer to act it out. 2. As he is performing it, you orally narrate what is happening. For instance, you read “Go to the chalkboard and draw what Mary reads, John.” As he silently follows your direction, you say out loud “John is going to the chalkboard. Now he is drawing a cute puppy!” 3. Now you can ask students questions like, “Is John reading?” or “Who goes to the chalkboard, John or Mary?” and “What is he drawing?” 4. Another alternative is for you to write what is happening instead of orally narrating it. This allows students to see the action in print as in a short story.

Narrative:

Test: Consider giving a more formal assessment to students every few days such as a checkmark or points for performing a novel command that they hear. Another idea is to use stick figure drawings that students can match with a command sentence or with what they hear the teacher say. For excellent ideas along these lines, read Ramiro Garcia’s “TPR Instructor’s Notebook” available through Sky Oaks Productions at www.tpr-world.com

Remember: Review, Introduce, Recombine, Expand

In short time, students will go from responding to “Stand up and point to the chair.” to “If Mr. McKay stands up, points to the chair and raises his hands, everyone stand on top of your chair.” This is called “snowballing” – an increase in the complexity of the sentences and in the speed with which they are spoken by you, the teacher.

To save you precious time, which as teachers we know is priceless, there are ready–made materials that will avoid you reinventing the wheel. Try my TPR Index Cards which have about 15 contact hours worth of TPR already scripted out for you. No need to fumble through a book. No need to create your own scripted lessons. No need to spend a fortune. These inexpensive cards will give your students an excellent start in the new language and ready them for TPR Storytelling. Had they been available when I first starting teaching, I would have saved myself loads of time and stress. Available from Sky Oaks Productions at www.tpr-world.com Tips on your TPR lesson 1. Take your time – introduce no more than three new commands at a time. When average performing students are easily responding to novel commands, it’s time to move on. Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 4 2. Beware of the trap of overmodeling as the teacher. You need only demonstrate a command a couple times and after that rely on students to model for those who are stuck. 3. Provide variety galore! As soon as students are showing signs of fatigue or boredom (Asher refers to this as adaptation), change pace with a game, role-reversal, students writing a command sequence, etc. 4. Save your voice by recording command sequences and narratives. When you are tiring as the teacher, reverse roles by having students give commands. Let the kids have fun giving creative, crazy commands! Consider a simple rule like, “Anything safe and not offensive goes – as long as it’s in Spanish!” 5. Provide students a list of the language items they’ve acquired. This can serve for study purposes and as a resource when doing written work. Plus it can amaze students to see how far they’ve come in a few short weeks!

Testing in TPR and TPR Storytelling

By doing TPR you are assessing. TPR provides ongoing automatic feedback since students show comprehension immediately by responding during the TPR activity.

A sample of ways to test:

1. Matching pictures with statements that can be read by students and/or spoken by the teacher.

2. Students match actions with what they read. Students read a command and then observe an action (or series of actions). If the action matches the command they read, students check YES on an answer sheet. 3. Fill-in-the-blank with a logical word missing in the sentence. Word bank may be provided.

Todd’s Participation Chart (available with TPRS tests in Testing Packet from Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.) listening: Picture Matching (available in Testing Packet from Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.) speaking: Todd’s Oral Rubric (available in Testing Packet from Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.) See & Speak: As the teacher or a classmate performs an action, the student tells what is happening in the target language. reading: Matching single item English->Spanish and complete a sentence fragment (available in Testing Packet from Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.) Eyewitness: Students observe an action and then read a statement in the target language that they determine either agrees or disagrees with what they saw. writing: Todd’s Story Rubric (available as TPRS tests in Testing Packet from Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.) Picture task: Using a visual, students write a list, set of directions, description, story, dialogue, etc. in the target language.

Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 5 After reading the following versions of the story titled “Insensitive Sarah”, circle the one (A,B,C,etc.) best match to the picture. Then write a short statement for each of the other two telling why you didn’t choose them.

A. There is a dog that belongs to the Smith family. He is very, very hungry. Sarah, the youngest daughter, does not feed the dog. Sarah and her mom leave the kitchen. They are going to the bedroom to clean up at about two o’clock. They come into the kitchen at 2:30. The dog is preparing a cheese sandwich at the stove!

B. A hungry dog that belongs to the Smith family is in the kitchen. He is very hungry. Sarah, the oldest daughter, feeds the dog some meat. Sarah and her mom leave the kitchen. They are going to the dining room to clean up at about two o’clock. They come into the kitchen at 5:30. The dog is preparing a cheese sandwich at the stove!

C. The Smith family’s dog is in the kitchen. He is very, very hungry. Stephanie, is the youngest daughter. She does not feed the dog. Sarah and her mom leave the kitchen. They are going to the bathroom to clean up at about two o’clock. They come into the kitchen at 2:30. The dog is preparing some meat at the stove!

Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 6

The Research

Asher, J. J. 1972. Children’s first language as a model for second language learning. The Modern Language Journal 56(3), 133-139. (b)

------Kusudo, J., and de la Torre, R. 1974. Learning a second language through commands: The second field test. The Modern Language Journal 58(1-2): 24-32.

------2000. Learning Another Language Through Actions 6th Ed.. Los Gatos, CA. Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.

Beretta, A., and A. Davis. 1985. Evaluation of the Bangalore project. ELT Journal 39: 121-127.

Canale, M., and M. Swain. 1980. Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics 1:1-47.

Elley, W., and F. Mangubhai. 1983. The impact of reading on second language learning. Reading Research Quarterly 19: 53-67.

Ellis R. 1993. The structural syllabus and second language acquisition. TESOL Quar terly 27: 91-113.

Gass, S. and L. Selinker. 2001. Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. 2nd Ed. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Glisan, Eileen W. 1986. Total Physical Response: A technique for teaching all skills in Spanish. Foreign Language Annals 19(5): 419-427.

Krashen, S. D., and T. D. Terrell. 1983. The Natural Approach. Oxford: Pergamon/Ale-many.

Lightbown, P.,and N. Spada. 1990. Focus-on-form and corrective feedback in communicative language teaching: Effects on second language learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 4: 429-448.

Lightbown, P. 2001. Anniversary article: classroom SLA research and second language teaching. Applied Linguistics 21:431-62.

Long, Michael. 1983. Does Second Language Instruction Make a Difference? A Review of the Research. TESOL Quarterly 17: 359-82.

McKay, T. 2000. TPR Storytelling: Teacher’s Guidebook. Los Gatos: Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.

Swaffar, J.K., and M. S. Woodruff. 1978. Language for comprehension: Focus on reading. A report on the University of Texas German Program. The Modern Language Journal 62: 27-32.

Terrell, Tracy. 1991. The role of grammar instruction in a communicative approach. Modern Language Journal 75:52-63.

VanPatten, B., and T. Cadierno. 1993. Explicit instruction and input processing. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 15: 225-43.

Winitz, H. 1996. Grammaticality Judgment as a Function of Explicit and Implicit Instruction in Spanish. Modern Language Journal 80:32-46.

Wolfe, D., and G. Jones. 1982. Integrating Total Physical Response Strategy in a Level I Spanish Class. Foreign Language Annals 14 (4): 273-280.

Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 7 Notes

Todd McKay Workshops for ELL Symposium-CCIU, PA. Contact Todd at [email protected] 8