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Natural Approach and Total Physical Response This is a five-part video series looking at
some of the major language teaching methods. The first video looked at Grammar Translation,
Direct Method, and Audiolingual Method.
This video will explore the Natural Approach and Total Physical Response, or TPR. These
are called "Just listen...and read" teaching methods by Lightbown and Spada.
The Natural Approach is an attempt to create a second language learning environment that
reflects the first language learning setting. The largest focus of this is on comprehensible
input which Krashen defined as i + 1 where "i" stands for "input" and "+1" represents
a level of language just a little bit more difficult than where the learner currently
is. For the most part, this means that teachers need to modify the instructions and other
language to make sure students can comprehend what is going on. Reading input for lower
levels should be childrens' books in the target language. Listening could be audio for those
books or other childrens' programs. As learners develop, the reading and listening inputs
should also be made more difficult.
This might be a good time to make sure we understand the difference between approach,
method and technique. Approach is the broad term that more or less represents a learning
and teaching belief. Methods are sets of procedures that represents a specific approach. Teaching
techniques are the literal actions and words of the teacher during class.
So, the Natural Approach actually has several methods related. One of them is the Total
Physical Response, or TPR, method. Learners listen to the instructor and perform actions
based upon what the teacher says. Actually, the teacher will perform the action while
saying the vocabulary or sentence. Then the student will be expected to do the action.
While this method focuses on comprehensible input matched with physical output, as the
learners develop, they become the tellers. Where this system starts slowly with beginners,
such as "Open the door," "sit down," "stand up," "close the door." It becomes more of
a storytelling process for intermediate levels, like "She stood up and raced to the door when
she heard the knock. When she opened the door, she was disappointed to find a salesman."
Can you see how a student could act out that sentence? Advanced TPR students then write
their own story and read it or say it while their classmates act it out.
While the Natural Approach probably is easiest for students with high IQs, it can also benefit
shy and slower students because they are not pushed to perform. TPR is great with learners
of all IQs because it combines multiple intelligences and various learning styles.
In conclusion, most instructors incorporate both the Natural Approach and TPR methods
into their classroom, but the research does not give much support for using only one of
these methods for the entire language learning process.