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Q1: What are the principles of TPR?

Natural method The principle of TPR may be seen in the interaction of adults and infants in intimate caretaking transactions. Observations of infants show that most babies internalize, through body movements, an intricate linguistic map of how the language works before the infant is ready to talk. Language acquisition is clearly a linear progression with comprehension first, then production (Asher, 2001)

Brain lateralization The left brain does not want the student to take risks because the person may make a mistake. The right brain, for comparison, encourages playfulness without fear. The right brain tells the student: “Take a chance!. You won’t go to jail! Enjoy it! Just start doodling in this new language.”

Q2: What is the teacher’s role?

The teacher provides raw material for the “cognitive map” that the learners will construct in their own minds. The teacher refrains from too much correction in the early stages and as the learners’ speech becomes “fine-tuned”, more teacher intervention is expected.

Q3: What are the advantages disadvantages of TPR?

Advantages It is fun and easy It is good for kinesthetic learners who need to be active in the class. It does not require a great deal of preparation on the part of the teacher. It is a good tool for learning vocabulary. Class size does not need to be a problem. There is no age barrier. TPR is aptitude-free, working well with a mixed ability class.

Disadvantages It is not a very creative method. Students are not given the opportunity to express their own views and thoughts in a creative way. It is easy to overuse TPR. It is limited, since everything cannot be explained with this method. It must be combined with other approaches.