Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling tprs Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling

Steps of TPRS: Establish meaning. “Ask” the story while students act it out. Have students read the story. Review the story by re-telling it, doing various activities, etc.

Some principles of TPRS…

1. Language is acquired by receiving comprehensible input People acquire language by listening, not speaking “Speaking is the result of acquisition, not the cause.” “A flood of input must precede a trickle of output.” –Grant Boulanger Avoidance of forced output

2. A focus on high-frequency words The “Sweet Sixteen” verbs: be have do say go can get make 9. know 10. think 11. take 12. see 13. come 14. want 15. use 16. find

3. Language should occur in a meaningful context Hearing words and grammatical structures used in context helps students to know how those words and structures are actually used Language is extremely complex People remember things better when in context In grammar “pop-up” lessons, the teacher points out a grammatical structure to help students understand the meaning

4. Input should be compelling “What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.” –Alfred Mercier TPRS focuses on the students. Students contribute to stories and the stories are about them. Compelling input helps students remember more and increases their motivation to learn

Is it effective? A lot of research studies support it My students’ communication skills CASAS scores

Recommended Resources Explanation: http://www.brycehedstrom.com/wp- content/uploads/2011/09/THE_BASICS_OF_TPRS2.pdf TPRS videos: Using TPRS to teach EFL in Honduras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYqdAxvSqGA&i ndex=4&list=PL8JqpkCp61R5fhrNLCi5OZfZVLFGm5r DR Using TPRS and CI to teach Mandarin: http://tprsforchinese.blogspot.com/2015/11/chine se-teachers-on-video-how-does.html

Recommended Resources TeaWithBVP.com Book: From Input to Output by Bill VanPatten

A very simple story: John has tea. Sue looks at John. Sue wants tea. John gives his tea to Sue.

Demonstration Words students already know: go/goes, see/sees, say/says, have/has, like/likes, big, small