Korean Job Discussion Forums

[strangemind]

I teach English in Elementary schools in Taiwan using TPR as the primary method of instruction for grades 1 and 2. Despite great success and popularity with students it is still often recieved with suspicion by schools and Taiwanese teachers, who seem to prefer a more traditional approach. What are attitudes toward TPR in Korea?

[I_Am_Wrong]

TPR is integretated into the Public School system as part of the curriculum. Thus, every lesson has a 5 minute TPR warm-up.

[The Great Toad]

Not sure what you mean- what is TPR? Does it work? Must be something for little kids I guess.

[Ya-ta Boy]

TPR is Total Physical Response. It is a terrific method for teaching real beginners. I worked in a school in Taiwan where it was the only method that was used, which I thought was going overboard. But it can be a lot of fun for the students.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[I_Am_Wrong]

well....I think using TPR only is pretty overboard. It does work well for getting students thinking in English, warming them up with some action, and learning expressions like "jump, walk backwards, touch your back etc."

[TECO]

good with kids.

low level adults also.

but a whole lesson of TPR?

[Ya-ta Boy]

Yeah, it was a strain doing 90 minutes of it every day with each group.

The part that was most useful was how we used pictures. For example, we had a couple of hundred laminated pictures:a hospital, library, drug store, post office, chairs, flowers, boats, trains, etc.

Teacher: Sam, stand up. Walk to your living room. (picture on the floor)
What are you doing, Sam?
Sam: I'm walking to my livingroom.
T: Are you in the kitchen now?
S: No, I'm in my living room.
T: There is an envelope on the coffee table. Pick it up. Did you pick it up?
S: Yes, I picked it up.
T: What is in the envelope?
S: There is a letter in the envelope.
T: Did you write the letter?...Take it to the post office.

[strangemind]

If you want more info about TPR a great site is:
www.tpr-world.com

In response to TECO, a whole lesson of TPR is no problem.
The big advantage of active lesson plans is you can very clearly divide the skills of listening and speaking. No speaking of new vocabulary is done until students can demonstrate complete mastery of it in the Listening stage. This is very helpful for reducing axiety in young learners who are often pressured into speaking too soon.
For more info on Silent Period see: http://homepage3.nifty.com/park/silent.htm

Classes in Taiwanese elem. schools are only 40 min, so lessons would usually start with everyone standing up and doing a couple of action songs or chants with the teacher. Then, speaking of the previous unit where students give commands to the nominated "Do IT" kid for their group:
Touch the Blackboard
Touch 3 boys
Go to the Blackboard and draw a flower
Come here
Give me a pencil
etc...
Then calm things down with a bit of book work doing some phonics chants and conversation reading.
Then have a portion of the lesson that is "Listening Only" in which you model new vocabulary and have the class do the actions along with you. Play the new action song for the unit that uses the same vocabulary and they just have to listen and do the actions. Again, no pressure.
After that, play some "listening only" games which reward students who respond the quickest with the correct physical response.
The bell rings and you're done!

Having taught elementary classes of 33-40 kids for the past 7 years using several different methods and books, I think nothing beats TPR based lessons with grade 1 and 2. Lots of fun for the kids, no co-teacher needed to translate anything and retention of language is amazing.