Event

TPR Storytelling and Classical Total Physical Response (TPR) Techniques for Japanese Adults and Younger Learners

Sunday, July 24th, 2011, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Dominic Jones

This event is co-sponsored by Sendai JALT.

Speaker bio: Dominic Jones (M.Ed Applied Linguistics) is a tenured lecturer in the Department of Career Design at Sendai Seiyo Gakuin College. He has been teaching EFL in Japan since 1999 and has taught at all levels of education in private and state schools . His major research interests are using TPR(S) in language education; investigating the role of teacher intuition in language assessment; investigating the role of martial arts in education.

Abstract: In an attempt to solve the problem of why many Japanese people experience difficulties in learning English, I became interested in TPRS and Total Physical Response (TPR) techniques. At first I believed they were only useful for teaching simple language with younger learners. However, I now believe that they are very powerful techniques that can be used successfully with adult learners as well as younger learners. James Asher's TPR started in the 1960s and stressed comprehension of language before its production. New language was slowly added and constantly recycled. Students' comprehension was checked via their physical response to commands. e.g. Students stood up when the teachers commands them to stand up.

Influenced by Krashen's research into language acquisition, Blaine Ray developed TPR Storytelling in the 1990s from classical TPR. TPR Storytelling uses the language acquired by TPR to make stories. These stories are co-constructed by the students, using personalized questioning and answering (PQA) techniques. TPR Storytelling has evolved into TPRS which stands for "Teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling" influenced by current language acquisition theory and research into brain friendly language teaching techniques.

In this workshop I will introduce TPRS and classical Total Physical Response (TPR) techniques. I will then demonstrate how they were applied during a two semester English course for non-English major college students. Finally all participants will receive hands-on training in using TPRS and classical TPR techniques for language learners of all ages.

Suggested pre-reading:
Fluency Through TPR Storytelling 5th Edition by Blaine Ray and Contee Seely
Instructor's Notebook: How to apply TPR for Best results 4th Edition by Ramiro Garcia

Organization: ETJ Sendai (English Teachers in Japan) (ETJ Sendai)

Cost: ETJ Members: 500 yen
Non-members: 1000 yen

Venue: Sendai Shimin Kaikan, 2F, Conference Room 4 map

Location: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

Contact ETJ Sendai

Mike Huang, Co-coordinator for Sendai ETJ

Mobile phone: 080-3273-2206