TPRS & A Comprehensible Classroom

Overview

What is Total Physical Response Storytelling and Comprehensible Input? Why are so many foreign language teachers pushing for this new concept in FL education? What does TPRS/CI mean to me?

Education is in a constant rotation. The good and the bad, what works and what doesn’t, out with the old, in with the new and sometimes we even revisit the old with new ideas and concepts. TPRS and Comprehensible Input are a new concept in foreign language education that focus on teaching a second language using the same skills from our earliest forms of language acquisition. Just like a baby learns to speak by absorbing all that is around them, a TPRS instructor hopes to fully emerge students into a language and culture so that comprehension comes naturally. This participating in this mini-course will leave with:

1. Understanding the concept of what TPRS and Comprehensible Input are.

2. What are some basic ideas behind TPRS and CI? What are some misconceptions?

3. How to implement activities into your already developed curriculum.

These are all questions that I have been struggling with for two years now and I hope that as you proceed with this mini-course these answers will be answered for you just as they were for me and you too will see the huge gains in engagement and achievement that your students can obtain with implementing just a little of TPRS/CI into your curriculum or revamping the entire way you look at foreign language education.

Needs Assessment

Instructional Problem

Traditional methods of teaching FL are outdated. Students are more apt to recite memorized material than be able to use and comprehend language through proper language aquisition.

Learning Objective

Within this mini course, educators will develop an understanding of what TPRS and CI are and how to implement them into their current practices and curriculum.

Learner Analysis

The learners within this course will be foreign language teachers who see the value in full language aquisition and comprehension. These educator are able to see that traditional methods are lacking and are eager to learn new innovative ways to bring engagement and comprehension into their classrooms.

Context of Learning

Learners will participate in a series of units that introduce them to TPRS and CI and will give them basic TPRSCI activities that can be implemented into their current practices.

Unit 1- What is TPRS & CI?

unit 2 - Why is TPRS & CI the way to go?

Unit 3 - How can I start using TPRS & CI?

Unit 4 - How can I blend TPRS & CI into what I'm already doing?

Course Goals

The main goal of this mini course is to introduce educators to an innovative style of teaching aimed at engaging students and create a more meaningful comprehensible language aquisition. The process of implementing TPRS and CI is not an easy one but as educators is is important to remember

"It is more about your students success versus your own." ~ Carrol Gaab

Performance Based Objectives

1. Understanding the concept of what TPRS and Comprehensible Input are.

2. What are some basic ideas behind TPRS and CI? What are some misconceptions?

3. Sample activities

4. How to implement activities into your already developed curriculum.

Course Units

Unit 1 -

Read and View - Watch the following videos and read the required sections of text for this unit and then complete the activities listed below.

Watch

The Easiest Way to Learn a Language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57mE2XZoDL0&index=2&list=PLpxoZoUeyrPvYsMC82P1f9IuEpz5VfSMH

Language Acquisition with TPRS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl9eBJkRkeQ&list=PLpxoZoUeyrPvYsMC82P1f9IuEpz5VfSMH&index=3

Read

Chapters 1-3 of Fluency Through TPR Storytelling

Participate

1. Respond to the question posted in our discussion forum in regards to the material presented. Read and respond to other posts contributed by fellow classmates.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tprsci-mini-course

2. Post an entry in your course blog about your personal experiences with TPRS/CI, what you took from the videos and readings from unit 1, and any questions or concerns that you may have about TPRS/CI.

• Create an ongoing goggle document to be viewed as your blog for this course. Within each unit, you will submit a personal response to the material presented. Entries will be read and commented on as you proceed with the course.

Unit 2

Read and View - Watch the following videos and read the required sections of text for this unit and then complete the activities listed below.

Read

Chapters 4-6, 15 of Fluency Through TPR Storytelling

Watch

TPR Storytelling Strategies and Comprehensible Input

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlJHuc1S48k&t=80s

TPRS Movietalks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSRSSMTTgFo&t=9s

Marcos - (Carol Gaab teaching beginning English students through TPRS. She begins with personalized questions and uses them to help her create a story with students)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy0d25G5NT8

Unit 3 -

Unit 4 -