How Do We Use TPR in Online Mandarin Teaching?

What is TPR?

Total Physical Response, or TPR, was created by American psychologist Dr. James Asher and is based on the experience of how humans learn their first language. The result is that we?acquire?our mother tongue, rather than learn it as we do additional languages.

The idea of TPR in a nutshell is to create a neural link between speech and action.

Why NeuLingo attaches great importance to TPR in online teaching?

We are delivering language in a way that young minds can best understand.

Body movement and speech are innately linked in our brains. In a virtual classroom where teachers are confined to a small square, using motion with new words can help visual, audio, and kinetic learners even without the resources and space of a traditional classroom.

We are keeping young learners attentive and focused.

Kids naturally have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time, especially in a lesson that’s screen to screen. By using lessons that incorporate dancing, acting, or gesturing, students are more likely to be entertained and stay happily on task while learning.

TPR examples in NeuLingo classroom

By conducting TPR games at online classes, we create a fun and positive atmosphere for kids to learn, and help them boost their listening, speaking and pronunciation skills.

1. Vocabulary work

Though in an online classroom we have a limited space to move around, we still use TPR for teaching new vocabulary as it's more memorable, effective, and fun for kids, especially when we introduce and practise parts of the body, action verbs and sports.

After we have introduced the words, we ask your students to follow your instructions, for example, “Where is your eyeglasses?"(你的眼镜在哪儿）"Show me your hands"(看看你的手）etc.

2. Confusion

This game is similar to the previous one. However, here our teacher makes deliberate confusions. For example, the teacher says ‘eye’ but points to the fingers. Students’ task is to indicate to the real thing the instructor has said.?The same game will work with action verbs and even fruit and vegetables.

3. Simulation

When it comes to animal-related topics, our teachers would get it as real as possible by wearing masks, imitating animal sounds or performing, and then let students imitate to deepen their memory.

What are you still waiting for, register our FREE IMMERSIVE TRIAL CLASS and get your kids engaged in all the fun games from today!

Let us know what's your favorite TPR game in comment area!