SKKN TPR application in english teaching method to promote students interest and ocabularies and sentence patterns memory for grade 4

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Reasons for choosing the topic
Learning a foreign language means getting insight of another language,
which is considered as the expression of innermost thought, emotions and
desire, especially the daily communication and inquiring progress of verbal
language since childhood. In the other words, it is an attainment of another
language excepted for mother tongue. Gaining the knowledge of a foreign
language, particularly English, requires a high sense of preseverance, passion
and interest. In contrast, people may face to boredom, humdrum feeling and the
quick surrender from personal pursuit and new approach of language. This is the
exactly true when applying for primary-school students. Therefore, teaching
method creating the huge affection and excitement with a foreign language,
peculiarly native language becomes my constant concern.
One of the children - inspiring methods related to effective English
communication is TPR. TPR is stood for total physical response. It was invented
by professor James Asher in the 1960s. This method is then widely adopted in
schools and language centers all around the world. It is based on combined
principles of audible actions, observation and physical movement. The repetition
reinforces children’s remembrance in terms of vocabulary and imitation of
application. The coordination between language and realistic practice stimulates
cerebral hemisphere controlling movement. This promotes learner’s language
acquisition and inhibition reduction. Language communication process through
sound, image and physical response creates a stronger link between the cerebral
and language. This leads to the increase of long memory.
Thanks to this provement, in my opinion, TPR is one of the significant
method enhancing English teaching quality. This improves students’ learning
excitement and better language memory. With the passion and the love for
teaching English, I have studied and developed the research: “TPR application
in teaching vocabularies and sentence patterns to promote 4th students’

interest ”
1.2. The purpose of research
- The research applies the methods of teaching vocabulary and model
sentence to involve students in learning English well.
- Promote students’ excitement, passion and concentration during teaching
time.
- Motivate proactive creation of students.
- Improve and develop listening and comprehensive skill.
1.3. The object of research


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In this project I applied alternately to the lessons and has performed for
Students in grades 4 of primary school.
1.4. The methods of research
In order to implement this initiative I have chosen some of the following
methods:
- Read documents the research- related issues.
- Using research methods, synthesis problem.
- Survey methods for comments.
- The method of conversation.
- The method of assessment.

2. CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical basis:
Primary education (from the age of 6 to 12) is the first education level
which students can approach officially for learning. English is the second
language. Children always receive interestingly learning new things. English
love is the fundamental platform to acquire this language. For this purpose, it is

essential that we should deeply understand spychological personality of children
- Firstly: Children directly acquire language through listening
- Secondly: Learning through integration between learning and playing.
Children never focus on discovering new words. They just consider as a
accidental approach
- Thirdly: Children are fond of language learning through verbal
communication, imitation and creation of funny sound.
- Fourthly: Children reach english without any purpose. They do not
recognize their language learning process. Providing a nature reason for
this is vital.
- Fifthly: Children may gain easily their interest in something; however,
they can lose it immediate for the repeated activities.
- Sixthly: Children can learn from direct experiences and activities.
Based on the background about mental characteristics of children, englishlearning conduction for children with the diversified methods and ways is on the
essential demand.
2.2. Current status of the problem
In the early years of English teaching, I was obviously embarrassed when I
recognized that my students were not motivated by the highly enthusiastic
feelings during English lessons. This was an underlying result of the identical
activities during studying time named Reading-Translating-Noting. In addition,


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the number of students was extremely large in each class with the huge gap of
performance levels. This leaded to difficulties in knowledge instruction and
teaching-method application. Besides, there were a number of students being
painfully shy, passive or inflexible in vocabulary learning. Therefore, the chance
of memorizing new words immediately after class was impossible for my
students.

During the period of time from 2019-2020, I conducted for my own a
survey about the memory capacity of words and sentence structures through
peculiar tests with different ways in 4A3 class (with 40 students) and 4A6 class
(with 44 students). The table bellowed illustrated the consequence of application
Class/
Number
of
students

Studying excitement (%)

Performance result (%)

Being
excited

OK

Being
unexcited

Being well
completed

Being
completed

Being
incompleted

4A3/40

8
20%

23
57,5%

9
22,5%

10
25%

25
62.5%

5
12,5%

4A6/44

8
18,2%

26
59,1%

10
22,7%

10
22,7%

28
63,7%

6
13,6%

It is evident that the percentage of students who catched the interest learning
was significantly low, at 20% (in 4A3) and 18.2% (in 4A6) respectively. In
contrast, the figures for less interest mood or lacking of excitement accounted
for the remarkable proportion. Therefore, performace outcome experienced a big
disparity. In particular, only 25% of students completed with the good
performance, while the number of students with completion results consisted of
62.5% (4A3 class) and 63,7% (4A6 class).
There are a variety of reasons leading to this situation; however, the main
one for limitation of communication is limited capacity of word and sentence
structure memory.
2.3. Solution
2.3.1. TPR application as regular activity to stablize and reorganize class
situation.
- Purpose:
+ Ensure perfect organized class and help students get acquaintance with
daily class communication.


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+ Accelerate learners with reflection
- Preparation: without any teaching equipments.
From the first lecture of new schoolyear, I proactively instructed students
imperatives with appropriate actions which were used regularly in class. For
example:
+ Stand up, please.
+ Sit down, please.
+ Open your book, please.
+ Close your book, please.
+ Raise your hand.
+ Clap your hand.
+ Be quiet, please.

Teacher with imperative instruction
“ Raise your hand”.

Teacher with imperative instruction
“ Stand up, please”.

* Notes: These imperatives can be applied continuously in class to catch
attention of students or require relative lesson tasks.
2.3.2. TPR application through English songs
2.3.2.1. The applied warm-up songs
- Purpose:
+ Create the animated atmosphere and high concentration in class
+ Promote excitement for student from the beginning of lesson
- Preparation: Teacher prepares in advace some appropriate songs and
suitable actions for the beginning time.
During the teaching period of time, I used some of the warm-up songs to
motivate students’ interest such as:

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+ Head, shoulders, knees and toes.

Teacher and students sing “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”.
+ Follow me.
1. Follow me, follow me
Hands up, hands up
Follow me, follow me
Hands down, hands down
Follow me, follow me
Wave your arms
Follow me, follow me
Bend your knees
2. Follow me, follow me
Turn right, turn right
Follow me, follow me
Turn left, turn left
Follow me, follow me


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Jump up and down
Follow me, follow me
Turn around.
* Notes: Teachers can apply different song related to the previous lesson or
the lesson before yesterday in purpose of enhancing learned knowledge or

introducing the next topic.
2.3.2.2. The applied songs during teaching time.
- Purpose: Motivate students remember new vocabulary and sentence
structure through songs
- Preparation: Teacher prepared in advance some suitable actions applied
for these songs
For example:
+ Song in part 6 Let’s sing of Unit 5: Can you swim?
( Studens’book 4 – Viet Nam education publishing house)
+ Song in part 5 Let’s sing of Unit 6: Where’s your school?
( Studens’book 4 – Viet Nam education publishing house)
+ Song in part 5 Let’s sing of Unit 9: What are they doing?
( Studens’book 4 – Viet Nam education publishing house)
What are they doing?
What are they doing?
What are they doing?
They are painting a picture.
That’s what they’re doing.


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What are they doing?
What are they doing?
They are making a puppet.
That’s what they’re doing.

In addition, students have the right access to integration between phrasal
verbs and actions earlier.( paint a picture, make a puppet)
2.3.2.3. The applied songs at the end of teaching time.

- Purpose: Stimulate word enhancement of students and learning atmosphere
change
Teachers can apply some goodbye songs before the end of the lesson:
+ The goodbye songs for children. ( Dream English )

This is an image in song with precise actions
+ Fun Action - What can you do? ( Dream English )


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( can be applied in Unit 5: Can you swim?)

This is an image in song with precise actions.
* Notes: Teachers select songs in the consideration of harmony between the
contents of songs and learned topics. It is not on the requirement of elaborate
preparation; however, the motivated active atmosphere is on the high demand of
priority.
2.3.2.4. The applied songs are to change long state of actions.
- Purpose: Create the animated atmosphere and learning atmosphere
change. For example:
Teacher: “Now class! Follow me.
Clap your hands
Clap your hands
Slap your legs
Slap your legs
Stamp your feet
Stamp your feet
Snap your fingers
Snap your fingers

Nod your head
Nod your head
OK. You are doing very well. Now let’s sing a song:
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know and you really want to show.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.”
- Do the same with other actions.
2.3.3. TPR application for introduction and enhancement during
vocabulary and sentence structure teaching.


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- Purpose: Introduce new words and sentence structures, parallel to
vocabulary examination; help students remember and support to apply in
communication
2.3.3.1. TPR application for introduction new words and structure.
Here is a highlighted example about application TPR into word and
structure introduction. In Unit 5 – “Can you swim?”, there are some new
vocabularies and sentence patterns relating to content of activities. Instead of
following the old boring method as Reading-Translating-Noting, I decided to
implement combination of words with relevant particular actions for teaching
method. Instruct student to read words and sentence structure connecting with
illustrate actions (body language). Example:

“Swim – I can swim. ”

“Play table tennis.
I can play table tennis.”

“ Skip – I can skip.”

“Play the piano.
I can play the piano.”

2.2.3.2. TPR application for knowledge reinforcement.
I integrate physical games with body language into lesson activities. There
are some common activities games used during my TPR application:
+ Guess the actions (Guess words through illustrating actions). I
demonstrate meaning of several couples of antonyms in Unit 4 – “What does he
look like?” through nonverbal communication. Students are on the demand of
observing, comprehending and responding correlated words after my illustration
(tall – short, old – young, slim – big). When teaching students the way to
approach these adjectives, I applied TPR method. For particular, I put my hands


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up over my head with “ tall” word; and I put my hands down with “ short” word.
Therefore, my students can guess the exact words. I also applied this for another
words.

tall

short

slim

big

old

young

+ Action imitation (Listen and imitate). The outstanding example is in Unit
5 – “Can you swims?”. Before this activity, students have a chance to access
knowledge about to-do capability through vocabulary and sentence structure
with “Can”. Their responsibilities are to react my sentence in response of their
gesture and body movement. These actions are totally guided and instructed
during the previous learning time. For instance, when I say that “I can swim/ I
can sing/ I can play badminton/ I can play football”, students immediately apply
their nonverbal signals to describe meaning of that mentioned sentence.
+ Simon says: The coaching gamer who is designated Simon would tell
players what they must do. However, players just follow and obey the command
that begin with “Simon says”. Anyone who ignores regulation can be out of
game. For elementary-school students, the activity of integration between
commands and actions helps them clearly observe and easily imitate without
remembering rules of game. Thanks to this activity, students broaden their
opportunities to nourish their concentration, memory skill, self-controll ability
and body and cerebral flexibility.
Here is an application for this game:
Unit 9: What are they doing?
Simon says, read a text.
Simon says, listen to music.
Linda says, draw a picture.
Simon says, write a dictation.
Peter says, play badminton.
* Notes: Teachers can create and invent the variety of game for
implementation.

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Psychological characteristics of childrens at the stage of primary school
represent through language-learning passion through verbal communication,
noise and sound imitation and creation. It is extremely easy to grab their
excitement on something. However, they rapidly express their immediately
boring emotion with repetitive activities. The responsibilities of teachers are to
spread and maintain the first interest feeling, especially turn it into positive
emotion of English learning. Therefore, I implemented TPR method with an aim
of improving and stimulating English application.
2.4. The efficiency of the research
Based on the practical teaching and implementing “TPR application in
teaching vocabularies and sentence patterns to promote 4th students’ interest ”
in the period of time from 2019-2020, the report bellowed is the main results
considered:
2.4.1. For the students:
* Firstly: Create a strong impression, provoke an emotional connection
with learnt vocabulary and approach students to desire and focus on lecture.
* Secondly: Combination of language learning and realistic activities builds
motivation in the best vocab-learning method of students and reduces stress.
* Thirdly: Develop listening and comprehensive skill of students. Students
can get immediate insight of new words in class
* Fourthly: Students learn proactively, create and apply words into
sentences.
Thanks to English-learning adoration, my students take their big steps on
writing short essays following different topics named Me and my friends, Me
and my school, Me and my family…
Here is the final performance result of this year:

Class/
Number
of
students

Studying excitement(%)

Performance results(%)

Being
Excited

Ok

Being
Unexcited

Being well
completed

Complete

Being
incompleted

4A3/40

27
67,5%

13
32,5%

0
0%

21
52,5%

19
47.5%

0
0%

4A6/44

28
63,6%

16
36,4%

0
0%

24
54,5%

20
45,5%

0
0%

2.4.2. For other subjects:


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* Literature: The diversity of English vocabulary plays integral part of
enhancing students’ plentiful background of Vietnamese language.
* Music: Vocab-teaching method linked to activities which is integrated
with English song not only increases eventful atmosphere not also generates
music love of students.
* Art: Topics learnt through English writing nurture students’ inspiration in
possibility of inventing drawings based topics of art subjects. For example:

2.4.3. For Colleague in English department:
I conducted sharing for English teachers in my local school in purpose of
synchronizing TPR application in the various grades from first grade to fifth
grade. As a result, all of the teachers gained a positive feedback and
consequence from students
2.4.4. For local school:
My research for TPR application was introduced in academic seminars for
teachers in school. They, therefore, continuously build up happily delighted
atmosphere during learning time. This method really stimulates imagination,
curiosity and inquisitiveness of students. As a consequence, students’
performances are always outstanding and homogeneous in all of subjects.

3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1. Conclusion
3.1.1. The result
The responsibility of estabishment students’ happiness and learning spirit is
a vitally important element to teachers, especially for elementary-school
teachers. “Everyday to school is a happy day” becomes a meaningful quote as a
big consideration for each teacher themselve to approach. We should develop the
best potential ability and intellegence to build up the enjoyment of students for
school and aspiration for all subjects instead of any particular subject.


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In terms of English, learning vocabulary and sentence structure through the
series of activities such as listening, observing and imitating boosts students
excitement. Implementing TPR supports significantly teacher to create
qualitative and productive lessons, which impress and attract students’
inspirations of all ages at any performance level. TPR is a great method with
high applicability to primary school students. This method naturely establishes a
vividly funny atmosphere in each english lesson. Moreover, it stimulates
imagative capability, inquiring mind and industrious personality for learning.
The combination of those three activities fosters not only studying love but also
self-confidence. That is a huge chance to self-confirm and self-assess during
studying time (through game activities applied TPR).
After the certain period of time implementing TPR in English lesson, I
achieved the remarkable increase of English-teaching quality and effectiveness.
The method of coherence three activities named Observation-Listening-Action
prevents class atmosphere from tedious situation. Moreover, it intentionally
encourages overjoyed studying spririt of students during class. Thanks to that,

students can firmly consolidate their knowledge. The empirical teaching results
is assessed based on final exam quality and survey of learning interest of
students.
3.1.2. Experience
The application TPR in English lesson is extremely essential. However, this
method should be implemented suitably to avoid abuse. The lessons which
contain the content related to body language properly capitalize the advantage of
this method. Teachers should develop their good body language skill to guide
students to illustrate words through nonverbal signals, which can make a big
breathrough in terms of students’ imitation.
When implementing TPR at primary grade, we should put the high
consideration on lesson contents, practical actions. These elements should be
easier to understand and accurately related to metioned words. Teachers,
therefore, should set detailed plans and deliberate preparations. Teachers with
big love of teaching career and children and high enthusiasm can maintain
continuously spirit of best performance in class. For this reason, this is not
simple responsibility of cultivating knowledge and acquire teaching experience.
We should creative research for more teaching methods to achieve students’
better performance. Studying attainment of student is the best assessment in
teaching quality and teacher’s purpose.
3.2. Recommendations
3.2.1. To the leaders


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To enhance the capacity of teachers in teaching English, the leaders should
organize the training courses for the English teachers regularly. Through the
training courses, teachers have the opprtunity to exchange and learn their
experiences.

3.2.2. Acknowledgements
I am grateful the experts of Thanh Hoa City Education and Training Office,
my colleague at Dien Bien 2 Primary School, for providing helpful comments
for the research. I also would like to encourage Vietnamese teachers to have
more confidence and experience in teaching vocabularies and model sentences.
During the sharing process, there are number of nesscessary aspects for
improvement. I sincerely hope that I can gain the trustworthy and sufficient
opinion for renovation. Based on that, I can apply this method better and more
effectively during english teaching time in primary school.
Give my sincere thank you!
Headmaster’s signature
March 15th 2021.

Thanh hoa City,
I swear this thesis is written by me without
copying content from others.
Written by

Tran Thi Van
Thi Kieu Linh

Nguyen


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THANH HOA EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT

THANH HOA CITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING OFFICE

EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE

TPR APPLICATION IN TEACHING
VOCABULARIES AND SENTENCE PATTERNS TO
PROMOTE 4th STUDENTS’ INTEREST

The implementer: Nguyen Thi Kieu Linh
Position: Teacher
School: Dien Bien 2 Primary School-Thanh Hoa City
Initiative experience in the field: English

THANH HOA 2021


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Page

INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Reasons for choosing the topic.
1.2. The purpose of research.
1.3. The object of research.
1.4. The methods of research.
2. CONTENT
2.1. Theoretical basis.
2.2. Current status of the problem.
2.3. Solusion.
2.4. The efficiency of the research.
3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1. Conclusion.
3.2. Recommendations.

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REFERENCES
1. Students English book 4
2. Phonics LBUK book starter 1,2.
3. Articles about TPR application from the website:
4. English songs from the website:
5. Articles about language games from the website:
CATEGORY
COUNCIL EXPERIENCES IN THE PROBLEMS ASSESSED RATING TYPE OF
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION & EDUCATION, GRANTING OF DEPARTMENT
OF TRAINING AND INVESTMENT AND HIGH- GRADE LEVELS, RATING TYPES
FROM C ON
Teacher: Nguyen Thi Kieu Linh
School: Dien Bien 2 Primary School
No
1

Initatives
Experience in teaching
vocabulary for primary
students.

Rating
Thanh Hoa City
education and
training office

Result of rating
assessment
C

School years of
rating
assessment
2018-2019