Already in the late 1800s, a French teacher of Latin by the name of Francois Gouin was hard at work devising a method of language teaching that capitalized on the way children naturally learn their first language, through the transformation of perceptions into conceptions and then the expression of those conceptions using language.  His approach became known as the Series Method, involving direct conceptual teaching of language using series of inter-connected sentences that are simple and easy to perceive, because the language being used can be directly related to whatever the speaker is doing at the immediate time of utterance (ie, one’s actions and language match each other).  His thinking was well ahead of his time, and the Series Method became swamped in the enthusiasm surrounding the other new approach at the time in the form of the Direct Method

Some 80 years later, in the 1960s, James Asher began experimenting with a method he called Total Physical Response, and its basic premise had a lot in common with Gouin’s.  The method was to become well known in the 70s, and it drew on several other insights in addition to the “trace theory” that memory is stimulated and increased when it is closely associated with motor activity.  The method owes a lot to some basic principles of language acquisition in young learners, most notably that the process involves a substantial amount of listening and comprehension in combination with various physical responses (smiling, reaching, grabbing, looking, etc) – well before learners begin to use the language orally.  It also focused on the ideas that learning should be as fun and stress-free as possible, and that it should be dynamic through the use of accompanying physical activity.  Asher (1977) also had a lot to say about right-brained learning (the part of the brain that deals with motor activity), believing it should precede the language processing element covered by the left-brain

TPR is now a household name among teachers of foreign languages.  It is widely acclaimed as a highly effective method at beginning levels, and almost a standard requirement in the instruction of young learners.  It is also admired as a method due to its inherent simplicity, making it accessible to a wide range of teachers and learning environments

Objectives

One of the primary objectives underlying Asher’s TPR methodology was that learning needed to become more enjoyable and less stressful.  Asher thought that a natural way to accomplish this was to recreate the natural way children learn their native language, most notably through facilitating an appropriate “listening” and “comprehension” period, and encourage learners to respond using right-brain motor skills rather than left-brain language “processing
  
Key Features


Here are some of the key features of the Total Physical Response method

  The teacher directs and students “act” in response – “The instructor is the director of a stage play
      in which the students are the actors” (Asher, 1977:43

  Listening and physical response skills are emphasized over oral production

  The imperative mood is the most common language function employed, even well into advanced
      levels.  Interrogatives are also heavily used

 Whenever possible, humor is injected into the lessons to make them more enjoyable for learners

  Students are not required to speak until they feel naturally ready or confident enough to do so

  Grammar and vocabulary are emphasized over other language areas.  Spoken language is
      emphasized over written language
  
Typical Techniques


Larsen-Freeman, in her book Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (1986:118-120) provides expanded descriptions of some common/typical techniques closely associated with TPR.  The listing here is in summary form only

  Using Commands to Direct Behavior
      (The use of commands requiring physical actions from the students in response is the major teaching
        technique
 
  Role Reversal
      (Students direct the teacher and fellow learners)
 
  Action Sequence
      (Teacher gives interconnected directions which create a sequence of actions [also called an
      "operation"] – as students progress in proficiency, more and more commands are added to the
      action sequence.  Most everyday activities can be broken down into a sequence of actions