the thing is we've just got to learn teaching efl this semester and we're discussing teachings method and our group is talking about The Physical Response(TPR) and Natural Approach. There are other methods like The Grammar Translation, Gouin and The Series Method, The Direct Method, The Audiolingual Method, Cognitive Code Learning, Community Language Learning, Suggestopedia, and The Silent Way

Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language teaching method by James Asher, a professor of psychology at San José State University. The idea of TPR is about the synchronizing of language and physical response so that the key to a language teaching in this method is the physical response of students by the instructions of the teachers, which is a total physical response that included the whole part of the body. We are reminded of Gouin’s method and it is completely fine because TPR is actually developed by psychologists according to the series method of Gouin and one of them is James Asher.

According to Asher, A reasonable hypothesis is that the brain and the nervous system are biologically programmed to acquire language, either the first or the second in a particular sequence and in a particular mode. The sequence is listening before speaking and the mode is to synchronise language with the individual’s body.

The examples of TPR such as Open the window, Close the door, Stand up, etc. In the process of TPR class, there would be no verbal response necessary and all the students need to do is just listening and acting out the words they have heard. In such class like this the stress possibility would be less because the motor activity is the right brain function which commonly known as the fun part of the brain so that the learning activity will not give any pressure.

The disadvantage of this method located in the limitation of the students which will be working on beginners level only because the entirely method processes do not match with advanced learners since there is no speaking and writing and reading skill in it.

The Natural Approach

The Natural Approach is the language teaching method by Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrel. This method is focusing on the language acquisition the students will have during the class, just like TPR method, there is no forced language output necessary so that the students may listen to the teachers in peace without any fear of what should they speak about as the response but they are freed to do so when they are ready. And when they are ready and finally decide to speak, there will be no errors correction because the point is to make the students understand what the teachers are saying.

The teachers will be talking about everything common in daily basic situations like the usual conversations, shopping, listening to the radio or favorite music. The number one aim of this natural approach method is about the communicative skills. There are stages that the students must have gone through before they will actually uttered the speech (yes or no response, one word answers, list of words, short phrases, complete sentence) and this is expected to be happening naturally without any force from the teachers.

There is a period called silent period which in this period the students are freed to do not say anything other than paying attention to the teachers who provide comprehensible input by the understandable spoken language and this is essential for triggering the acquisition of language.

The disadvantage of this method is controversially located on the silent period. Even if the silence is beneficial but what if the students prefer to never speak? Because whether the answers from the students will be ever coming out or not at all is not precise. So everything is uncertain.