Using “Total Physical Response” With Young Learners in Oman

Abstract

Among several approaches to teaching and learning a foreign language, Total Physical Response, or TPR, is one that simulates the way children naturally acquire their mother tongue. Instructors give commands to students in the new language, and students respond through gestures. This article showcases a language learning project that the Ministry of Education in Oman adopted in collaboration with the University of Leeds, using TPR to make English language learning simulate real-life situations. It explores the effectiveness of the curriculum and examines the extent to which TPR has yielded its expected results in this particular context. The article also considers the limitations of using a singular approach to second and/or foreign language learning.