1. Total Physical Response (TPR) is a language teaching method introduced by James Asher that focuses on teaching language through physical actions rather than memorization.
2. The goals of TPR are to teach basic speaking skills through comprehension, reduce student stress, and encourage students. It aims to teach oral proficiency at a beginning level using imperative drills.
3. In TPR, the teacher gives commands in the native language for students to physically act out without speaking. This establishes comprehension before speaking. Student and teacher roles evolve from the teacher speaking and students responding non-verbally, to students becoming more verbal while the teacher responds non-verbally.