TPRS® Beginning Workshop 2012-Nashville

TPRS®
Story-based A different kind of professional development.™
Immersion

Scott Benedict
scott@teachforjune.com
2012 teachforjune.com

slideshare.net/
teachforjune
download presentation
and additional handout

For great support after the workshop is done, join one
(or both) of the following groups:

moreTPRS Listserve
groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/moretprs

tprstalk.com Forum

or email me @

For a complete list of real, classroom demos, visit:

vimeo.com/teachforjune

How confident are you
that your students can
speak spontaneously for
30 seconds in the target
language at the end of
the year?

Or that your students
could write a 100-word
story in 5 minutes or less?

1 in 4 Americans can
hold a conversation in a
second language.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1825/about-one-four-americans-can-hold-conversation-second-language.aspx

Insanity is doing the
same thing over and
over again and
expecting different
results.
—Albert Einstein

Yet, this is exactly
what 1000s of
world-language
teachers do
everyday and have
done for years.

If we truly want our
students to be able to
speak and write at any
level, we must change
the way we teach.
Period.

TPRS® is one such change
that has given world-
language teachers across
the globe undeniable
results:
students who could speak
and write the language.

When I make a statement,
you will respond chorally
by saying,

“Ohhhhh!”

When I ask a question and
you know the answer, you
will answer chorally in the
target language.

If it is a “yes” answer
than say,

“Ja!”

If it’s a “no” answer
say,

“Nein!”

If I ask a question where
the answer hasn’t been
established, make it up!
But...

You must guess in
German because it is
a German story.

When you guess,
surprise me.

If you don’t surprise
me, I will surprise you.

Raise your hand if
you don’t understand
Text
OR I’m going too
fast!!

es gibt
there is/are

Text

Es gibt einen Apfel auf dem Tisch.
There is an apple on the table.

die Katze
the cat

Text

Es gibt eine Katze mit blauen Augen.
There is a cat with blue eyes.

die Maus
the mouse

Text

Es gibt eine Maus.
There is a mouse.

sieht an
looks at

Text

Das Mädchen sieht etwas an.
The girl looks at something.

schreit
screams

Text

Die Frau schreit.
The woman screams.

läuft
runs

Text

Der Junge läuft schnell.
The boy runs fast.

where? what? who?

how? why? when?
German

how which?
much?
how many?

Es gibt zwei Mäuschen und eine
Muttimaus. Sie wohnen in einem
sehr großen Haus. Die zwei
Mäuschen essen Käse gern.

Sie wollen jetzt Käse essen. Diese
zwei Mäuschen sehen die
Muttimaus an und schreien
“Mutti! Wir haben Hunger! Wir
wollen Käse essen. Bitte bring
uns ein bisschen Käse!”

Die Muttimaus sieht die zwei
Mäuschen an und sagt ihnen
“Okay meine Kinder. Ich will in
der Küche nach Käse suchen.”
Aber in diesem Moment sehen
die zwei Mäuschen etwas, das
ihnen Angst macht.

Eine Katze kommt auf sie zu! Es
ist eine sehr große Katze! Sie
schreien “Mutti! Mutti! Es gibt
eine sehr große Katze in
unserem Haus! Sie kommt auf
uns zu! Wir haben sehr Angst!”

We n n d i e M u t t i m a u s d a s
Schreien ihrer Kinder hört, läuft
die Muttimaus auf die Katze zu
und schreit “Wau Wau!” Wenn
die Katze den Schrei der
Muttimaus auf Hund hört, dreht
die Katze sich um und läuft sehr
schnell von dem Haus weg.

Wie gut, dass die Muttimaus
zweisprachig ist! An diesem Tag
lernen die zwei Mäuschen, dass
es sehr wichtig ist, mehr als eine
Sprache zu sprechen.

I love TPRS®
because it works.
My students are better
speakers & writers and I’m a
better teacher.

About T
How to P
R
Assessment &
S

TPRS® stands for
Teaching Proficiency
through
Reading and
Storytelling

TPRS® is immersion
through stories.

TPRS® is a method of second-
language teaching that uses
highly-interactive stories to
provide comprehensible
input and create an
atmosphere of immersion in
the classroom.

Stephen Krashen’s
Theory of Second-language
Acquisition.

Acquisition-learning
Hypothesis

Learning Language
vs.
Acquiring Language

Real-world
acquisition
vs.
Classroom
acquisition

Make every minute
COUNT!!!

1. We don’t pay attention to
boring things.

2. We have 30 seconds to
repeat something before it is
forgotten.

People usually forget 90% of
what they learn in a class within
30 days.

One could increase the life
span of a memory simply by
repeating the information in
timed intervals.

3. Students must pay
attention in order to learn.

The unusual, the unpredictable,
or the distinctive are powerful
ways to harness attention.

4. Most of what we learn is
visual.

5. Initial learning is
important.

6. There are two types of
memories.

Learning about
language is
declarative.

Memories that are
not in our conscious
awareness, such as
riding a bike or
driving a car.

Learning to speak a
language is
non-declarative.

Information is remembered best
when it is elaborate,
meaningful, and contextual.
Medina,
John.
Brain
Rules.
Sea4le:
Pear
Press,
2008.

p.
100.

We add as many
details as we can.

Each detail increases the
chance that the students will
remember.

What we remember after 24 hours.

Sousa,
David
A..
How
the
Brain
Learns.
Thousand
Oaks:
Corwin
Press,
2006.

TPRS® teaches for
Mastery

language as
ossible in the
Gram
and speak it While the teache

Vocabulary
DO NOT accurately all of
mmar when grammatical foc
o students! If Certain features
Shelter
t hear natural obviously essent
hey are unlikely the first things th
it. one, I used the f
used only to
comprehension Aug - Oct 3r
anslating Nov - Dec 1
Jan - Feb 2n
or to clarify
s quickly as Mar - Apr 1
May 2nd pe
uch as in pop-
At the conclusio
ss story every from the point o
o. Teacher Each point of vi
story on the adjectives; direc
while the entire disjunctive, and

language as
ossible in the
Gram
and speak it
Don’t Shelter
DO NOT
While the teache
accurately all of
mmar when

Grammar
grammatical foc
o students! If Certain features
t hear natural obviously essent
hey are unlikely the first things th
it. one, I used the f
used only to
comprehension Aug - Oct 3r
anslating Nov - Dec 1
Jan - Feb 2n
or to clarify
s quickly as Mar - Apr 1
May 2nd pe
uch as in pop-
At the conclusio
ss story every from the point o
o. Teacher Each point of vi
story on the adjectives; direc
while the entire disjunctive, and

brought that

the heart of TPRS®
As the year
meet with y
already kno
Circling

The art of asking
repetitive questions

Start with a statement
Statement should include structure

Ask yes/no question
where answer is YES
Repeat answer: “yes, ...”

Ask either/or question
Repeat answer: “that’s correct, ...”

Ask yes/no question
where answer is NO
Repeat answer: “no, ...”
Restate correct statement

Ask question-word
question
Repeat answer: “Yes, ...”

These are more difficult—target superstar
until class is ready

get a new detail
and repeat
Ask 3-4 questions and then get new detail.

Circle the subject,
object, AND verb!

Check for
understanding
FREQUENTLY

Ask class as well as
individuals

Comprehension
checks are in
ENGLISH

Translate what
students don’t know

Write new words on
board

Ask students to
translate to check for
understanding

DON’T translate
everything!

Only circle
new or difficult
structures

If you circle everything,
advanced students will get
bored!

Text
Text

individual work time

Directions
Using the “Circling” Template in handout…

1. Write simple statement in target language as follows:
Lisa verb in TL brand name. Lisa isst Lucky Charms.
2. Script your questions around the subject.
3. Script your questions around the verb.
4. Script your questions around the object/compliment.
5. Script your questions around when.
Lisa isst Lucky Charms am Montag.
6. Script your questions around a comparison.
Mark trinkt Pepsi.

Practice Rules

✓ teacher stands
✓ students respond
✓ don’t correct the teacher
✓ no discussion

Group Practice
In your groups, take turns using your
template to practice circling.

At first, read your script in order from
top to bottom.

When you’re comfortable, try
randomizing your questions using
the “thumb” technique.

PQA:
Personalized
Questions & Answers

Ask questions using
target phrases

It’s like mingling
at a party

Try to go at least
3 levels deep
when adding details

The story gets more
interesting with
more specifics.

A boy from China
wants a cat.

A boy from Hong
Kong, China wants a
cat.

Ming Jr. from the 3rd
street Burger King in
Hong Kong, China
wants a cat.

Text
Text

partner time

Lets make each of these
more specific.

car
house
animal
violin
book

Most interesting
details involve an
event.

Lets explain the following:

A boy has a ten-thousand-dollar bill.
A girl has a bike that talks.

Teach STUDENTS not
curriculum.

Look in individual
student’s eyes when
teaching.

Always check for
understanding.

Have students
write their first name
BIG on the top of
the paper.

Level 1
Have them draw
what they like to do.

Level 2
Have them draw
what they are afraid of.

Level 3
Have them draw
what makes them unique.

Level 4
Have them draw
what would they do
if they had a million
dollars.

Ask 2-3 students per
day

Spend approximately
4 weeks on this activity

any other logical
“next step”

llarry
bu a y
oca bu
.. V oca
1 V
1

2 S
2 ttorry
.. S o y

iing
ad ng
Re ad
3.. Re
3

3 Steps of TPRS®

If your classes meet every
day or every other day on
the block, you will complete
all 3 steps in one week.

If your classes meet
everyday on the block
and you complete 1 year
of instruction in a semester,
you will complete all 3
steps twice, each with a
different story and set of
structures.

The first step of TPRS®
is to establish the meaning
of our structures.

The second step of TPRS®
is to create an oral story
with your students.

The third step of TPRS®
is to read
with your students.

Monday

✓ Introduce vocabulary
✓ Background info about characters

These are the
structures you want
to practice

Basic,
high-frequency
words

Always translate
these structures

Lesson Plan
3 Structures

his mom wants him to do his homework
his mom wanted him to do his homework
while

Target Language in
one color

Text
2. Story:
Background Info

Actors dramatize
the story

Meat of
Monday’s lesson:
at least 30 minutes

Students must
respond to each
statement/question

“Ooohh”
“Oh, no, oh, no”
expression

Vary choral
responses with
individual ones

Strong Response—
Great!

Students didn’t
understand

Students weren’t
focused on
procedure

Coach how to
“play the game”

Listen for cute or
funny answers

Don’t take the first
answer—
solicit more
participation

How to Ask a Story:
Background Info

What don’t you know
about main character?

Add details about
character by asking
questions

Practice any word
or structure

Verify details with actors
in present tense

Verify details with class
in past tense

Lesson Plan
Main Character Background Info

What don’t I know about the character?

Class, there is a boy.
What’s the boy’s name?
How old is the boy?
Where does he live?
What does he look like?
What does he do?

Purpose of parallel character
is to compare & contrast
with main character

about parallel character?

Lesson Plan
Parallel Character Background Info

What don’t I know about the character?

Class, there is a girl.
What’s the girl’s name?
How old is the girl?
Where does she live?
What does she look like?
What does she do?

Compare & contrast with main character.

Story Practice

Choose one structure that would teach in
your classroom. Create a main and parallel
character that incorporates this structure.

You will develop and script Monday’s lesson
based on these characters.

Step 1
You will start the story using your structures.

Point to the words when you say them and go slowly.

Introduce the main character and choose student
actor—add details about him/her by asking questions.

Verify details with actor (present tense) and audience
(past tense)

Add details about where he/she was—3 levels of
specificity: state, city, location.

Step 2
You will continue the story using your structures.

Point to the words when you say them and go slowly.

Introduce the parallel character and choose student
actor—add details about him/her by asking questions.

Verify details with actor (present tense) and audience
(past tense)

Add details about where he/she was—3 levels of
specificity: state, city, location.

Tuesday

✓ Review character info
✓ Introduce problem
✓ Attempt to solve the problem
✓ Solve the problem

Review main character
info from yesterday

Circle it all again
you can go a little faster
it’s review

Meat of
Tuesday’s lesson:
at least 30 minutes

Asking a ✓ ASK don’t tell a story
✓ actors dramatize the story
Story ✓ start with a statement
✓ 3 locations
✓ PERSONALIZE

How to Ask a Story:
3 Acts

Look for variables
that can be
expanded and
changed

Lesson Plan
Storyline with Variables

There was a boy who didn’t like to do his homework. His
mom wanted him to do his homework.

His mom took him to the library to do his homework. It
was too quiet in the library and the boy fell asleep.

His mom sent him to a tutor. The tutor was Angelina
Jolie. The boy fell in love with Angelina and did
anything she said. Angelina told him to do his
homework. He did. Mom was happy.

Add details:
3 levels of specificity

Circle each
new detail
before adding
next one

Location 1:
Introduce the problem

Lesson Plan

Problem

he doesn’t do his homework

Oh, no! Oh, no, class!
The boy had a problem.

Script out your questions
relating to the introduction
of the problem

Tell the class what
the characters say

Then have the
characters say it

Remember to verify details
with actor in present and
class in past tense

Lesson Plan

Script out story pertaining to location 1

There was a boy who didn’t like to do his homework. His
mom wanted him to do his homework.

Story Practice

Using your structure and main character,
create a storyline with 3 acts.

Script out “act 1” of your lesson.

Remember to identify possible variables in
the storyline.

Step 3
You will introduce the problem.

Start by reviewing the facts already established.

Script out your questions relating to the problem setup.

Verify all details with actors in present tense and with
audience in past tense.

Location 2:
Unsuccessful attempt
to resolve problem

Have main character
go somewhere to
attempt to solve problem

relating to the attempt to
solve the problem

Lesson Plan

Script out story pertaining to location 2

His mom took him to the library to do his homework. It
was too quiet in the library and the boy fell asleep.

Story Practice


the storyline.

Step 4
You will attempt to solve the problem unsuccessfully.


Have the main character go somewhere to attempt to
solve their problem.

Use dialogue. Tell the audience what the character
said and then have the actor say it.


Location 3:
Resolve the problem

Have main character
go somewhere to
finally solve problem

relating to problem
solution

Lesson Plan

Script out story regarding location 3

His mom sent him to a tutor. The tutor was Angelina
Jolie. The boy fell in love with Angelina and did
anything she said. Angelina told him to do his
homework. He did. Mom was happy.

Story Practice


the storyline.

Step 5
You will solve the problem.


Have the main character go somewhere to finally solve
their problem.

Use dialogue. Tell the audience what the character
said and then have the actor say it.


At any point, stop, go
back, and review the
story.

Continue story when
you get back to
where you left off.

Have students
frequently retell story
to their partners...

After a particular
scene.

Have superstar retell
story to class.

Wednesday

✓ Add background info to reading
✓ Add a student as a parallel character
✓ Compare & contrast character & student

Meat of
Wednesday’s lesson:
at least 30 minutes

Develop main character
from extended reading

Using questioning, develop
the main character

about them?

The details students
come up with may
contradict the details
when the class reads
the story

Choose a student
to be the parallel character

As you add details
to the main character,
compare & contrast
with student

Be sure to circle
as you
compare & contrast

Thursday

✓ Read extended reading
✓ Translate extended reading
✓ Discuss extended reading

Meat of
Thursday’s lesson:
at least 30 minutes

Step 1:
Teacher reads
a sentence or chunk.

Step 2:
Class
chorally translates
sentence or chunk.

Translate
one paragraph
at a time.

Step 3:
Ask the facts of the
translated paragraph.

Highlight in reading
BEFORE class.

Pop-up often and
frequently.

Hold your superstars
accountable.

Goal is to acquire
over time,
not immediately.

Reserve for more
advanced levels.

Friday

✓ Read novel or do story strip

Follow same
reading steps
as extended reading

Students translate
chorally

Discuss reading by
asking comprehension
questions

Add details to the reading
through questioning.

Students give unusual &
unexpected answers.

Add details from students’
culture.

Create a parallel story using
a student as the main
character.

This is a similar story but with
details about the student.

Dramatize 1 or 2
pivotal scenes

Use a comic strip
to ask a story

Great review of week’s
words and structures

Use same story techniques
as asking a story with actors

Have students write 3
activities they did
over the weekend in
the target language

Don’t allow boring
answers

Use PQA skill to get
details

Choose a children’s
book appropriate to
students’ level

Read the book
“infant style”

Use circle skill to
increase
comprehensible input

Allow students to
bring in snacks or
stuffed animals

“Kindergarten Day” Demo

Demo

Choose a song
appropriate to
students’ level

Choose
children’s songs,
popular music, or
learning songs

Introduce song with
cloze activity

Copy lyrics for
students with some
words missing

Have students try
to fill in the words
as they listen to
the song

Sing and dance
to songs daily

Create gestures or a
dance for the week’s
song

Have students sing &
gesture/dance to
practice song

End the week
with a
song competition

Divide the class into
two teams

Have them compete
on who sings the
loudest

Alternate line by line
or stanza by stanza

Change out songs
every 2 to 3 weeks

Create a reading
library in your
classroom

Give students time to
read any book,
magazine, or
newspaper in the
target language they
choose

Model good reading
habits

Hold students
accountable with a
reading log

Goal:
write 100-word story
in the target
language in 5
minutes

Decrease time when
class average hits
100 words

Keep track of word
count but not for
grade

Grade 2 per quarter
based on quality of
writing

Absolutely the BEST
way to assess true
writing ability!

Base grades on
proficiency levels
rather than number
of assignments
turned in

Use skills rather than
products to assess students

Listening
Comprehension

15%

50-60% of grade
should be dedicated
to speaking and
writing

20-30% of grade
should be dedicated
to listening and
reading

Only 3 assessments
per grading
category per quarter

2 formative assessments in
the form of quizzes prior to
the quarter/semester exam

1 summative assessment as
a section of the quarter/
semester exam

Each section is evaluated
and recorded in grade
book SEPARATELY

Culture Assessments

10-20 multiple-choice or true/false
questions based on culture studied

Interesting facts from various
places

(think really strange or different)

Try to include things from all
of the countries/regions that
speak your language

Listening & Reading
Assessments

Listening or reading prompt is a
story in the target language

10-20 content-based,
multiple-choice or true/false
questions IN ENGLISH!!!

Listening or reading
prompts are sentences
based off of pictures

Students choose the picture
that best fits with the sentence

Listening or reading prompts
are steps to draw a picture

Students draw what they
read or are told

Formative
Assessments
(quizzes)

Choose at random at
least 2 of your students’
weekly timed-writings

Summative
Assessments
(quarter/semester exams)

Students write a minimum
of a 100-words story

Story is based either on
vocabulary (given in
English), structure (implicitly
stated), or pictures

Assess solely on
comprehensibility and
complexity

Level 1 ➙ kindergarten/1st grade = B

Increase or decrease
grade based on
above standards

Students form groups
of 4 or 6 depending
on class size

Students create story and
draw it out in boxes
(1 box per student in group)

LIMIT STORY CREATION/DRAWING
TIME TO 7-10 MINUTES!!!!

Have groups tell their story
to the class—each student
is responsible for 1 box

Students are given a
picture story to look at

Students tell the story to
you at your desk
(level 1 = 30 sec / level 2 = 1 min /
level 3 = 1.5 min / level 4 = 2 min)

Students get twice as much
time to look at the picture
to gather their thoughts

Assess students
individually, not based
on the group

Participation/effort is
not a grade!

Do not grade on
behavior.

No more than
1 assessment per
week
(sometimes 2)

Don’t assess writing
or speaking during
1st quarter of level 1

All quizzes are
UNANNOUNCED

Goal is 80% of students
earning 80% or better—if
not, reteach and reassess

Students start with
70 participation
points per quarter

Students earn
participation points
(1 at a time) by...

Writing over 100 words on
a timed writing or
improving their word count
over the previous week

Anything else that
leads towards
language acquisition

Students lose
participation points
(5 at a time) by...

Anything that detracts from
language acquisition

Students may make
up participation points
(5 at a time) by...

Writing a 100-word story
in the target language
using 10 current
vocabulary at least twice

During 1st quarter only of
level 1: students can write
10 current vocabulary 3
times each both in English
and target language

Participation Grade =
Citizenship Grade

60-79 pts = Needs
Improvement

Curriculum Map
backwards plan
Proficiency

High-frequency
vocabulary,
structures, and
culture

Divide by 4
and determine
when to teach
what

Divide in half and
write semester
exams

Divide in half again
and write 1st & 3rd
quarter exams

Break your quarters
into weekly lessons
teaching 3-6 phrases
per week

Write your quizzes
for each lesson

Write your stories
(weekly lessons)

TPRS® Beginning Workshop 2012-Nashville

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