Teachers’ perceptions and practices of using total physical response in teaching english vocabulary to young learners at primary schools in quy nhon city

Trang 1 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY NGUYEN THI MY HANH TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF USING TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO Y

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI MY HANH

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF USING TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO YOUNG LEARNERS AT

PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN QUY NHON CITY

MASTER THESIS IN THEORY AND METODOLOGY OF

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

Binh Dinh, 2023

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI MY HANH

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES OF USING TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE IN TEACHING ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO YOUNG LEARNERS AT

PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN QUY NHON CITY

Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching

Code: 8140111

Supervisor: Ha Thanh Hai, Ph.D

BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHON

NGUYỄN THỊ MỸ HẠNH

NHẬN THỨC VÀ THỰC TẾ GIẢNG DẠY CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TRONG VIỆC SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP PHẢN ỨNG CƠ HỌC ĐỂ DẠY TỪ VỰNG CHO HỌC SINH TẠI CÁC TRƯỜNG TIỂU HỌC Ở THÀNH PHỐ QUY NHƠN

Ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh

Mã số: 8140111

Người hướng dẫn: TS Hà Thanh Hải

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Without the support, encouragement, and contributions from my supervisor, my professors, my school, colleagues, friends, and family, the successful completion of this thesis work would not have been possible I take this chance to express my deepest thanks to them for their support

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Dr Ha Thanh Hai, for his continuous support, expert guidance, and patience throughout the study He provided me with assistance

at every stage of the process and always expressed his faith in me I am gratefully indebted for his very valuable comments on this thesis

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the teachers at primary schools in Quy Nhon City who devoted their time to taking part in this research

I was also thankful to my colleagues for their support during my study time I am also grateful to Quy Nhon University, Post-graduate Department, and the Foreign Languages Department for the administrative assistance

Last but not least, I must express my gratitude to my family for providing

me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout the course and the study of this thesis

ABSTRACT

This study aims at exploring teachers’ perceptions of using TPR in teaching vocabulary to young learners in primary school It also examines how teachers use it in the classroom The research was conducted with the participation of

50 EFL teachers at 18 primary schools in Quy Nhon City This research implemented quantitative and qualitative approaches to collecting the data by using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observation checklists The findings showed that teachers had a positive perception of using TPR in their vocabulary teaching However, the limited time and classroom conditions, coupled with some noisy students and some shy students were obstacles to teachers using TPR Hence, some suggestions were forwarded so as to minimize problems encountered and maximize the implementation of TPR for young learners at primary schools Based on the findings, implications for educators, school administrators, and teachers were also offered

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF CHARTS viii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study 3

1.2.1 Aim of the Study 3

1.2.2 Objectives of the Study 3

1.3 Research Questions 3

1.4 Scope of the Study 3

1.5 Significance of the Study 4

1.6 Organization of the Study 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Teaching Vocabulary 5

2.1.1 Definitions of Vocabulary 5

2.1.2 Types of Vocabulary 6

2.1.3 Teaching Vocabulary 7

2.2 Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners 8

2.2.1 Young Learners and Their Characteristics 8

2.2.2 Teaching English Vocabulary to Young Learners at Primary Schools 9

2.3 Total Physical Response (TPR) 10

2.3.1 Definition of TPR 10

2.3.2 Principles of TPR 12

2.3.3 Teachers’ and Learners’ Roles in TPR 13

2.3.3.1 Teachers’ Roles 13

2.3.3.2 Learners’ Roles 14

2.3.3.3 Instructional Materials’ Roles 14

2.3.4 Implementation of TPR in Language Classroom 14

2.3.4.1 TPR Activities 14

2.3.4.2 The Procedure of Vocabulary Teaching Using TPR 17

2.3.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of TPR 18

2.3.5.1 Advantages of TPR 18

2.3.5.2 Disadvantages of TPR 20

2.4 Teachers’ Perceptions 20

2.4.1 Introduction to Perception 20

2.4.1.1 Definitions of Perception 20

2.4.1.2 Types of Perception 21

2.4.2 Teachers’ Perceptions 21

2.5 Previous Studies 22

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 24

3.1 Research Design 24

3.2 Participants 25

3.3 Data Collection 27

3.3.1 Questionnaire 27

3.3.2 Classroom Observation 28

3.3.3 Interview 30

3.4 Data Analysis 31

3.5 Chapter Summary 32

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 33

4.1 Teachers’ Perceptions of Using TPR Method to Teach English Vocabulary To Young Learners at Primary Schools 33

4.1.1 Teachers’ Perceptions of Advantages of TPR Method 33

4.1.2 Teachers’ Perceptions of Disadvantages of TPR Method 37

4.1.3 Teachers’ Perceptions of Necessity of TPR Method 40

4.2 Implementation of TPR to Teach English Vocabulary 42

4.2.1 Frequency of Using TPR in Teaching Vocabulary 42

4.2.2 TPR Activities 44

4.2.3 How do Students Respond when TPR is Implemented? 47

4.2.4 Factors Affecting Implementation of TPR 50

4.2.4.1 Factors from Teachers 50

4.2.4.2 Factors from Learners 51

4.2.4.3 Other Factors 52

4.2.5 Challenges of Using TPR Method faced by EFL Teachers 53

4.3 Discussion 57

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 65

5.1 Summary of the Key Findings 65

5.1.1 Teachers’ Perceptions of Using TPR in Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners at Primary Schools 65

5.1.2 Teachers’ Practices of Using TPR in Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners at Primary Schools 66

5.2 Implications 67

5.2.1 Implications for Educators 67

5.2.2 Implications for Teachers 68

5.3 Limitations of the Study 69

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research 70

REFERENCES 71 APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 A brief description of survey participants p 26

Table 4.1 Teachers’ perceptions of advantages of TPR method p 34 Table 4.2 Teachers’ perceptions of disadvantages of TPR

method

p 38

Table 4.3 Teachers’ perceptions of necessity of TPR method p 40

Table 4.6 Challenges that teachers may face when using TPR

method

p 53

LIST OF CHARTS

Chart 4.1 Frequency of using TPR in the classroom p 43

Chart 4.2 TPR activities used frequently by the teachers p 44

Chart 4.3 Factors from teachers affecting implementation

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the rationale, the objectives, the scope, and the research questions of the study Besides, the significance and the outline of the study are also mentioned

1.1 Rationale

Currently, English has been widely used in Vietnam This is a compulsory subject in almost all school levels Teaching English at primary schools is one of the important goals concerned by the Government Moreover, children aged from 6 to 13 is the right time to learn another language along with their mother tongue because children have a good memory to achieve new things during that period

In addition, there is no language without vocabulary and English is not

an exception According to Cameron (2001), vocabulary is a base to the learning of a language at the initial level Pupils often encounter difficulties in learning English vocabulary, so they find it hard to understand reading texts, understand what others speak as well as giving responses Therefore, learning vocabulary is so important that the pupils study it as the basic competence to learn those four skills in English Learning new words relates to how we understand them and how long we remember them There are many factors affecting word retention, for example, how diversification and frequently

words are used According to Thornburg (2002), “the learner needs not only to

learn a lot of words, but also to remember them” Therefore, sensory memory

has important values in learning vocabulary

In the past, teachers often used traditional methods to teach vocabulary such as providing word explanations and requiring practices, however, that was

not a really effective method According to Singer, A.J (2003), “teaching is

helping learners to acquire new knowledge or skills Teaching consisted, mainly, of telling, showing, guiding the learner in performance tasks and then measuring the results” In some cases, some teachers do not have suitable

methods to inspire their students for learning English effectively, which makes students not excited to learn vocabulary It is easy to show that it is hard and challenging, and time-consuming The close relationship between vocabulary and understandability must be expressed in the form of words Finite vocabulary will make learners find hard in communication, which loses their confidence and gradually interests in studying English Some reasons for those limitations may be affected by teaching method, learning environment and motivation Within the scope of this study, teaching method will be focused on

In primary education, vocabulary is considered one of the foundational concerns in English teaching and learning Thus, teachers should find effective teaching methods to enhance students’ vocabulary so as to raise their interests and language competency in learning English So far, many researchers have provided various methods to help students to easily study and memorize vocabulary One of them, TPR is regarded one of the most useful methods in teaching and learning vocabulary According to Richards and Rodgers (2001), TPR is a method which is built around the coordination of speech and action in other words it is to teach language through activity There are no texts in the teaching environment but there is a teaching via songs, games, stories accompany actions which attracts the attention of young active learners TPR

is an essential technique in teaching English for primary learners because this method appeals to children’s attention and encourages them to have favorable attitudes to learning English

Although much work has been done to explore issues relating to the use

of TPR method to young learners, for examples, Muñoz (2011), Sariyati

(2013), Bahtiar (2017), little attention has been paid to teachers’ perceptions as well as practice of using TPR

For all the reasons mentioned above, the researcher will conduct this thesis with the title: “Teachers’ perceptions and practices of using Total Physical Response in teaching English vocabulary to young learners at primary schools in Quy Nhon city”

1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study

1.2.1 Aim of the Study

This study aims to identify teachers’ perceptions toward the use of the TPR method to teach young learners at primary schoolss

1.2.2 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are formulated as follows:

- To identify teachers’ perceptions of using TPR in teaching English vocabulary to primary school pupils

- To describe how the teachers implement TPR method in English classes

1.3 Research Questions

This research is intended to answer these questions below:

1 What are teachers’ perceptions of using TPR method to teach English vocabulary to young learners at primary schools?

2 How do primary teachers implement TPR method to English classes?

1.4 Scope of the Study

The scope of the study will be limited within 18 primary schools in Quy Nhon citywhere an investigation into teachers’ perceptions about the use of

TPR in teaching English vocabulary to young learners was implemented The main participants were the teachers of English at some primary schools Due to the fixed curriculum and limited time, it has been carried out in the second semester of school year 2022-2023.

1.5 Significance of the Study

Despite its limitations, this study has significance for both theoretical and practical contributions Firstly, this research may contribute in modifying theories that focus on the teachers’ perceptions and practice of TPR method and how English vocabulary is taught at primary schools with the purposes of finding out some factors affecting on the use of TPR Secondly, this study may help English teachers in designing the process of teaching English especially in using TPR method in teaching English vocabulary at primary schools Additionally, the result of this research is expected to be used as an additional reference in carrying out further research

1.6 Organization of the Study

This thesis is organized into five chapters The first chapter gives a brief introduction about the rationale of the research, research questions, the objectives, scope as well as structure of the study In the next chapter, a fundamental overview of theoretical concepts relating to the research is provided The third chapter presents methods used to collect data and information of participants Questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations are described in more detail In the fourth chapter, collected data are calculated and analyzed to draw conclusions about perceptions and practice failure to help teachers use TPR method effectively in their own English classes Finally, the study summarizes the research findings, offers implications

as well as limitations of the study and makes suggestions for classroom practice

and further research

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter discusses general issues about teaching vocabulary and teaching vocabulary to young learners, Total Physical Response and implementation of TPR in classroom

2.1 Teaching Vocabulary

2.1.1 Definitions of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of the most essential aspects of language because it expresses human thoughts and experiences and facilitates the growth of

language skills While Hornby (1995) viewed vocabulary as “total number of

words which make up the language with rules for combining them”, Linse

(2005b) defined it as “the collection of words that an individual knows”

Moreover, according to Hatch and Brown, vocabulary refers to a list or collection of words for a particular language or a list or collection of words that individual language speakers may use In addition, they stated that vocabulary

is the only alphabetical system (Hatch and Brown, 1995)

According to Webster’s definition (1983), vocabulary is a list of words and phrases, typically arranged alphabetically and defined: a dictionary, glossary, or lexicon According to him, vocabulary consists of all the words used by a particular individual, group, profession, etc Sometimes, they are all the words a person recognizes and understands, but does not necessarily use in full, passive vocabulary

According to Kim and Kim (2012), vocabulary is the foundation of communication in that language Therefore, it is essential to experiment with a variety of teaching methods that encourage students to acquire vocabulary without negative emotions It is a factor in the formation of sentences so that interactions can occur fluently and communication can be readily understood

It is difficult to communicate without vocabulary because words are used to express thoughts, emotions, and desires Vocabulary is, in short, a tool for effective communication

There are numerous definitions of vocabulary based on the preceding statements In this study, vocabulary refers to a list or collection of words for a particular language

2.1.2 Types of Vocabulary

There are many ways to categorize vocabulary There are four types of vocabulary, according to Judy K Montgomery (2007): Listening vocabulary, speaking vocabulary, reading vocabulary and writing vocabulary The words

we hear and comprehend are our listening vocabulary When individuals were infants, they would simply listen and then gaze at the words to determine their meaning They continue to learn new terms in this manner throughout their lifetimes; Speaking vocabulary consists of the words that individuals use to communicate The amount of people's speaking vocabulary is much smaller than their listening vocabulary, most likely due to the simplicity of use; Reading vocabulary is the words people understand when reading texts There are some of these words that people do not use in their speaking vocabulary; Writing vocabulary are the words people can retrieve when they write to express themselves They are significantly influenced by their ability to spell words

Harmer (1991) distinguished between two categories of vocabulary: active and passive Active vocabulary is the vocabulary that has been taught to students and that they are expected to be able to use The second type, passive vocabulary, refers to words that students can recognize when they encounter them but are unlikely to be able to articulate

Hatch and Brown (1995) agreed that there are two types of vocabulary: receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary Learners' receptive vocabulary is the vocabulary they can comprehend when reading or listening

to text Learners understand and recognize the meaning of words upon sight This allows them to comprehend the text they have read but not spoken or written Learners' productive vocabulary consists of words they comprehend and can articulate The students can effectively use these words in both speech and writing Teachers who understand the classification of English vocabulary will be able to utilize each category and select appropriate vocabulary and teaching methods for their students

Besides, Thornbury (2002) said that there are six kinds of vocabulary, they are word classes or parts of speech (such as noun, pronouns, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition and determiner), word families (such as prefixes and suffixes), word formation (such as compounding, clipping, blending and

so on), multi-word units (such as phrasal verbs and idioms), collocations, homonyms

2.1.3 Teaching Vocabulary

Because languages are based on words, teaching vocabulary is an essential part of language acquisition (Alqahtani, 2015) Without words, it is impossible to acquire a language; even human communication is based on words When the teaching and learning process occurs, teachers will encounter difficulties Recent research showed that teaching vocabulary may be challenging because many teachers lack confidence in the best practices for teaching vocabulary and are unable to decide where to begin focusing on word acquisition (Berne & Blachowicz, 2008) Teachers should be concerned that teaching vocabulary is something new and distinct from students' native language In addition, they must consider the fact that teaching English to

young learners differs from teaching English to adults Teachers need choose the appropriate techniques to help the students learn vocabulary in an effective way

Harmer (2001) listed five methods for teaching vocabulary in general The initial method is demonstration It means that teachers illustrate the terms students will learn with actions The second method involves explication Teachers use a diagram, a textbook, and a whiteboard to explain the construction of language using this method The third one is discovery It indicates that new language forms can be comprehended by allowing students

to discover them on tests or by examining grammatical evidence The fourth one of learning is the check question, which is used to evaluate students' comprehension of the text's meaning and word usage The final method is presentation With this method, the teacher presents the words through the use

of images, videos, mime, actions, and gestures It is evident that vocabulary should not be learned by memorizing individual terms They should be placed with other words or in sentences, in contexts, so that the learning process is not

as passive and boring as in the past

2.2 Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners

2.2.1 Young Learners and Their Characteristics

When teaching English to children, teachers should be aware of their characteristics Pupils between the ages of six and ten, who are enrolled in primary school, have characteristics that differ from those of elder people when

it comes to learning foreign languages, as the former are frequently more enthusiastic and energetic Halliwel (1992) stated that children gain great delight from discovering and generating fun in their activities They favor playing to studying in general Children will create whatever they want They enjoy learning in-depth about everything in the world around them If teachers

use traditional methods to teach vocabulary, they will get bored with familiar activities

Scoot and Ytreberg (1990) showed five main characteristics of young learners First, they constantly ask questions They rely on both spoken words and the written representation of words to convey and comprehend meaning They are determined about the activities they enjoy and dislike Children have developed a sense of fairness regarding what occurs in the classroom and begin

to ask their teacher's decisions; they are able to work with and learn from others

Furthermore, Slattery and Willis indicated that young learners are developing individuals who acquire knowledge by observing, listening, imitating, and doing They are adept at accurately reproducing sounds and speak as adults do The grammar rules and explanation are neglected They attempt to know the situation from their perspective and express their thoughts freely They are naturally curious about everything and use their creativity to imagine what they think (Slattery and Willis, 2001) In addition, students enjoy physical activities, body movement, and gestures to understand the meaning of words In light of the fact that students become bored with remaining in the chair and writing their lessons, teachers should constantly motivate their attention by using new vocabulary teaching techniques

fast-2.2.2 Teaching English Vocabulary to Young Learners at Primary Schools

Students in primary school may have varying levels of interest in learning In this situation, teachers must challenge and motivate their students

to acquire new knowledge Teaching English vocabulary to elementary school students differs from teaching English to adults Therefore, teachers should carefully consider methodologies and techniques when teaching English to elementary students

Brown (2001) listed out several teaching methods for language teaching The first method is grammar translation method It is a conventional technique that emphasizes the memorization of vocabulary and grammatical principles It provides vocabulary to memorize with direct translations Students will mainly study in their native language Their use of the target language is passive The second method is direct method In this method, grammatical principles were not given a great deal of attention; interaction, however, was given considerable focus Using realia, visual aids, or demonstrations, the teacher explains new vocabulary The third method is the audio-lingual method In this method, new materials are presented in dialogue format Repetitive trials are used to instruct structural patterns Therefore, vocabulary is taught contextually Efforts are made to encourage pupils to produce speech The last method is the silent way method In this method, students identify and create their own knowledge rather than memorizing and repeating it This strategy is appropriate to develop students' vocabulary in narrative texts The student can learn some new words and then attempt to remember them before performing in front of the class

Based on the explanations above about primary students and teaching vocabulary to primary students, it is clear that students in primary schools enjoy seeing how things work and are interested in learning by being active in the classroom Teachers should select methods that correspond with the levels, characteristics, and curriculum of the school their students attend

2.3 Total Physical Response (TPR)

2.3.1 Definition of TPR

TPR is one of the hands-on English teaching methods launched by Asher

in the 1960s According to James Asher (1968), TPR is a method for teaching language through physical activity that is based on the combination of speech and action With this method, students are encouraged to observe and respond

to their teacher spoken commands in the target language Thus, TPR is a technique developed by combining speech and body movement (Richards & Rodgers, 2001; Holleny, 2012)

Asher continued to refine his theory in 1977 He observed that, when acquiring their first language, young children appear to attend extensively before speaking, and that their listening is accompanied by physical responses (reaching, grasping, moving, gazing, etc.) Additionally, he gave some consideration to right-brain learning Motor activity is a right-brain function that ought to predate language processing in the left- brain He was also persuaded that language courses were frequently the source of excessive anxiety and wished to devise a method that was as stress-free as possible so that students would not feel excessively self-conscious and defensive The TPR classroom, then, was one in which students did a great deal of listening and

acting The teacher was very directive in orchestrating a performance: "The

instructor is the director of a stage play in which the students are the actors"

(Asher, 1977)

TPR is founded on how young learners acquire their native language Parents engage in 'language-body conversations' with their children, in which the parent instructs and the child responds physically The child responds when

the parent says, "Look at mummy" or "Give me the ball" These conversations

remain for several months before the child begins to communicate independently Even though it is unable to communicate during this time, the child is absorbing every aspect of language, including its sounds and patterns Eventually, after sufficient decoding, the child reproduces the language quite naturally TPR aims to imitate this effect in language classrooms

To recap, TPR emphasizes the connection between language and physical movement The major activity of TRP is related to the orders that the

teacher provides to pupils who will obey the teacher's commands It will help pupils remember the words they have learned a lot better because they will remember them better when they apply their body motions

2.3.2 Principles of TPR

TPR is an example of a language-learning strategy based on comprehension In the TPR-based lesson, pupils are not required to communicate Instead, teachers wait until students acquire sufficient language through listening to begin naturally speaking

Blair (1992) outlined three TPR method principles The first principle is that comprehension must be produced before speaking, because only when students have an excellent understanding of the language can they acquire it most effectively The next principle is that physical movement facilitates the acquisition of comprehension and memory He stated that students require time

to comprehend and respond to language segments before attempting to speak them when they are prepared This is the "silent period" The last principle is that learners' memories are activated and they are able to comprehend the meaning of new vocabulary by responding through actions

Asher (2012) also developed three learning hypotheses for the use of TPR in English classes First, children develop their comprehension by physically obeying their parents' commands It will help in the development of their natural communication They acquire listening comprehension before starting to speak Second, TPR has been linked with right brain activities As with the first language, a stress-free environment can help the second language acquisition process TPR emphasizes meaning over grammar rules and language structures This contributes to the creation of a comfortable environment for students

Clearly, TPR is a widely utilized method for teaching children Its principles are primarily based on body movement and relate to right-brain activities The complexity of the input is gradually increased Children participate in listening, responding to commands, and performing actions; after

a period of time, they take over from the teacher and give commands themselves

2.3.3 Teachers’ and Learners’ Roles in TPR

In the teaching, learning and using TPR method, the teacher and the learner and the instruction materials play different roles

Asher (1977) stated that teachers’ roles include not just teaching but also providing chances for learning Teachers must also give the best possible exposure to language so that students can absorb the fundamental rules of the target language Teachers have influence over the language input that students get They provide students with basic materials to enable them create in their own thoughts Learners' speaking skills should be allowed to develop at their own natural pace Teachers should not interrupt the learning process to correct errors, because this will discourage students

2.3.3.3 Instructional Materials’ Roles

TPR method usually does not include any basic text However, in the later learning phase, materials and reality play a growing role, and a variety of published resources are now accessible to facilitate TPR-based teaching Lessons for beginners may not require the use of materials, because the teacher's voice, action, and gestures may suffice as the basis for classroom activities Later, the teacher may make use of ordinary classroom items such as books, pencils, cups, and chairs When the course progresses, the teacher will

be encouraged to develop or find extra materials for enhancing teaching points

These may consist of images, actualia, sliders, and word charts

2.3.4 Implementation of TPR in Language Classroom

2.3.4.1 TPR Activities

From the late 1960s, when it was born, this method was supported by a majority of foreign language teachers And its worth has remained constant to this day The activities of learning by TPR are extremely fun and relaxing (Shi, 2018), even for adult students who have gone to work The following are some activities that teachers have used and found to be useful for young learners

Asher (1968) states that many structures of language and a lot of vocabulary items are learned from the skillful use of the imperative form

Commands are used as a convenient method to prompt learners to engage in

physical actions and to create a relaxed atmosphere Examples of such

commands include: "Open the window," "Close the door," "Stand up," "Sit

down," "Pick up the book," "Give it to John," and so on The teacher acts as a

parent in the classroom She begins by speaking a word ('jump') or a phrase ('look at the board') and doing an action The teacher then gives the command, and all of the pupils perform the action After a few repetitions, you may extend this by asking the children to repeat the term as they perform the activity When they are confident in the term or phrase, you may invite them to instruct each other or the entire class The activity is considered beneficial for young learners

to practice word forms and meanings

Games are the most popular activity for educating young learners (Reilly

& Ward, 1997) They enjoy active games "Simon Says" is a popular game that may be extended to body language, action phrases, and items that children can touch "Charades" is a game that involves miming and guessing words from picture or word cards These games are easy to apply in a language classroom The learners have enough space to mime (Reilly and Ward, 1997)

The songs are helpful when teaching young students When songs

accompany actions in a foreign language classroom, they promote TPR and help students learn about the meaning of the songs It is beneficial to select basic repeated melodies that increase understanding and memorability Memorable song lyrics aid greatly in the formation of mental connections

between words and meaning The songs can be about face vocabulary You

would begin by teaching them actions and explaining the parts of the face by saying and showing You would then play the song and suggest the youngsters

carrying out the actions Repetition of songs and actions is essential for young learners because familiarity builds confidence and aids memory (Reilly and Ward, 1997)

Story-telling is one of the most significant learning activities for young

learners Students learn notable aspects of speech through such activities since the stories often repeat these items (Pinter, 2006) When participating in story-telling activities, for example, the young learner will hear the target vocabulary words and then stand up to look at and point to major interpretations of the stories This type of TPR activity is supposed to assist young learners in

expanding the learned vocabulary through context

Action stories is another activity help children feel that they understand

language from the very beginning It involves listening, observing, and imitating Young learners acquire a holistic understanding of the language gradually First, pictures may be used to introduce key words The teacher repeats the words slowly and in an order several times (plane, dog, etc.) The students get these words The important thing is to adapt teaching pace to students’ pace of learning Then, the sentences are progressively and successively introduced (fly the aircraft, pet the dog ) Before introducing the next sentence, the teacher repeats the previous one She maintains the order of the presented sentences She then jumbles the order of the sentences and expects the pupils to imitate them while she speaks them Lastly, students are then given pictures of the repeated words and phrases Students are instructed

to write the number of the described action next to the image

To summarize, TPR is one of the most effective and appropriate methods that English teachers apply to teach children They focus on movements while learning a language; consequently, they acquire the language unconsciously, reducing the negative atmosphere linked to language acquisition (Krashen,

2002) Therefore, when the language classroom is filled with activities, movement, and stories, young students can feel interested, confident, as well as comfortable in the learning process (Mirici, 1999) In this study, the researcher implements such TPR activities into the teaching of vocabulary In general, these TPR activities consist of commands, games, songs, story-telling, and action stories used together with the intended physical movements

2.3.4.2 The Procedure of Vocabulary Teaching Using TPR

A teacher has to know the steps for implementing TPR in the classroom According to Larsen and Freeman (1986), before teaching vocabulary, the teacher must select essential vocabulary for the unit of study using characteristics such as: don't select too many words, remember that critical means vital, and which words are essential for understanding Then, the teacher gathers any equipment, props or pictures he/she will need to illustrate the

meaning of the words

Under the view of Richard & Rodgers (2001), there are four main steps

in the procedures of TPR method The first step is review This step is

fast-moving warm-up in which individual students moved with commands that were

learnt in previous lessons When students are confident in movement, they are prepared to receive new commands That is the second step It means that some

new verbs and other vocabulary items are introduced to expand the commands The teacher needs to clearly and consistently act out the actions, or provide the

clear pictures that correspond to the words to be taught The next step is role reversal In this step, students readily volunteered to command the teacher and

their peers The activities can be incorporated to better the students' other

language skills, and the teacher ensures that the students are ready to utter

commands by giving their physical responses without any hints from the

teacher The last step is reading and writing To enhance students' reading and

writing skills, the teacher writes new vocabulary item and sentence on the blackboard The students may listen as the teacher reads the material and copy them in their notebooks

However, depending on the different classroom conditions, there will be

different steps and it is not necessary to follow exactly the steps mentioned above Asher (1982) summarized the implementation of TPR in the classroom

in the following order: Students listen again and watch as the teacher performs the action; The teacher gives the command and models the action once more,

this time having students perform the actions simultaneously; The teacher

issues the group a command without demonstrating the action; The teacher gives the command to an individual without modelling it; The teacher models variations and combinations for the groups; Students perform variations and

combinations; If some students are ready, they give commands to classmates

In short, it can be concluded that any classroom with TPR as the basis provides listening input a lot at first Students are provided some utterances in the form of commands accompanied by physical movement By participating

in various TPR activities, they overcome the fear of listening and speaking in order to achieve the ultimate objective of learning vocabulary through the ability to read, write, and memorize words

2.3.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of TPR

2.3.5.1 Advantages of TPR

TPR is generally very beneficial for teaching English to young learners

In order to raise some benefits of this method, Frost (2007) pointed out that TPR is fun, that it allows teachers to overcome affective barriers, and that it is

simple to memorize Harida (2013) also had the similar view He realized that TPR is conducive to helping students improve their language performance

Indeed, exposure to language through sound, image, and movement makes learners’ brain link to words become stronger, and thus they can remember longer Theoretically, language acquisition must combine meaning and practical action to stimulate the right hemisphere, making the brain sober, not stressed, have many abilities more to learn, help learners absorb language best (Asher, 1968)

From Feng (2017), TPR can stimulate students’ interest, encourage their active participation in the learning process, and enhance the learning environment and atmosphere Academically, TPR is internationally known as

a stress-free approach for second language acquisition Furthermore, TPR significantly increases students' motivation Asher (1979) defined TPR as a method that uses the kinesthetic sensory system to combine information and skills This combination of skills enables the student to rapidly assimilate

knowledge and skills As a result, this success leads to a high level of

motivation

One of the clearest advantages of TPR is that it can be used both in large

or small classes as long as the teacher takes the guide, the learners will follow

and it works well with mixed-ability classes (Widodo, 2005) because the

physical actions are able to help learners understand and apply the target

language Moreover, there is no requirement of preparing a lot of materials The

important part is what you want to practice

In conclusion, it is obvious that TPR should be implemented in the

classroom since TPR is an effective teaching method Additionally, TPR is ideally suited for children because children do not learn by thinking but by doing (Linse, 2005a)

2.3.5.2 Disadvantages of TPR

In addition to such advantages, TPR has certain disadvantages, as well Teachers may find that it is limited in language scope and it is not flexibly used

to teach everything If using it a lot, it would become repetitive Besides, TPR

is not also a very creative method because the students are not given the

opportunity to express their own views in a creative way Even the students who are in a group sometimes do not have to perform for the whole class As a result, they might find it embarrassing Moreover, it is only suitable for beginner levels because the target language lends itself to such activities To sum up, TPR should best be combined with other methods since it needs much energy so that learners do not feel tired of learning language

of senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.) When we make perception about something, we use our senses to understand object and events in our surrounding

Similarly, Bull (2011) defined perception as the ability to perceive something or the process of seeing or comprehending something whereas Hoffman (2008) stated that there are three different descriptions of perception: the way you think about or understand someone or something, the ability to understand or notice something easily, and the way that you notice or understand something using one of your senses

Walgito (2004) added that feeling and thinking ability also take part in influencing one’s perception As the result, one’s perception may be different with that of others’, due to their different need, suitability, feeling, thinking ability, experiences, as well as knowledge on anything

In short, we can conclude that perception is understood as the process of

an individual's understanding, thinking and opinion of an object or a subject based on their own experience

2.4.1.2 Types of Perception

According to Irwanto (2002), the interaction between a person and an object leads to two different types of perception The first type is positive perception, which positively describes all information and reactions Further, a person with a positive perception will embrace and support the perceived object The second type is a negative perception It includes all information and responses in contrast to the perceived object It can be claimed that a person's perception, both positive and negative, will always affect how they carry out

an action And the construction of a positive or negative perception is completely based on how a person defines his total understanding of an observed object

2.4.2 Teachers’ Perceptions

According to Kim and Hatton (2008), teachers' perceptions are the teaching premise, which includes teaching concepts or conceptual thinking and learning through experience and action Teachers are constantly observing student understanding in the classroom (Brown, 2007), so their perceptions of

a teaching method and/or the learning environment can provide a reliable view The perceptions of teachers are their interpretations of what is occurring in the classroom and how they interpret it Their perceptions are not convictions, but

they can influence their beliefs, which are a set of consciously or unconsciously held hypotheses or assumptions (Borg, 2001; Bracey, 2016)

Meanwhile Pajares (1992) concluded that teachers' perceptions and beliefs are closely related and Moloi (2009) also said that the concepts of

"belief" and "perception" are interchangeable In addition, Kurniawati (2006) asserted that teachers' beliefs can be used to gain insight into their classroom practices and ideals Therefore, teachers must be conscious of their own beliefs regarding the teaching and learning process It indicates that teachers’ perceptions serve as their fundamental premise for making decisions

Based on the explanations provided above, the perceptions of teachers include why they use particular teaching methods, their knowledge of teaching methods, and the essence of the teacher's role Therefore, it can be concluded that teachers' perceptions play an essential role in the teaching and learning process, as they not only influence teachers' decision-making and behavior, but also provide important insights into many different elements of education

2.5 Previous Studies

There have been several related studies on TPR method applied to teaching English vocabulary Some of them are as follows:

Muñoz (2011) conducted an experimental study to examine the effects

of applying TPR in teaching English vocabulary at a primary school of Colombia The sample was 32 third-grade students Through results of classroom observations showed that the TPR method helped the participants learn vocabulary items more effectively and quickly Besides, their motivation and interest level in the language learning was expanded thanks to the TPR method

Sariyati (2013) conducted a research project on the effectiveness of

TPR in English vocabulary achievement The instruments of this research are test and observation The result of the research showed that the TPR was effective and suitable to be used for elementary school children to learn English vocabulary and they felt happier and easier when learning with TPR method

To examine if using TPR improved primary students’ vocabulary mastery, Bahtiar (2017) studied on 18 Indonesian fourth-grade students The research design employed in this study was action research which consisted of some steps namely: planning an action, implementing the action and observing the action According to the findings from classroom observation and field notes, TPR helped the learners remember vocabulary easily Moreover, they were active and enjoyable to learn English with TPR applied

In Vietnam, Ngo and Pham (2018) studied the effect of using TPR method on EFL young learners’ vocabulary and speaking fluency in 2018 at Victory Informatics Foreign Language Center of Tra Vinh University The results showed a positive effect of using TPR in teaching vocabulary to children; as well as enhancing young learners’ attitudes to vocabulary learning using the TPR method at their classes Besides, TPR also made an improvement on speaking fluency

In addition, several studies have investigated the perceptions of TPR and TPRS by students (Clifton, 2012; Panyadee, 2013) However, perceptions

of TPR among teachers have received little attention The relationship between teacher perceptions of TPR and their practical implementation of TPR in the classroom is still poorly understood Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore teachers' perceptions and practices regarding TPR to fill this research gap

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

This chapter covers the methods used in the research They are research design, participants, instruments of data collection, and data analysis Each section is explained in the following

3.1 Research Design

Creswell (2009) stated that research design can be defined as plans and procedures which the researcher can use with complete data collection and analysis methods The method which is used in this research is descriptive because the research would present a description of the teachers’ perception towards teaching vocabulary through TPR method and at the end build a conclusion based on the data gained Creswell (1994) assumed the descriptive method of research is to gain information about the resent existing condition and also to assess the hypothesis or question concerning the current situation

of the research and in 2008 he also suggested a mixed method research approach in which it is possible to mix quantitative data to measure trend patterns of a number of people with qualitative data to obtain more detailed and specific information and, in turn, strengthen the quantitative data Therefore, a descriptive research using mixed- methods approach has been chosen in this study for its own strengths

Specifically, a quantitative method with questionnaires and observations was secondary to a qualitative approach with interviews For the first objective

to answer the first research question, “What are teachers’ perceptions of using TPR method to teach English vocabulary to young learners at primary schools?”, this research has employed a questionnaire survey In this way, the numerical data on a large population could be quantitatively collected and technically processed for both objectiveness, universality and reflect their implications of teachers’ perceptions For the second objective about “How do

primary teachers apply TPR method to English classes?”, in order to capture natural and realistic teaching behaviors in real classes and to make sure that their teaching practice is not governed by the questionnaire, observations have been conducted prior to the questionnaire data collection, checklist for quantitative data analyses followed with teacher interviews for further qualitative investigations into reflections The frequency counts of repetitive verbal and non-verbal teaching behaviors in the checklist collaborated with the questionnaire data are grounded indicators to measure the surveyed teachers’ perceptions while realistic observations and teacher interviews yield both frequency counts By triangulating the three types of the data, the quantitative data has been qualified for interpretation or analysis and the qualitative data have been quantized for their behavior patterns Such a quantitative – qualitative combination may make a smooth mixing and critical double-checks from the quantitative to the qualitative data for valid research procedures The impacts between the two types of quantitative and qualitative data are believed

to be scientifically strengthened for self-correcting feedback loops and created

an interactive continuum in any research study (Newman & Benz, 1998) Both observation data and interview data could be complementary for questionnaire data because they are advantageous in either subsequent reference or illustrative presentations with auditory and visual evidence, thematic grouping

or quantitative or qualitative data coding in processing and analyses

3.2 Participants

The surveyed subjects are 50 primary teachers from 18 primary schools

in Quy Nhon City For diversity, the elements of age, genders, language proficiency level, years of teaching experience are kept in their confidential records Of the respondents, 86% are female teachers aged 22-50 (only 3 males out of 50) As for their English proficiency, their levels ranges from A2 (3), B1

(7), B2 (24), C1 (6) Among the surveyed teachers, 5 randomly invited with their full agreement to be the observed teachers under their ID numbers from T1 to T5 are invited to take part in the observations in 1 first- grade class, 1 second- grade class, 1 third- grade class, 1 fourth- grade class and 1 fifth- grade class Each class will be observed 2 meetings constantly Next, the 5 observed teachers are also selected to be the interviewed teachers for their confidentiality Table 3.1 summarizes the demographic data of the participants

Table 3.1

A brief description of the survey participants

10 years + 16 32

3.3 Data Collection

In order to collect data, the research has employed the three instruments –questionnaire and observation for quantitative data, and interviews for qualitative data

3.3.1 Questionnaire

Questionnaires are used to collect data on phenomena like attitude, motivation and perception, which are not easily observed When opinions rather than facts are desired, a questionnaire with a rating scale is usually employed (Kumar, 1996) A questionnaire is given to 50 EFL teachers who teach English at 18 primary schools in Quy Nhon City The teacher’s questionnaire is delivered both online and in hard copies The questionnaire contains both closed and open-ended questions Before the questionnaires are delivered, teachers are carefully instructed All question items are fully understood and written in English

The official questionnaire is structured in 3 parts (see Appendix 1 for the full form of the questionnaire) First is a cover letter involving the purpose of the survey, the importance of the recipients, the value of their careful responses, the researcher’s ethical commitments and the participants’ confirmation of their consent The second part consists of questions about the participants’ demographic and professional background (i.e age spans, gender, work place, pre-service professional background, years of working experience, and mobile phones) That the participants can optionally determine the amount of their identity information such as their language proficiency, to some extent, may provide the questionnaire truth The third part is the questionnaire with 10 questions in total which are categorized into two sections: The first section called teachers’ perception of the use of TPR in teaching vocabulary with 21 items focused on teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of TPR (10 items),

teachers’ perceptions of the disadvantages of TPR (6 items) and teachers’ perceptions about the necessity of TPR use in teaching vocabulary (5 items) This section is positively polarized on 1-5 Likert scale, ranging respectively from strongly disagree (SD), disagree (D), neutral (N), agree (A) to strongly agree (SA) to indicate the levels of their perceptions The second section is 6 close-ended questions which explore the implementation of TPR method to teach vocabulary in English classes There is also an open-ended question at the end of the questionnaire for obtaining suggestions for primary teachers to use TPR method in English classes effectively

3.3.2 Classroom Observation

It is the fact that observation plays a central role in practice teaching, both observation of your teaching by your cooperating teacher, as well as your own observations of your cooperating teachers’ class The observations give teacher a chance to familiarize himself or herself with such things as the course materials the teacher is using, the teaching methods and strategies the teacher uses, how he or she interacts with students, how the learners respond and interact with the teacher and among themselves, and the kinds of language they understand and produce Also, it is useful that teacher can see what methods and strategies another teacher employs He or she may learn more about the learners (e.g., their interests, motivations, and learning styles) This will better prepare teachers for the time when they takeover teaching the class As Gaies (1991) pointed out, “what we see, when we observe teachers and learners in action, is not the mechanical application of methods and techniques, but rather

a reflection of how teachers have interpreted these things” Moreover, Hancock

(1998) emphasized, “because of the richness and credibility of information it can provide, observation being a desirable part of data gathering instrument”

and Cohen, Manion, & Morrison (2007) claimed that the observation affords

the opportunity for the researcher to gather live data from a live situation Therefore, observation in the actual classroom teaching and learning process is used as data gathering instrument

For the purpose of observation, checklist is employed A checklist contains a list of different features of a lesson, which teacher complete while observing a lesson Checklists provide a clear focus for observation; however, they can only be used for certain aspects of a lesson, such as features that are easy to count, and should focus on only one or two aspects of the lesson There are several published checklists that can be used in classroom observations (e.g, Wajnryb 1992) but these may need to be adapted to suit teacher’ needs Alternatively, teacher and her or his cooperating teaching can develop and their own checklists

Prior to the class observations, all of the teachers are informed about the purpose of the observations with their full consent and without any impacts from the questionnaire The researcher consults the teachers before making decisions about which classes to observe to ensure the collecting of the relevant data Besides, the researcher also has to confirm the confidentiality and the sole research purposes so as to remove the observed teachers’ anxiety

During the observations, because the researcher is not allowed to intervene or manipulate any variables in the observations (Nassaji, 2015), the researcher plays a role as a non-participant observer Creswell (2012) described

a non-participant observer is an "outsider" who sits in some advantageous place such as in the back row of the classroom or on the periphery to observe and record the phenomenon under study It means that the researcher is not involved and do not interact with the class activities and minimizes the pupils’ attention distraction or unnaturally occurring teaching The researcher just takes notes of the teacher’s instruction concerning the use of TPR, teacher-student interaction