TEACHING VOCABULARY THROUGH TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE: A FUNCTIONAL-SEMANTIC AND PEDAGOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the Total Physical Response (TPR) method as an effective pedagogical approach to vocabulary acquisition in English language teaching. Grounded in psycholinguistic and cognitive theories of language acquisition, TPR emphasizes the coordination of speech and motor activity. The study aims to examine the theoretical foundations, instructional procedures, and pedagogical outcomes of TPR within the framework of modern language teaching methodologies. Employing a functional-semantic and comparative approach, the research demonstrates that TPR significantly enhances vocabulary retention, listening comprehension, and learner engagement, particularly at the initial stages of language learning. However, the study also identifies certain limitations in its applicability at advanced levels. The findings contribute to contemporary discussions on communicative language teaching and multimodal learning strategies.