Total Physical Response for the development of speaking skills of first graders at Liceo Panamericano Centenario High School 2022-2023.

Authors: Álvarez Guerrero, Arantxa Anahí; Aguilera Castañeda, Jocelyne Romina

Description: This research work is a descriptive study regarding EFL speaking development issues showcased among first graders post-covid, in the scholastic year 2022 – 2023 while in the EFL language arts lessons in a bilingual elementary school. The face-to-face instruction seemed to be challenging, especially, for the development of speaking skills according to their cognitive development, for this reason, the teacher changed the methodology to a Total Physical Response (TPR) model. The methodology used in the present study was mixed methods that addresses the integration of qualitative and quantitative components together with instruments such as unstructured observation and speaking proficiency tests. It was concluded that TPR techniques were effective for the development of speaking skills in young learners. Finally, as a proposal, an online teacher training course was designed to instruct educators in TPR strategies, techniques, together with a booklet that offers a complete guide to acquire a better understanding in the application of TPR inside early childhood classrooms especially for speaking development.