Introduction
&
purpose
ABSTRACT
This action research study was conducted in a fourth grade English Language Arts classroom at an Elementary School in south Raleigh. The main group of focus was the English Language Learner (ELL) students in the class. The purpose of the study was to determine how effective a particular strategy is for learning vocabulary words. The instructional strategy we used was Total Physical Response (TPR), which involves performing an action or gesture to accompany a word---in this case, a root word, such as bio-, geo-, or astro-. Actions were taught and practiced with the words for about one and a half weeks. Students reviewed and studied independently or with a partner for about 5-7 minutes per day. Students completed cloze sentences and filled portions of a TIP chart on a vocabulary quiz after the week and a half. Out of the seven ESL students, five demonstrated grade-level mastery (level 3 score), one student earned a level 4 (above grade-level), and one earned a level 2 (slightly below grade-level) score. The majority of students in the entire class earned either a level 3 or level 4 score on the quiz. These results indicate that the TPR instructional strategy can be effective for teaching, learning, and practicing vocabulary words. The strategy is beneficial for both English Language learners and native speakers. Consequently, due to conducting this study, the teacher is now more likely to use actions or gestures when teaching challenging vocabulary words.
Research Question
To what extent does Total Physical Response (TPR) impact 4th grade English Language Learners' (ELLs) appropriate use of vocabulary words in cloze sentences?
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As an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, I have tried various instructional techniques to support my students’ language development in my ESL classroom. I am continually reading literature and blogs in hopes of finding new techniques which are effective with ELLs. Most educators know the importance of good vocabulary knowledge in aiding a student’s comprehension of a text. However, vocabulary knowledge is even more crucial for language learners who have limited exposure to English words and who may lack other necessary background information.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a specific strategy. I hope to learn, or rather, verify an instructional technique that is effective for English Language Learners (ELLs). Specifically, we are looking at vocabulary instruction on root words. At the conclusion of this action research study, the goal is to be able to tell other educators about the results so they may possibly implement the strategy in their own classrooms.
