This reading talked about Asher's Total Physical Response(TPR) approach to teaching language. This method allows students to first listen and follow the commands of their teacher in the target language before they are required to produce the language themselves. This models how young babies/children learn their first language as they are able to show their comprehension first through pointing and other physical activities before they progress to speaking. Another method called the audio-motor unit is similiar except that the spoken language giving the commands, etc is a tape recording of a native speaker. This chapter also mentioned the importance of lessons that focus on meaning rather than grammar.
I think that this method is definitely a great way to get the class involved and a way for everyone to participate without the anxiety of being called out to repeat words they may be uneasy about pronouncing. However I feel that it definitely needs to be supplemented with other methods, as the text describes, as it would be hard to deliver meaning of abstract concepts through TPR alone.
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