Books
- TPRS in a Year!
- PQA in a Wink!
- Bucky Va à Paris!
- ¡Bucky Va a Mexico!
- Tripp's Scripts, Vol. 1
- Story Scripts Volume I
- Story Scripts Volume II
"TPRS In a Year!" by Ben Slavic ($35.00)
TPRS in a Year! was developed to help teachers speed up the process of learning TPRS. Forty-nine skills are discussed. Four in-depth sample stories describe how to construct stories using TPRS. There is an extensive Q and A section. 203 pages. Click on the links below to read from this book.
"Hi Ben - I LOVE the 'TPRS in a Year!' book!! I, a teacher who has NEVER ventured into TPRS territory, have tried a few of the suggestions in my classes the past fewdays and am very excited about the results. I ordered 'PQA in a Wink!', and can't wait to get it!!! Thanks so much." - Julie Mason
"I am a fourth year teacher who has been looking for the missing link in my instruction using TPRS. I must say that through only the first 6 pages you have instilled another level of comprehension and comfort with your explanations and examples. Thank you so much for the gift of confidence." - Gary Salas
In TPRS in a Year! you will discover how to:
- work together with your students to create a story
- choose and implement the TPRS skills that work for you
- bring students into your classroom process without forcing them
- teach for authentic language acquisition
- use TPRS techniques like circling to make sure that each student understands
- make comprehensible input and personalization the foundation of your success
- establish trust in your classroom
- use scripted stories as a basis for your own stories
- unleash the powerful tool of reading in your classroom
- teach writing using the proven dictéform
- prolong your career and avoid teacher burnout
"I have been reading your book TPRS in a Year! and am completely enlightened. I have been doing TPRS for 5 years. Now, after reading your book, I realize that I have just dipped my toe into the swimming pool. I am ready to go for a dip this year. I had no idea of all of the skills that I [can improve] in. I had no idea that there were that many skills to look at in reference to TPRS. I had been to several workshops...and I had no idea of how to improve. You have given me a lot to think about! I am so pleased. Thank you so very much. Keep it up. You are a lighthouse to those of us trying to find our way." - Kris Bintliff
"Ben, I think your books rock. We're at the German TPRS week long seminar and we leaders have promoted your books. TPRS in a Year! is perfect for both beginners who need a step by step instruction of each skill and for experienced people who feel their classes are becoming a bit flat." - Julie Baird
BLAINE RAY says about TPRS in a Year!:
"Ben Slavic's new book, TPRS in a Year!, is excellent. It is all about doing what is best for teachers. This book is marvelous and will be a great help. I believe that it can only have a great influence for good."
[ Back to Top ]
"PQA in a Wink!" by Ben Slavic ($29.00)
This book addresses personalization and the TPRS Step One skill of PQA, providing specific suggestions about PQA and classroom discipline that are easy to blend into any curriculum, not just a TPRS curriculum. 147 pages. Click on the link below to read from this book.
SUSAN GROSS says about PQA in a Wink!:
"Every day I see teachers who have been blessed by your book PQA in a Wink! It is the best thing out there for helping teachers. It is, quite simply, a work of genius. You have totally explained and illustrated what personalization is and how far it can take you.
By following your suggestions teacbers will have the keys for teaching "in the zone" and producing students who love language and are good at it. I am so glad you wrote that book; it is a true gift to the profession."
In PQA in a Wink! you will discover how to:
- start the year out by personalizing your classroom
- build rapport and connect with your students
- make PQA work in your classroom
- greatly increase student involvement in your class
- learn to talk to your students in the target language about things that interest them
- come up with creative and interesting names for your students
- use the target language from the first day of class
- deal with oppositional and reticent students
- extend PQA into stories
- increase your enrollment
ANNE MATAVA says:
"Last year at Blaine's conference I had my copy of TPRS in a Year! with me and people were fighting to get a glimpse of it. I literally had people on a 60-minute rotation, they could have it for an hour and then they had to pass it on to the next person on the list.
"Both PQA in a Wink! and TPRS in a Year! have been indispensible to me as a first-year TPRS teacher. Ben goes through the steps of TPRS carefully with a lot of examples, love, and humor. TPRS in a Year! is a real how-to manual, complete with a very detailed description of how he does a story. He identifies each skill, explains it, and tells why it's important.
"AND, the big news is, Ben has a new book out! It's called PQA in a Wink! and it demystifies and expands on the PQA process. It's loaded with more of that great Ben Slavic humor and insight. I recommend both books to any TPRS teacher, new or experienced. Ben writes with enthusiasm and joy."
MICHELE WHALEY says:
"I read both your books and all I can say is WOW! Thank you so much for writing them! They have helped me open up my mind and understanding. I have tried using TPRS for two years and I have also attended three TPRS workshops, which were wonderful, but they went by so fast that I wasn't able to keep up. With your books I was able to take my time and reflect on what you were saying and tie in with what I was doing correctly and where I needed to improve."
[ Back to Top ]
"Bucky Va à Paris!" by Ben Slavic ($95.00)
"I just wanted to say that I think your Bucky Program is excellent! So much easier than Pimsleur French and the French In Action Series."
- Brian Limoges
Bucky Va à Paris! - A TPRS-based Method
Note: The copyright for this program is available at no charge to individuals or schools, in order to provide multiple copies of the program, including the CDs, to students for independent learning outside of the classroom. This copyright does not apply to school districts.
Modeled on the innovative TPR Storytelling® method, Bucky Va à Paris! is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn conversational French and "get around in France" vocabulary. It can also be used to supplement learning outside of class. Students with extended absences, or accelerated students, can use the Bucky program to learn on their own.
Memorization is not used. Bucky is a repetition-filled text. Over seven hours of travel structures are presented on six CD’s. Each structure is repeated in the form of a barrage of multiple, non-stop, similar questions. As you answer each question, you internally acquire the travel terms.
If you compare your brain to a computer, memorization places French structures on the desktop (the pre-frontal cortex). But to truly learn the language, the structures must be placed into the hard drive (the posterior cortex and the cerebellum). This is what the repetitive process of the Bucky program accomplishes.
Each selection is written in a way to allow you to grasp the meaning of the words from context only. A dictionary is not needed. Some facts may seem distorted or exaggerated. This “catches” the attention of the mind and facilitates learning.
“I just wanted to drop you a line to say that I'm really enjoying the Bucky program. I’ve been listening to the CDs over and over and haven’t gotten tired of them. I'm just starting the fifth CD, and I listen to the program every day on my commute. My pronunciation and retention have improved immensely, and the grammar section is excellent, so much clearer than in books! Thank you so much for developing this program!”
-Anet Paulina
At the end of each selection, a series of questions based on learned vocabulary, but in the "I" form, is presented. This key section allows you to practice speaking in the first person, after having first listened to the main text in the third person. It is easiest to first learn French in the narrative (third person) form, but then those forms have to be transferred to the first person, since that is the form you must master to be able to get around in French speaking countries. Luckily, it happens that in the French language the two forms are often identical in sound and so are easily acquired.
What about grammar? By doing the work on this CD you learn structure. Structure is grammar, and once learned in this way, you can enjoy self-expression in French. The study of grammar is not needed to learn a language. It can be studied later, once the language is learned, if desired.
At the end of the program, basic French expressions, greetings, numbers, etc. are presented. These selections, again, offer repetitive practice. In addition, there are also sections on French pronunciation and grammar for those interested. There is also a list of words in English which are derived from the French. This list is useful to high school students preparing for the verbal portion of the SAT examination.
The copyright for Bucky Va à Paris! may be purchased by individuals or schools in order to provide multiple copies to students for independent learning outside of the classroom.
MERRITT BIGELOW of Centennial, Colorado, says:
"Bucky is better than Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone. Period."
[ Back to Top ]
"¡Bucky Va a Mexico!" by Ben Slavic ($95.00)
"I just wanted to say that I think your Bucky Program is excellent! So much easier than Pimsleur Spanish and [other] series."
- Brian Limoges
¡Bucky Va Mexico! - A TPRS-based Method
Note: The copyright for this program is available at no charge to individuals or schools, in order to provide multiple copies of the program, including the CDs, to students for independent learning outside of the classroom. This copyright does not apply to school districts.
Recorded by Guadelupe Garcia, ¡Bucky Va a México! has just been completed and is now available for purchase. Modeled on the innovative TPR Storytelling® method, it is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn conversational Spanish as it is spoken in Mexico.
Not intended as a classroom text, although some teachers use it that way, it is best for individuals. It can be used with accelerated students or students who have extended absences, or with anyone who just wants to hear and repeat interesting and meaningful Spanish in an interesting, comprehensible, and meaningful format that leads to real acquisition of the language.
Memorization is not used. Bucky is a repetition-filled text. Over seven hours of travel structures are presented on six CDs. Each structure is repeated in the form of a barrage of multiple, non-stop, similar questions. As you answer each question, you internally acquire the travel terms.
“I just wanted to drop you a line to say that I'm really enjoying the Bucky program. I’ve been listening to the CDs over and over and haven’t gotten tired of them. I'm just starting the fifth CD, and I listen to the program every day on my commute. My pronunciation and retention have improved immensely, and the program overall is so much clearer than in books! Thank you so much for developing this program!”
-Anet Paulina
If you compare your brain to a computer, memorization places Spanish structures on the desktop (the pre-frontal cortex). But to truly learn the language, the structures must be placed into the hard drive (the posterior cortex and the cerebellum). This is what the repetitive process of the Bucky programs accomplishes.
Each selection is written in a way to allow you to grasp the meaning of the words from context only. A dictionary is not needed. Some facts may seem distorted or exaggerated. This “catches” the attention of the mind and facilitates learning.
At the end of each selection, a series of questions based on learned vocabulary, but in the "I" form, is presented. This key section allows you to practice speaking in the first person, since that is the form you must master to be able to get around in Spanish speaking countries.
What about grammar? By doing the work on these CDs you learn structure. Structure is grammar, and once learned in this way, you can enjoy self-expression in Spanish. The study of grammar is not needed to learn a language. It can be studied later, once the language is learned, if desired.
At the end of the program, basic Spanish expressions, greetings, numbers, etc. are presented. These selections, again, offer repetitive practice.
MERRITT BIGELOW, of Centennial, Colorado, says:
"Bucky is better than Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone. Period."
[ Back to Top ]
"Tripp's Scripts, Vol. 1" by Jim Tripp ($25.00)
What Jim says about Tripp's Scripts, Vol. 1:
"Included in this book are 40 story scripts, tried and tested in a real classroom setting. The scripts are designed not only to help you create fun and lively stories in your classroom, but also to inspire you to add your own original twists and to adapt them to fit your individual needs.
There are many scripts in this book that will undoubtedly be very successful for you in class. Others might not work at all. That’s the nature of asking stories: we personalize content to fit the students’ interests and needs, not the other way around.
Anne Matava’s TPRS Story Scripts Vol. 1 and 2 have undoubtedly influenced my approach to scripting stories. Her simple and intriguing scripts have affected the way I implement TPRS in my classroom. This book is in true Matava form, and I thank her for her leadership as an excellent TPRS script writer and for her willingness to share her material with us."
What Ben Slavic thinks of Tripp's Scripts, Vol. 1:
"I use Jim's scripts because:
[ Back to Top ]
"Story Scrips Vol. I" by Anne Matava ($20.00)
"I can't imagine doing storytelling without Anne's books. They are by far the best scripts I have used. They reach the teenage mind and almost unfailingly help in the creation of lots of humor. If I had to throw out everything I use in my comprehension based classes but could only keep two books, I would keep Anne's Story Scripts Volumes 1 and 2."
- Ben Slavic
The forty stories in this book were written to increase the level of personalization and interest in the TPRS classroom. They are simple scripts, each with 3 target phrases repeated throughout.
These scripts were not written to accompany any particular curriculum or textbook. They can be adapted for use in any second language classroom, even if the teacher is not using TPRS exclusively. Each script has been teacher-tested and found to be engaging and effective.
Unlike many TPRS materials, which rely heavily on talking animals and similar scenarios, these scripts depict familiar situations that are interesting to adolescents.
Underlined words in the stories represent variables - the details that we prompt the students to provide. Stories often turn out to be absurd; however, it is the students' interests, and their sense of humor, which drive the absurdity. In this way, each class creates a highly personalized and compelling story.
The scripts in this book can help to make your stories tight, individualized, and memorable. It includes sections on starting the year with TPRS, and on scripting your own stories - two of the more troublesome areas teachers new to the method have reported.
Here is a sample script:
He Talks Too Much
talks
stop it!
the whole time, all the time
Troy talks too much. He talks all the time. (At this point you can find out what he talks about, in what language, etc.) He goes to the movies and talks the whole time to John McCain. John McCain says, "Shhh! Stop it!" but Troy does not stop talking. The manager comes and says, "Leave the cinema!"
Troy goes to the library. There he talks the whole time to Lexi, who is trying to do homework. Lexi says, "Shhh! Stop it!" but Troy does not stop talking. The librarian comes and says, "Leave the library!"
He goes to the dentist. The dentist has her hands in his mouth. She can not help him, because he talks the whole time. She says, "Shhhh! Stop it!" but Troy does not stop talking. His teeth rot and fall out. He can't talk anymore, because he has no teeth.
[ Back to Top ]
"Story Scrips Vol. II" by Anne Matava ($20.00)
In this long-awaited second volume of Anne Matava's story scripts we again see scripts that are elegant and easy to use - proven winners. Although all scripts can be modified for use with all levels, the first 23 were written for first- and second-year classes, while the remainder were intended for the upper levels.
All stories were written to increase the level of personalization and interest in the TPRS classroom. They are simple, well crafted scripts, each with 3 target phrases repeated throughout each location at the right time.
These scripts were not written to accompany any particular curriculum or textbook. They can be adapted for use in any second language classroom, even if the teacher is not using TPRS exclusively. Each script has been teacher-tested and found to be engaging and effective.
Unlike many TPRS materials, which rely heavily on talking animals and similar scenarios, these scripts depict familiar situations that are interesting to adolescents.
Underlined words in the stories represent variables - the details that we prompt the students to provide. Stories often turn out to be absurd; however, it is the students' interests, and their sense of humor, which drive the absurdity. In this way, each class creates a highly personalized and compelling story.
The scripts in this book can help to make your stories tight, individualized, and memorable. It includes sections on starting the year with TPRS, and on scripting your own stories - two of the more troublesome areas teachers new to the method have reported.
Here is a sample script from Volume 2:
Lazy
works
the boss yells
lazy
Gabi works in Disney World. She drives the Monorail, but she sleeps all the time. The boss yells because Gabi is lazy. He says, "Gabi! You are lazy!" "So what?" says Gabi. The boss says, "You are fired!"
Now Gabi works at a recycling center. She sleeps in the trash can. The boss yells because Gabi is lazy. He says, "Gabi! You are lazy!" "So what?" says Gabi. The boss says, "You are fired!"
Now Gabi works in a zoo as an elbow surgeon. She plays Frisbee with the hippo. The boss yells because Gabi is lazy. He says, "Gabi! You are lazy!" "So what?" says Gabi. The boss says, "You are fired!" The hippo licks the boss's ear.
[ Back to Top ]