TPRS in ESL Programs: A Storytelling Approach

This capstone project is an effort to incorporate TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) into a middle-school sheltered ESL curriculum. TPRS is a promising methodology that has been used in foreign language acquisition classes for decades, but has not yet had a significant impact on ESL education in the United States. The accompanying paper examines the process of adapting this methodology to best serve the needs of English learners, which are distinct from foreign-language learners in critical ways. Relevant topics in the literature review include an overview of ESL in the United States today, the principles of language acquisition, and a review of the practices and effectiveness of TPRS. Also included is a 3-week curriculum plan containing several TPRS stories, activities, and assessments, along with their supporting materials. All curricular items have been aligned with the IB (International Baccalaureate) language acquisition standards for grades 6-10, and have been designed with a particular focus on sheltered instruction, SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) programs, and similar ESL models. The goal of the project is to explore the potential of TPRS in teaching such traditionally underserved students, especially since the stakes for them are often so high