Language Teaching Methodologies: Eleanitz, Dip-Dip-Dip, and TPR

Eleanitz: A Multilingual Education Project

ELEANITZ, meaning "multilingual" in Basque, is a project launched in 1991 to prepare students for a multilingual and multicultural Europe. It involves teaching Basque and Spanish, the region's official languages, and introducing English and French within a common methodological and curricular framework.

Eleanitz English, a component of this integrated language policy, provides curriculum, materials, and training for teaching English to students aged 4-16. Activities include stories, booklets, and songs, utilizing materials like folders, crayons, and booklets. While used in many private schools, the materials are not publicly available.

Dip-Dip-Dip: English for Young Learners

Designed for berritzeguneak (teacher training centers) between 1999 and 2004, DIP-DIP-DIP caters to children aged 4-5. Its methodology incorporates distinct units with three key aspects:

• Procedures: Proper use of greetings, strategies for understanding the teacher's message.
• Attitudes: Fostering a positive attitude towards English, active participation, and communication with the teacher.
• Concepts: Expressions like "hello," "good morning," "please," and "thank you." Vocabulary related to emotions, animals, and numbers.

Sessions are 1.5 hours per week, featuring activities such as stories, songs, rhymes, rituals, and games. Materials include markers, storybooks, pictures, cards, and crayons. Used in numerous state schools across the country, DIP-DIP-DIP materials are publicly accessible.

TPR (Total Physical Response): Engaging Learners Through Movement

TPR is a language teaching method that utilizes physical movement in response to verbal input, aiming to reduce student inhibitions and lower their affective filter. Instructors provide commands in the target language, and students react with whole-body actions.

How to Use TPR in the Classroom

The teacher acts as a guide, initially saying a word (e.g., "jump") or phrase (e.g., "look at the board") and demonstrating the corresponding action. Students then perform the action upon hearing the command. Repetition reinforces learning, and students can eventually direct each other or the entire class.

TPR effectively teaches and practices various language elements:

• Action-related vocabulary (e.g., smile, chop, headache, wriggle)
• Tenses (past, present, future, continuous aspects) - e.g., "Every morning I clean my teeth, I make my bed, I eat breakfast."
• Classroom language - e.g., "Open your books."
• Imperatives/Instructions - e.g., "Stand up, close your eyes."
• Storytelling

TPR is often used in conjunction with other methods and techniques to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment.