The Effects of Total Physical Response on Vocabulary Retention and Motivation of Young Learners at a Vietnamese English Language Center

This study investigates the extent to which Total Physical Response (TPR) strengthens Grade-5 learners’ vocabulary learning outcomes and motivational engagement in a private English language center in Vietnam. A four-week quasi-experimental design was implemented with two intact classes (N = 30). The experimental group received TPR-based instruction characterized by teacher commands, gesture modeling, and movement-mediated rehearsal, whereas the control group followed textbook-centered routines aligned with Family and Friends 5, National Edition. Data were collected via a vocabulary pre-test and post-test, a classroom observation checklist capturing behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, and a post-intervention motivation questionnaire measuring enjoyment, participation, and effort. Results show that while both groups improved over time, the experimental group achieved substantially larger learning gains (t(14) = 8.11, p < .001, d = 1.61) and outperformed the control group on the post-test (t(28) = 5.21, p < .001, d = 1.90). Observation and questionnaire patterns converged to indicate more sustained engagement and more positive motivational quality in TPR lessons. By critically linking these findings to embodied learning accounts, dual coding, and cognitive load perspectives, the study argues that movement-mediated instruction is not merely “fun” but can systematically enhance vocabulary learning conditions for young learners in private-center contexts.