THE ESSENCE OF THE TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE IS THAT LEARNERS ARE SILENT, LISTEN TO A COMMAND IN THE LANGUAGE BEING TAUGHT, THEN, OBEY THE COMMAND BY ACTING IT OUT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR AS A MODEL. THE METHOD WAS APPLIED TO TEACHING RUSSIAN AFTER AN INITIAL EXPERIMENT HAD BEEN TRIED WITH JAPANESE. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ACTED OUT THE COMMANDS. THE CONTROL GROUP IMAGINED THEY WERE ACTING OUT THE COMMANDS, BUT ACTUALLY REMAINED SEATED THROUGHOUT THE SESSION. THE TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE METHOD PRODUCED SUPERIOR LEARNING IN RETENTION OF RUSSIAN WORDS AFTER A PERIOD AS LONG AS 2 WEEKS. THIS ARTICLE IS A REPRINT FROM THE "INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS," VOLUME 3, NUMBER 4, 1965. (RS)