Interested in learning a new language?
If so, you may want to choose a teacher who talks with their hands.
A study conducted by Colgate University Associate Professor of Psychology Spencer Kelly and two Colgate undergraduate researchers, Tara McDevitt ’06 and Megan Esch ’07, reveals that people understand and remember foreign words better when a gesture is associated with them.
The research team’s report on the role of gestures in learning a foreign language was recently published in the journal Language and Cognitive Processes, and the findings have been reported by several news organizations.
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“Verbal instruction alone is not the most effective teaching method,” said Kelly. “The use of words along with hand gestures is a powerful combination for picking up a new tongue.”
The study points out that it is not just mere hand waving that makes people remember a word. The gesture must be connected to the meaning of a word.
For example, study participants were more likely to remember the Japanese word for drink, “Nomu,” when the instructor made a drinking motion while defining the word compared to when no gesture or an unrelated one was present.
Kelly believes the practical implications of the study will be of interest to students and instructors of any language.
“Because mastering multiple languages is becoming more and more important in an increasingly global society,” he said, “this research can be useful in developing new and improved teaching strategies.”
He added that the research findings provide evidence for the limits of traditional audio-only listening exercises or perhaps demonstrate the positive impact of videos.