Gestures as Scaffolding to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign Language

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of gestures on foreign language (FL) vocabulary learning. In this work, we first address the state of the art in the field and then delve into the research conducted in our lab (three experiments already published) in order to finally offer a unified theoretical interpretation of the role of gestures in FL vocabulary learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, we examined the impact of gestures on noun and verb learning. The results revealed that participants exhibited better learning outcomes when FL words were accompanied by congruent gestures compared to those from the no-gesture condition. Conversely, when meaningless or incongruent gestures were presented alongside new FL words, gestures had a detrimental effect on the learning process. Secondly, we addressed the question of whether or not individuals need to physically perform the gestures themselves to observe the effects of gestures on vocabulary learning (Experiment 3). Results indicated that congruent gestures improved FL word recall when learners only observed the instructor’s gestures (“see” group) and when they mimicked them (“do” group). Importantly, the adverse effect associated with incongruent gestures was reduced in the “do” compared to that in the “see” experimental group. These findings suggest that iconic gestures can serve as an effective tool for learning vocabulary in an FL, particularly when the gestures align with the meaning of the words. Furthermore, the active performance of gestures helps counteract the negative effects associated with inconsistencies between gestures and word meanings. Consequently, if a choice must be made, an FL learning strategy in which learners acquire words while making gestures congruent with their meaning would be highly desirable.

Nonverbal Communication in Classroom Interaction and Its Role in Italian Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

“…(a) Gestures to inform about language: these may refer to grammar, vocabulary, and phonology. Teachers may use them to explain morphosyntax and temporality (Matsumoto and Mueller Dobs 2016;Bianchi and Diadori 2018) or to focus on the forms and meanings of action verbs (Tellier and Stam 2012) and lexical items (Lazaraton 2004;Smotrova and Lantolf 2013;García-Gámez and Macizo 2023). They can also help in the physical production of phonemes and prosody (Smotrova 2017).…”

“…From a psychological point of view, it has been demonstrated that gestures that indicate real objects or actions are stored together with the corresponding words in the same area of the brain; therefore, the act of observing gestures could potentially strengthen the connections between new vocabulary and the semantic system, much like actually performing the gestures involved. As a consequence, iconic gestures used by the teacher as a scaffolding technique for L2 teaching purposes (as well as images) have an important role in students' lexical retrieval (Krauss and Morsella 2001;García-Gámez and Macizo 2023), as they act directly on the cognitive processes of learners, fostering both memorization and logical reasoning (Alibali et al 2001;Cooperrider and Goldin-Meadow 2017). To summarize, according to Abner et al (2015, p. 444), the use of gestures can help students in the following ways: (1) in finding words; (2) in thinking in terms of space; (3) in making complex concepts explicit; and (4) in facilitating the retrieval of information in the working memory.…”