What role do gestures play in learning French words

Gestures play a significant role in learning French words by enhancing memory, participation, and classroom interaction. When learners use gestures to accompany new vocabulary, it helps them remember words better, especially when the gestures naturally relate to the word’s meaning, length, or pronunciation. Gestures create embodied representations of the words, integrating physical movement with cognitive processes, which supports more effective word retention and recall.

Additionally, both teacher- and student-generated gestures contribute positively to the learning process by involving learners actively and making vocabulary activities more engaging and interactive. Gesture-based learning not only aids in vocabulary acquisition but also supports comprehension and discourse recall in second language learners.

In summary, gestures scaffold vocabulary learning by linking physical actions with verbal input, thus improving memory, understanding, and communication in French language learning. ^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

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