Can gestures improve memory of Italian words

Gestures can significantly improve the memory of foreign language words, including parole italiane. Research shows that iconic or meaningful gestures performed while learning new words enhance both recall and recognition of those words compared to learning without gestures. This effect is attributed to multimodal encoding, where the combination of visual, motor, and linguistic information strengthens memory traces. Studies on language learners indicate that self-performing gestures linked to vocabulary leads to better retention for several months, and observing congruent gestures also supports improved recall. Specifically, gestures help by increasing imageability and engaging attention, which benefits the learning process. ^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

Thus, incorporating gestures can be an effective strategy for improving the memory of parole italiane during language learning.

References

• Comparing mnemonic effects of iconic gestures and pictures on word memory

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• Learning Foreign Language Vocabulary with Gestures and Pictures Enhances Vocabulary Memory for Several Months Post-Learning in Eight-Year-Old School Children

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• Bringing back the body into the mind: gestures enhance word learning in foreign language

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• Detecting Emotions from Illustrator Gestures - The Italian Case

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• IL RUOLO COGNITIVO DEI GESTI NELL’EDUCAZIONE LINGUISTICA

• Learning to talk in a gesture-rich world: Early communication in Italian vs. American children

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• Working Memory for Linguistic and Non-linguistic Manual Gestures: Evidence, Theory, and Application

• Gestures as Scaffolding to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign Language

• Integrating Gestures and Words to Communicate in Full-Term and Low-Risk Preterm Late Talkers

• Exploring the Neural Representation of Novel Words Learned through Enactment in a Word Recognition Task

• When Speech Stops, Gesture Stops: Evidence From Developmental and Crosslinguistic Comparisons

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• Early or synchronized gestures facilitate speech recall—a study based on motion capture data

• Early or synchronized gestures facilitate speech recall—a study based on motion capture data