What is it about?
How Movement Helps Young Children Learn New Languages? Kids might learn foreign languages better when they use their bodies while learning. But we don't have enough clear proof of this, especially for preschoolers. Researchers looked at all the scientific studies they could find about teaching languages to preschoolers using movement and physical activities. They checked 8 different studies to see what actually works. When teachers combined movement with language lessons in a smart way—making the movements match the words being taught—kids learned new words better and remembered them longer. This worked better than just sitting and listening. Physical response methods (where kids act out what they hear) seemed to keep kids interested and helped them learn in the short term, but the research wasn't super strong or consistent. Moving around while learning languages does seem to help preschoolers, especially when the movements make sense with what they're learning. But we need more research to really understand how to do it best and whether one method works better than another.
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Photo by Andrew Ebrahim on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Early language learning is crucial for children's development. If we can make it more effective and engaging through movement, we're helping kids get a better start in life—especially important in our multilingual world.
Perspectives
Researchers need to do larger and more rigorous studies across different countries and languages, and follow children over longer periods to see if the benefits last. They should test which types of movement work best, like dancing, gestures, or full-body movements. Schools can develop ready-to-use movement-based curriculum for preschools and train teachers on how to effectively integrate movement into language lessons. Programs should be created for children with different learning styles and abilities. Scientists can use brain imaging to understand why movement helps language learning and apply these findings to multilingual and bilingual education. It's also important to track the long-term effects on academic success and children's confidence in learning languages.
Dr. Alessandro Beretta
Universita degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Motor activity and foreign language learning in preschool: A review of movement-based and total physical response interventions, Physical Education and Sports Studies and Research, April 2026, CV Rezki Media,
DOI: 10.56003/pessr.v5i1.694.
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