Educational Technology International

The Korean Society for Education Technology (한국교육공학회)
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The Effects of Visual Stimulation and Body Gesture on Language Learning Achievement and Course Interest

  • Received : 2015.08.28
  • Accepted : 2015.10.15
  • Published : 2015.10.30
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using visual stimulation and gesture, namely embodied language learning, on learning achievement and learner's course interest in the EFL classroom. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed purpose, thirty two third-grade elementary school students participated and were assigned into four English learning class conditions (i.e., using animated graphic and gestures condition, using only animated graphic condition, using still pictures and gesture condition, and control condition). The research questions for this study are addressed below: (1) What differences are there in post and delayed learning achievement between imitating gesture group and non-imitating one and between animated graphic group and still picture one? (2) What differences are there in course interest between imitating gesture group and non-imitating one and between animated graphic group and still picture one? The Embodiment-based English learning system for this study was designed by using Microsoft's Kinect sensing devices. The results of this study revealed that students of imitating gesture group memorized and retained better words and sentence structure than those of the other groups. As for learner's course interest measurement, imitating gesture group showed a highly positive response to attention, relevance, and satisfaction for curriculum and using animated graphic influenced satisfaction as well. This finding can be attributed to the embodied cognition, which proposes that the body and the mind are inseparable in the constitution of cognition and thus students using visual simulation and imitating related gesture regard the embodied language learning approach more satisfactory and acceptable than the conventional ones.

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References

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