The Uniarts Helsinki research project looked at the potential of art and embodied methods in supporting learning. The results show that learning a language creatively and functionally inspires and motivates people of all ages.
Learning languages through singing, dancing, theatre or circus is worthwhile. A recent study by the ELLA research project, a four-year project led by the University of the Arts Helsinki, shows that physical and creative activities can contribute to learning vocabulary, for example.
“Children grasp concepts and remember words better when they also interpret them through embodied activity,” says Eeva Anttila, the project leader. Anttila works as professor of dance pedagogy at the University of the Arts Theatre Academy.
According to the researchers, embodied and artistic activities should not be seen as a separate area in language learning or the education system, as language and art, as key phenomena in human life, are interconnected in many ways.
Embodied and artistic activities support learners in their use of language and encourage them to be creative in their interactions. Functional and creative language learning would also provide much needed extra physical activity in the school day.
“At the same time, they enjoy the freedom to move in preschool or during class, and this joy also extends to their language learning.”
Adults also benefit from creative movement as part of learning. Music, singing, creative movement and dance bring many senses and many different means to language learning. They support interaction and practice speaking.
“The results show that artistic activities also bring playfulness and joy to language learning for adults. It motivates and encourages language production, experimentation and creative use of language,” says Anttila.