Movement and language. Movement-oriented language promotion in the elementary sector

Table of contents

Introduction

1. Theoretical justifications for movement-oriented language promotion and its implications

2. Movement
2.1 Importance of movement
2.2 Aspects of movement

3. Language
3.1 Meaning of language
3.2 Aspects of language relevant to funding
3.3 Language development abnormalities

4. How can language be promoted through movement?
4.1 Funding opportunities

5. Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Human language is a specific communication ability that is unparalleled in all known forms of communication of other earthlings. It is a cultural asset for which almost every human child has a pronounced ability to learn. Language enables communication, and this seems to be a basic human need. In addition, language influences a person's cognitive abilities and thus creates conditions for expanded learning ability, new knowledge and even more culture!

In addition, a successful career through the German school system with a subsequent successful entry into the German labour market requires sufficient language skills, which has been tested in North Rhine-Westphalia since March 2007 by the so-called Delfin 4 test in four-year-old children.

Language follows complex conventional rules and works more or less well through these rules within a language community. In order to make yourself understood and to be understood, you have to stick to the rules as much as possible. It would be daring but justified to claim that a human being would survive even without being able to speak. However, in order for children to be able to make themselves more comprehensible, so that they are well understood, so that they can pursue their need for communication and relationship building, so that they can participate in the culture of humanity, so that they have access to all the possibilities and joys that language offers, they should receive support in their language development. In addition, they are accompanied in this way a bit on their way to school readiness.

This work does not assume a deficient approach to children and child development. Even the infant is an extremely competent being, which is equipped with the two most important abilities, the ability to perceive and the ability to learn. For this reason, people should trust that every child with their personal self-education potential is able to develop at their own pace and individual rhythm.

The environment plays an equally important role, as learning takes place in and through it. Unfortunately, both investment conditions and environmental factors can hinder a person's healthy and enjoyable development. In this work, it is assumed that for a pleasurable individual development and a pleasurable and happy life with the given investment and environmental conditions, the relationship with other people, the interaction with them and in some places also the support and intervention by them is required.

Conventional language support units for children want to use targeted games to address their individual and current difficulties in speaking and to remedy the situation. The following shows that movement is important for language development in a variety of complex ways. It is therefore desirable to be able to accompany the children in their language development in a more effective way through a more movement-oriented language support.

This thesis compiles theoretical justifications for a movement-oriented language promotion (Part 1). After a brief introduction of the meaning and relevant aspects of both language (part 2) and movement (part 3), an attempt is made to bring the two areas into a meaningful context. From this, funding opportunities should be derived and concrete games developed (Part 4). The conclusion contains further important perspectives and should thus round off the overall view of the topic (part 5).

As part of this work, no diagnostic or therapeutic knowledge of speech therapy is used. Even if therapy and support are difficult to distinguish from each other, the considerations presented here relate to a general language promotion and not to a therapy of explicit disorders.

1. Theoretical justifications for movement-oriented language promotion and its implications

In the following, empirical findings, smaller studies and theoretical considerations are compiled, from which preliminary statements on the connection between movement and language and their development can be derived. In order to introduce the reader to the variety of possible dimensions of these statements, detailed questions form the starting point: Are there connections between language and movement? Are linguistic and motor development related? If so, how?

Similarities

First and foremost, it is necessary to ask about similarities in movement and language. What both abilities have in common is that they have their place of origin in the body. Ł What does that mean? It probably makes sense to use holistic support, which takes particular account of the physical aspects. Physical aspects include well-being, perceptions and movement. What both areas still have in common is that they are means of expression. With both forms, intentions and feelings can be expressed. "Expressing" something is at least a metaphorical movement that has its starting point inside the body and carries something out of it to the outside. A person sends a lot of self-revealing signals through his posture alone. This tension of the muscles, but also gestures, facial expressions or gait are part of the so-called non-verbal communication. Since body language can never be interrupted, verbal and non-verbal communication always occur together. Ł What does this mean for the establishment of a movement-oriented language promotion? Since both movement and language are means of expression, it can be assumed that they are mutually dependent and/or supportive. This reinforces the conviction that effective language promotion should always involve action, play and movement, as they initiate and accompany verbal language production.

Another commonality is that a person can influence his environment both through movement and language. "Language and movement thus have an expressive as well as an instrumental function"¹ Ł For language promotion, this means that this common function can also be taken as an opportunity for a holistic approach and used for games with synergistic effects.

Preconditions

Are movement and language dependent on similar investment and environmental conditions for their successful development? Of course, each area depends on the functioning of the organs and body parts that are important to it. Some organs are needed for both areas, such as the brain, heart and lungs. Other parts of the body play an increasingly important role for the respective area, for example arms and legs for movement, lips and tongue for speech. The ear could be a connecting element between movement and speech, as it houses both auditory and vestibular perception. Ł In order to start with a movement-oriented language promotion, it should of course be clarified in advance whether there is an organic disorder, especially of the musculoskeletal system, the speech tools, the ear and the other senses.

Both areas are areas of development, which means that there is always a learning process in the interplay between investment and environmental factors. Of course, environmental factors that are as movement- and language-friendly as possible are favorable. But what are they? Ł Are there factors that have qualities that stimulate movement as well as language? Conceivable would be the handling of material in a social context or linguistically accompanied movement games. In her expertise, Zimmer presents "Possibilities of an Encounter of Movement and Language Actions"² in tabular form. It describes that linguistic concepts can be experienced through movement. For example, running distinguishes terms such as fast and slow, wide and close and "experienced in their meaning"³.

Are movement and language dependent on the successful development of other areas? For both areas, a cross-modal perception is required, i.e. several sensory modalities are used at the same time. Therefore, it can be assumed that basic perceptual ability and information processing are prerequisites for both areas. Child development makes it clear that to the extent that the processing of perception improves and the wealth of experience becomes richer, movement sequences differentiate and linguistic complexity increases. Affolter writes that "perceptual processes are the basis of all learning."⁴. Ł For language promotion, this can only mean that permanent perception training for children who have difficulties in this area is fundamentally beneficial for their overall development. However, such support does not in principle have a positive effect on all areas. Grammatical difficulties or a smaller vocabulary, for example, must be approached differently.

Movement and perception are prerequisites for the development of other areas Do both areas influence the development of other areas? Both movement and language strongly influence thinking. One could say that movement initiates thinking, which is revolutionized by language at a later stage of development.

According to Piaget's theory, an infant does not yet have any ideas, internalisations or even symbols in his head with which he could think flexibly. At this stage, thinking takes place in concrete action, that is, the main mental activity of the infant is sensorimotor perception and its processing and storage into perceptual experiences. After frequent recurrence of similar situations and recognition of these by the infant, he gradually internalizes perceptions and his own actions. With these internalisations, thinking detached from current situations becomes possible. Piaget describes the transition from movement to thought as follows: "The internalized actions that make up the thinking must now first be mastered in their concrete execution. They require a system of effective, material actions. Thinking means, among other things, ordering, equating, uniting or separating, etc. However, all these operations must be performed before one is able to perform them spiritually. (...) It takes a long practice of concrete actions to develop the substructures of later thinking."⁵ This means that sufficient movement experiences are the basis for thinking. Zimmer also writes: "From a learning psychological and neurophysiological point of view, perception and movement form the basis of children's learning. The increasing sophistication of the brain is due to the growth stimuli that emanate from the sensory organs."⁶ It can be assumed that meaningful communication is based on these cognitive structures. That is, in order to express something, it needs thought schemes that can be verbalized. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to verbalize feelings, because they must first be translated into thought patterns. Ł What does this mean in concrete terms for a language support lesson? It makes sense to pay attention to the expressiveness of the children. Can they express what is going on in their heads in a comprehensible and timely manner? Exercises can help them to describe small events, to make wishes and needs clear, to verbalize feelings and ideas.

Language, on the other hand, is a prerequisite for the successful further development of thinking. It even has an outstanding, revolutionary significance, the "Through the appropriation of language, all basic mental activities are reorganized and integrated at a higher level"⁷ By using a symbol for an object, certain peculiarities that characterize the object are abstracted and generalized. The formation of symbols and their daily use thus structures the objects and processes in a new way. "The word changes perception, attention, orientation, communication and knowledge or ideas of the world; it leads to an active structuring of the environment through these changes."⁸ Ł This aspect once again emphasizes the importance of language development and, if well integrated into a support lesson, could have a strong influence on the motivation of the children. If children are encouraged to come up with and tell fantasy stories, for example, they will certainly find enormous fun in their mental abilities.

In addition to cognitive development, exercise also affects a child's personality development. The body is the medium of the ego. Through the body, the child perceives himself. And it identifies with this body. The child defines his personality by sensations he makes with his body. This also includes physical exertion and performance in the game and in sports. "From a developmental psychological point of view, body experiences have an important identity-forming function for the child."⁹ Personality development is also accompanied by aspects of emotional development and health. However, exercise is only one aspect that influences the personality development of a child. Interaction with other people and mirror processes also play an important role. Ł For language development, it is therefore important to positively influence the personality development of the children through a loving and respectful interaction. This is because personality affects the movement and language behaviour of children. Only in an environment in which children feel comfortable can successful learning processes, exuberant movement games, creative and flexible language production take place and positive experiences can be gained.

Interaction

Are there interrelations or overlaps between the two areas? Speaking is a movement! Speaking would not be possible if muscles did not allow breathing and the fine motor interaction of tongue, lips, jaw and larynx. Stutzkowsky also sums up: "The connection between language and movement is probably most clearly recognizable in the actual act of speech, in the articulation motor skills."¹⁰ And vice-wise, "one's own speech movements are perceived via the kinesthetic sensory system"¹¹ Ł Especially in children with articulation difficulties, training the fine motor skills of the speech tools is helpful. However, it must first be clarified whether the articulation difficulties are not triggered by impaired auditory perception or cognitive disability.

Although movement and language can be localized as two systems at the neurophysiological level, they are connected by other systems and can only handle complex tasks closely together. It is obvious that for both movement and language, perception, movement and emotion are important. Consequently, sensory and motor areas in the cerebrum and the limbic system in the brain stem play a connecting role for the brain regions of movement and speech.¹² Zimmer reports on studies in which a correlation between deficits in motor skills and impaired speech ability has been noticed¹³, and has also carried out a study with this question himself. Their conclusion is as follows: "The expected positive correlation between these two development areas can be confirmed on the basis of the available results"¹⁴. Stutzkowsky also points to the "close neurophysiological connection of the hands with the articulation organs"¹⁵ There. Ł For language promotion, this could mean that learning in overall contexts not only meets everyday requirements, but also accommodates the way the brain works. It could also mean that games that promote fine motor skills also contribute to language development. Language can help to become aware of body conditions. Language can give instructions for action and movement. Language can name body parts (nouns), describe body states (adjectives), denote movements (verbs) and reproduce causal relationships ("I am tired because..."). Zimmer writes: The "physical experiences"... are not always explicitly at the center of the movement actions, often they take place unconsciously. That's why it can sometimes make sense to reflect on them – linguistically – and thus become aware of them in the first place."¹⁶ Ł The corresponding terms can be experienced through appropriate movements. In a support hour, however, the focus could also be placed on experiencing language as a means of becoming aware. Since every person is permanently in his body, he is mostly not directly aware of it. Language can draw attention to unconscious bodily processes such as breathing, posture, tension, etc. The most profound interrelationship between moving and speaking is hypothetized in Viktor von Weizsäcker's theory of the district. In this model, it is assumed that movement and perception on the one hand, thinking and speaking on the other form a circle. This means that movement results in perception and vice versa; and that thinking initiates speech and vice versa. Above these two circles is the comprehending ego, which comes to gain knowledge through the aforementioned versatile and alternating processes. Olbrich sums it up aptly by writing: "In the comprehending self, the Gestalt circles 'thinking and speaking' and 'moving and perceiving' are summarized, they condition and activate each other, influence each other and drive each other."¹⁷ Zimmer also takes this theory into her considerations and describes the process as follows: "Both Gestalt circles are not in direct contact, but are coordinated by the subject for the purpose of gaining knowledge and exploration."¹⁸ Affolter also attaches great importance to perception and movement, but explains these two elements for the root, all of which "achievements of the different stages of development"... dependent"¹⁹ are. Psychomotor skills also include sensory perception with their area of body experiences.²⁰ Ł What does this mean for language promotion? The answer to this question is to be given by a quote from Olbrich, who comments on her model of integrated speech and exercise therapy as follows:

"In our culture, institutional education confronts children far too early with abstract learning material, the development of... Senses deprived on this way and the possibilities of movement restricted. the Integrated speech and movement therapy opposes this paper-pencil pedagogy and the return to the visual channel as an access to the world and tries to deal with concrete material through an acting examination of concrete material. ... to expand the possibilities of experience in a playful way.

... progress... of perceptual and movement ability also release the potential in the linguistic field: The children become linguistically spontaneous, express themselves freely and problem-related or self-centered; the symptoms observed before admission to therapy, such as dyslaly, dysgrammatism, speech flow disorders, often degrade without direct influence on speech."²¹

This description would even allow the conclusion that language abnormalities are caused or at least favored by unfavorable learning and framework conditions. the movement-oriented language support actually only bears this name because it wants to highlight an important element of natural, holistic learning in order to point out the lack of it in institutional conceptions.

...

¹ Zimmer, p. 21.

² Zimmer, p. 23ff.

³ Zimmer, p. 23.

⁴ Affolter: Wahrnehmung, Wirklichkeit und Sprache. Villingen-Schwenningen, 1987. cited in Zimmer, p. 13

⁵ Piaget: Probleme der Entwicklungspsychologie. Frankfurt, 1976. S. 16. cited in: Aupperle, p. 142

⁶ Zimmer, p. 5.

⁷ Luria/Judowitsch: Die höheren corticalen Funktionen des Menschen und ihre Störungen bei örtlichen Hirnschädigungen. Berlin, 1970. cited in: Aupperle, p. 211

⁸ Aupperle, p. 211.

⁹ Zimmer, p. 5.

¹⁰ Stutzkowsky, p. 81.

¹¹ cf. Wiedenmann: Handbuch Sprachförderung mit allen Sinnen. Weinheim, 1997. cited. in Zimmer, p. 13.

¹² cf. Neuhäuser: Neurophysiologische Aspekte von Bewegung und Sprache. In: Irmischer, p. 13ff

¹³ see Zimmer, p. 13

¹⁴ Zimmer, p. 19.

¹⁵ Stutzkowsky, p. 79.

¹⁶ Zimmer, p. 23.

¹⁷ Olbrich: Die Integrierte Sprach- und Bewegungstherapie. In: Grohnfeldt (Ed.), p. 254

¹⁸ Zimmer, 12.

¹⁹ Affolter, p. 187. See also Chapter 3.2 The Development Model, p. 186f.

²⁰ see, for example, Zimmer, p. 6.

²¹ Olbrich: Die Integrierte Sprach- und Bewegungstherapie. In: Grohnfeldt (Ed.), p. 256