Embodied pedagogy in language acquisition:

Integrating ballet movement to teach French grammar to adult beginner learners

Abstract

This study report proposes and preliminarily validates an innovative pedagogical framework that integrates classical ballet movements into French grammar instruction for adult beginners. This framework is grounded in the theory of embodied cognition. The methodology effectively links ballet terminology to specific grammatical structures, providing students with comprehensible input that moves beyond purely cognitive processing. Survey results reveal highly positive student feedback, with salient keywords such as "novel," "fun," and "elegant" underscoring the method's success in enhancing engagement and fostering a motivating learning environment. More significantly, the core principle of this approach—the strategic re-embodiment of linguistic elements from a language's cultural matrix—could be extended to the teaching of Chinese characters. This is demonstratedthrough a "Body-Logogram" model, where learners kinaesthetically interpret Oracle Bone Scripts by using their bodies to sculpt pictographs and narrate compound ideographs. The study concludes that this embodied pedagogy offers a replicable and transferable teaching model, demonstratingthat the creative adaptation of movement principles can transcend conventional grammar instruction and open new avenues for multisensory language acquisition across diverse linguistic contexts.