The role of social and bodily experience in language learning: Pedagogical insights from cognitive neuroscience

GARCÍA, ADOLFO M.

Mar del Plata

Jornada; II Jornadas Nacionales del Profesorado de Inglés; 2018

Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata

Teacher-training programs advocate various approaches to foster language skills in childhood and beyond. However, only seldom do syllabi incorporate breakthroughs from relevant scientific fields, such as cognitive neuroscience. To promote such a synergy and discuss its possible contributions and limitations, in this talk I will overview cutting-edge findings on the neural basis of language learning, highlighting their pedagogical implications. My focus will be on the role of social and bodily experiences in the consolidation of low- and high-level linguistic systems. In particular, I shall consider studies from my lab and other teams on (i) the acquisition of phonological skills, (ii) generalizability phenomena following focalized practice periods, and (iii) the impact of bodily activity on vocabulary development and language comprehension. Overall, this presentation seeks to promote a co-constructive dialogue between cognitive neuroscience and the pedagogical arena.