Article Review: Tellier, M. (2008) & (2005)

Abstract

This article tries to review two related articles written by Tellier (2005) and (2008). Tellier in both articles tries to show the impact of gesture, especially reproduction of gesture, on memorization of words. Tellier (2005) works on the impact of teaching gestures on short-term memorization of first language words by young children of about five years of age. Three groups of students participated in the study. Participants in the first group had to listen to the words and try to recall them; but students in the second group had to repeat the words and look at the gestures; and in the last group, participants had to repeat the words and reproduce the gestures. Results show that children who reproduced the gestures could memorize words better than those in the control and comparison group. On the other hand, Tellier (2008) examines the impact of gesture -motor modality- on long-term memorization of second language words by young children of about five years of age. She compares two groups of young children; words in the first group were taught with pictures and in the second group with accompanying gestures. Students in the first group had to look at the pictures and repeat the words, while students in the second group had to repeat the words and reproduce gestures. Results of the study show that gestures and especially their reproduction influence memorization of second language words. Tellier, in both articles, come to the conclusion that reproduction of gestures has positive influence on memorizing words.