The Facilitating Effect of Iconic Gestures on Noun Memory for Chinese Learners of German: Theoretical Mechanisms and Research Prospects
Abstract
embodied cognition theory, offer a new perspective for solving this problem. Based on embodied cognition theory, cognitive processes are
rooted in bodily experience, and multimodal learning, especially the integration of gestures, provides a new pathway for vocabulary acquisition. This article systematically reviews the theoretical foundations, mechanisms of action, and current research status of iconic gestures in
German noun learning. Although existing studies confirm that iconic gestures can facilitate foreign language vocabulary learning, there is a
lack of systematic investigation specifically regarding their role in noun memory for Chinese learners of German. By analyzing the limitations
of traditional teaching, the theoretical evolution of embodied cognition, and empirical evidence for gesture-based teaching, this article reveals
the facilitating effects of iconic gestures on noun memory through mechanisms such as multisensory integration, semantic binding, and motor
encoding. The study further points out that future research needs to focus on the specificity of gestures in German acquisition for native Mandarin speakers and empirically test the comprehensive utility of gestures for the memory of holistic noun information (including meaning and
grammatical gender), to provide a theoretical basis for constructing a multimodal vocabulary teaching model suitable for Chinese learners.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/neet.v4i2.8693
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