Dance your way to fluent language learning and enhanced wellbeing

A woman with headphones dancing in her living room
Reading time: 5 minutes

Language learning can often feel daunting, with its endless vocabulary lists, grammatical structures and pronunciation rules. However, incorporating dance and movement into your study routine can transform this challenge into an engaging, enjoyable experience while significantly benefiting your overall wellbeing. This unusual approach is not only effective for language learners of all ages but also enriches the learning process with fun and physical activity.

Engaging in movement and dance can substantially impact mental health, as evidenced by various studies and academic research. For instance, a notable study published in the American Journal of Dance Therapy highlighted that dance, particularly in structured environments, can reduce anxiety and improve mood among participants. This connection between dance and mental health improvement can be attributed to the release of endorphins, often referred to as happiness hormones, which occur during physical activity.

How can dance help your language learning?
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree app can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

The connection between movement and language learning

The link between physical movement and language learning is deeply rooted in cognitive science. Research suggests that our cognitive processes are intertwined with our bodily systems, meaning that physical activities, such as dance, can enhance memory, comprehension and expression. This concept, known as '', highlights how movement can serve as a powerful tool in internalizing new language concepts and vocabulary.

Here's how dance facilitates language learning:

  • Memorization enhancement: Associating vocabulary or phrases with specific movements can improve recall abilities. For example, performing a specific dance move when practicing a new word can create a mnemonic device, making the term easier to remember.
  • Increased engagement and concentration: Movement breaks up the monotony of traditional study methods, keeping the mind engaged and focused. This is particularly beneficial during longer study sessions, where concentration may start to wane.
  • Stress reduction: Dance is a well-known stress reliever. Lowering stress levels not only improves mental health but also creates a more conducive environment for language acquisition, as anxiety can be a significant barrier to effective learning.
  • Improved pronunciation through rhythm practice: Many languages have a unique rhythm and cadence. Engaging in dance can tune your ear to these rhythmic patterns, aiding in the understanding and reproduction of authentic pronunciation.

Ways to incorporate dance and language

Start simple

You don't need complex choreography to get started. Begin with simple movements that you can associate with the new language. This could be as straightforward as moving your hands up for high-tone languages like Mandarin or swaying to the rhythm of a Spanish guitar as you practice phrases.

Create a themed playlist

Music is a powerful companion to dance. Create a playlist of songs in the language you’re learning and try to move intuitively to the rhythm. This will not only help with learning new words and phrases but will also immerse you in the culture of the language.

Join a class

If possible, join a dance class that focuses on the culture of the language you're learning. Salsa, Bollywood, or even traditional Japanese dance can provide insights into the culture, which is a crucial part of mastering a language.

Practical activity examples

Merging language learning with dance isn't just effective; it's also incredibly fun. Here are some activity ideas to get you started on this harmonious path of acquiring a new language and enhancing your well-being through dance.

Spanish & Flamenco

  • Activity: After learning basic Spanish greetings and expressions, put on a Flamenco music playlist. Attempt to express these greetings and expressions rhythmically with Flamenco hand claps (palmas) or footwork. This can help solidify the language's rhythm and intonation in your memory.

French & Ballet

  • Activity: Ballet terminology is predominantly in French, which presents a unique opportunity to learn the language. Pick a few basic ballet positions or movements, such as "plié" (to bend) or "pirouette" (to spin), and practice saying them out loud while performing the steps. This can deepen your understanding of French pronunciation and terms.

Japanese & Bon Odori

  • Activity: Bon Odori is a traditional Japanese dance performed during the Obon Festival. Begin by learning simple phrases in Japanese related to greetings, farewells and thanks. Then, engage in learning the Bon Odori dance through online tutorials. Associate each dance movement with the phrases you've learned, enhancing both your linguistic and cultural comprehension.

Hindi & Bollywood

  • Activity: Bollywood dances are vibrant and full of expression, making them perfect for language learning. Start by learning key Hindi phrases and vocabulary related to emotions and actions. Watch a Bollywood dance video, focusing on songs with clear, easy lyrics. Try to dance along while singing the lyrics, connecting the words’ meanings with your movements.

Italian & Tarantella

  • Activity: The Tarantella is a fast-paced Italian folk dance. For this activity, choose an energetic Tarantella song and learn simple conversational Italian phrases or food vocabulary. As you practice the dance, say the phrases out loud with each step. Not only will this improve your memory recall, but it will also give you a feel for the Italian linguistic rhythm and culture.

Each of these activities combines the cognitive benefits of language learning with the physical and emotional joys of dance, creating a holistic approach to new language acquisition and overall wellness.

Extra benefits

Apart from language acquisition, integrating dance into your routine can have profound effects on your physical and mental health.

  • Physical fitness: Regular movement improves cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility.
  • Mental health: Dance reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, creating a happier and healthier mindset.
  • Social connections: Sharing dance experiences with others can lead to meaningful social connections, reducing feelings of isolation and promoting a sense of community.

Integrating dance and movement into language learning is beneficial for acquiring new languages and promotes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. It's a fun and effective strategy that can break the monotony of traditional learning methods, providing a refreshing path to fluency and beyond. Whether practiced alone or in a group, through music, rhythm and culture, dance can enhance your language learning experience significantly.

Read more of our language learning posts to get inspired

More blogs from app

  • A couple sat on a sofa one with a laptop the other with a book; they are both laughing

    How English conversation works

    By Richard Cleeve

    English language teachers everywhere spend time and energy helping students practice their conversation skills. Some may ask whether conversation in English can actually be taught. And – if it can – what the rules might be.

    To explore these questions, we spoke to world-renowned . He is an Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Bangor and has written more than 120 books on the subject.

    What makes a good conversation?

    “It’s very important that we put this everyday use of language under the microscope,” he says. He highlights three critical facets of conservation that we should bring into focus:

    • Fluency
    • Intelligibility
    • Appropriateness

    But all in all, he says that people should walk away from a conversation feeling like they’ve had a good chat.

    “For the most part, people want that kind of mutual respect, mutual opportunity, and have some sort of shared topic about which they feel comfortable – and these are the basics I think.”

    The rules of conversation

    There are plenty of ways you can teach learners to engage in a successful conversation – including how to speak informally, use intonation, and provide feedback. So let’s take a look at some of the key areas to focus on:

    1) Appropriateness

    Fluency and intelligibility are commonly covered in English language classes. But appropriateness can be more complicated to teach. When preparing to teach conversational appropriateness, we can look at it through two different lenses: subject matter and style:

    2) Subject matter

    “What subject matter is appropriate to use to get a conversation off the ground? There are cultural differences here,” he says. The weather is often a good icebreaker, since everyone is affected by it. The key is to find a common topic that all participants can understand and engage with.

    3) Style

    Teachers can also teach students about conversational style, focusing on how to make conversations more relaxed in English.

    There are “several areas of vocabulary and grammar – and pronunciation too, intonation for example – as well as body language, in which the informality of a conversation is expressed through quite traditional means,” says David. One example he offers is teaching students how to use contracted verb forms.

    4) Simultaneous feedback

    This is what makes a conversation tick. When we talk with someone, we let them know we’re listening by giving them feedback. We say things like “really” or “huh” and use body language like facial expressions and gestures.

    Of course, these feedback noises and expressions can be taught. But they won’t necessarily be new to students. English learners do the same when speaking their own language, anyway.

    Keep in mind though, that when it comes to speaking online on video conferencing platforms, it’s not easy to give this type of simultaneous feedback. People’s microphones might be on mute or there might be a delay, which makes reacting in conversations awkward. So, says David, this means online conversations become much more like monologues.

    5) Uptalk and accents

    Uptalk is when a person declares something in a sentence, but raises their intonation at the end. For English learners, it might sound like someone is asking a question.

    Here’s an example:

    • “I live in Holyhead” said in a flat tone – this is a statement.
    • “I live in Holyhead” said using uptalk – you are stating you live here, but recognize that someone else might not know where it is.

    Now, should teachers teach uptalk? David says yes. For one, it’s fashionable to speak this way – and it can be confusing for English learners if they don’t understand why it’s being used in a conversation.

    “The other thing is that we are dealing here with a genuine change in the language. One of the biggest problems for all language teachers is to keep up to date with language changes. And language change can be very fast and is at the moment,” he says.

    When it comes to accents, David is a fan. “It’s like being in a garden of flowers. Enjoy all the linguistic flowers,” he says, “That’s the beauty of language, its diversity”.