How Movement Improves Language Learning
Learning a new language requires a lot of memorisation, which creates a lot of passive knowledge, but using a language in the right moment requires triggers that help knowledge resurface and turn into action. What if these triggers can be activated by combining memorisation with movement.
Introduction
Learning German is often associated with textbooks, flashcards, and hours of listening practice. Yet as both a German teacher and a lifelong language learner, I've observed that movement paired with study produces remarkable results—often outperforming conventional methods.
This isn't new territory for researchers. Studies have long demonstrated that physical movement enhances the acquisition and retention of new information, and that consistent physical activity strengthens cognitive function overall. From my own experience teaching German as a foreign language, I've concluded that movement deserves a central place in both classroom methods and personal study routines. It renders lessons more engaging whilst strengthening comprehension and memory.
Curiously, none of the training courses I completed during my certification as a German as a Foreign Language teacher (DaF-Lehrperson) addressed the benefits of movement in the classroom whether in-person or online. Yet throughout my career, I've watched learners at every level—from beginners tackling A1 German to advanced students preparing for C2 exams—benefit immensely from physical activity during lessons.
I'd like to share some of these insights, and invite you to experiment the next time you sit down (or stand up) to learn German.
The Connection Between Body and Brain
The human brain and body are deeply interconnected. When the body moves, it activates multiple regions of the brain, including those responsible for attention, emotion, and memory. Movement increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, improving focus and cognitive performance. This multisensory engagement helps learners form stronger neural connections—pathways, as I like to call them—making it easier to recall German grammar rules, vocabulary, and phrases.
This works particularly well for retaining verb conjugations, noun genders, and common expressions—the building blocks of German fluency.
Kinesthetic Learning in Language Study
The concept of kinaesthetic learning—acquiring knowledge through physical activity—is neither new nor revolutionary. It plays a vital role in children's language acquisition; young learners absorb languages playfully through movement, dance, and craft. But once they enter the school system, learning structures grow increasingly rigid and moving around in classrooms becomes impolite, disrespectful. Some go as far as taming children with pills and tablets, simply to mould them quietly into shape.
I'm no psychologist, but I suspect this repression of physical movement, paired with increasingly sedentary daily life, contributes to the restless, fidgety behaviour we often see in classrooms.
What I've discovered through years of teaching German—not from textbooks but from direct experience—is that physically engaging with new words or phrases helps solidify understanding. Acting out verbs like rennen (run), springen (jump), or tanzen (dance) whilst saying them reinforces meaning through embodied experience.
Whilst this might seem an obvious example, I've also implemented ball games at B2 and C1 levels for adults learning German connectors and linking words, and I've had students play human domino to retain noun-verb collocations. Similarly, when studying alone, simply walking whilst reviewing vocabulary with flashcards or audio, or using hand gestures to represent abstract concepts, can make German words far more memorable.
Similarly, devices like grip trainers or finger strengtheners, as used in climbing training, can be beneficial whilst studying. The hands occupy a disproportionately large area within the brain and, when engaged, significantly stimulate neural activity. Gentle, repetitive hand movement occupies the part of the mind that might otherwise drift or seek distraction. For some learners—especially those prone to fidgeting or phone addiction—this background physical engagement can actually improve concentration. The same holds true for chewing gum whilst studying or during deep work.
Movement and Memory Retention
Physical activity has been shown to improve both short-term and long-term memory. When learners pair movement with language practice, they create stronger associations between words and actions. This technique, known as Total Physical Response (TPR), is widely used in language classrooms to teach vocabulary through commands and actions. When a teacher says steh auf and students physically stand, the phrase becomes anchored in both linguistic and motor memory. Other examples include counting on fingers whilst learning German numbers, or touching body parts when studying der Körper.
More advanced study may be less directly translatable into gestures, but the principle holds.
I recall one adult student in a B2 German course who worked remotely and joined our in-person group online. She used a standing desk with a treadmill and walked throughout most of the class. Whilst her success was certainly linked to multiple factors, one thing was striking: she visibly retained new German vocabulary faster than the seated participants.
Enhancing Focus and Reducing Stress
Movement also helps regulate mood and reduce stress—two factors that greatly influence language learning success. Light exercise, stretching, or even walking whilst reviewing German vocabulary can lower stress hormones and increase dopamine levels, leading to a more positive and receptive mindset. This emotional balance supports better concentration and motivation during study sessions, whether you're preparing for a Goethe exam or simply trying to remember der, die, das.
Practical Ways to Integrate Movement
Act Out Vocabulary: Use gestures or full-body movements to represent new words, especially verbs and adjectives. You can also invent specific gestures for each article to better remember der, die, das.
Walk and Talk: Practice listening comprehension or speaking exercises whilst walking.
Interactive Games: Incorporate ball games when learning German conjunctions, prepositions, or subjunctive structures, e.g. deutsche Verweiswörter, Konnektoren, Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen, to trigger active recall.
Dance to German music: Dance or sing along even if you don’t understand every word because it will help you to internalise rhythm, pronunciation and sentence structures.
Stretch Breaks: Take short movement breaks in fresh air between study sessions. Review newly learnt vocabulary whilst stretching to keep both body and mind engaged.
The Holistic Approach to Learning German
Incorporating movement into language study transforms learning from a passive to an active experience. It engages body, mind, and emotions, creating a holistic approach that supports deeper understanding and longer-lasting retention. Whether through simple gestures or dynamic classroom activities, movement turns German language learning into a more natural, enjoyable, and effective process because studying a new language should not be linked to stress or anxiety. Learning naturally comes easy when one feels at easy and joyous.
By embracing the power of movement, learners can unlock new pathways to fluency—one step at a time, one word at a time—and don't forget to stretch or dance in between.
Viel Erfolg beim Lernen!
Happy studying!