Effective strategies for language instruction

Function

Examples

verb or adverb plus body parts (Jakubowska, 2017)

pay attention to body parts and correct movements

bend your knees, stretch your arms, relax your shoulders, fasten your forearms, and head up

directions or spatial locations

know the direction and position of the action

lower the center of gravity; swing from the bottom right to the top left; step forward 45 degrees to the left

action verb

know the way to act

“cut” the lower part of the ball forward to the bottom; increase the jitter of the wrist; rub the sides of the ball

metaphors and analogies (Ma, 2008)

inspire students to imagine movement patterns or understand movement senses

imagine yourself tall in gymnastic exercises to inspire stretch and erect feeling; bow back like a kitten

changes in intonation or specific stress

emphasize points of action, such as the role of specific parts of the body, important timing, or letting students notice mistakes

“Wave your arms up!” “Slow down!” “Stop! See if your center of gravity is on your left leg?”

repeated words

give feedback, adjust and enhance movement details

“Yes, yes, hurry up” “Relax, relax”

onomatopoeia

describe the rhythm of movement or have students remember the right voice

the rhythm of high jump run, “da-da-da” the sound of rubbing the ball, “ca-ca”