Exercising to Learn: Examining the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Second Language (L2) Learning in Different Cultures. 

• Fahima Chowdhury, Cognitive Science, University of Delaware

• Giovanna Morini, Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware

Title: Exercising to Learn: Examining the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Second Language (L2) Learning in Different Cultures. 

Background: Recent studies have found that aerobic physical activity increases brain activity and word learning in a child’s native language (Pruitt & Morini, 2021). However, it is unclear whether similar benefits are present when children are acquiring a second language (L2). Furthermore, given that there are cross-cultural differences in physical activity habits and in individuals in different countries learning a foreign language, it is important to examine whether aerobic exercise can provide benefits in second-language learning in different groups of children. This study analyzes and compares data from children in the U.S and Spain who are learning an L2 and whether or not exercise benefits their L2 word learning. 

Method: Participants between the ages of 6 to 8 years old from both Spain and the U.S were asked to complete a word learning task and were assessed in two different conditions, resting and exercise. In the resting condition, children were taught names of L2 novel objects and then colored for five minutes before being tested. In the exercise condition, the task was the same but instead of coloring, they did jumping jacks. This study was completed in two visits where in the second visit, their word retention was tested. 

Results: Preliminary data indicate that for the U.S children, the accuracy of L2 words in the resting condition (74% accuracy) is similar to the exercise condition (73%). For the children in Spain, the resting condition is slightly lower (70% accuracy) than the exercise condition (75% accuracy).  

Conclusion: These results suggest that aerobic exercise increases vocabulary learning in a second language for children in Spain. However, additional data are needed to determine whether this difference across conditions is significant in the Spain sample and if this effect is present in children in the U.S.