“Moving and Speaking” Event Attracts Enthusiastic Participation

Around 100 participants came along to learn more at the event held in the “Centre of Language and Exercise” on the Elbe islands on 30 May, focusing on the systematic integration of language promotion through movement and encouraging exercise within the context of language. The connection between language and movement was explained and brought to life in lectures and practical workshops.

Two scientific lectures given during the event provided some technical background.

Hamburg, 30 May 2013 – “I am once again thrilled at the large number of attendees at this event, which shows that there is great interest in putting ‘language promotion through movement’ into practice. Language development is especially important in a multicultural district like Wilhelmsburg. The opening of the ‘Centre of Language and Exercise’ means that the Elbe islands are now home to a place that brings people together and offers educational opportunities that will help to build their language skills," said IBA Director Uli Hellweg.

The attendees were able to try out different integrated language and exercise methods in practical workshops. Experts demonstrated how language and movement can be promoted with, in, and through each other for small children, young people, and adults alike, and how language and exercise skills can be supported and improved. Demonstrations had the purpose of showing how integrated language and exercise activity can be implemented within the attendees’ own institutions.

Jun. Prof. Dr. Jan Erhorn, Flensburg University (Institute of Physical Education and Sport) said, "Movement is of fundamental importance for small children who are acquiring language skills. Objects, other people, and the things that they are doing must be experienced in the first place, through movement, before they can be named linguistically. In short, children need to be able to recognise things before they can name them! However, movement can also serve a learning support function for schoolchildren and adults. It increases awareness and concentration, improves memory, and optimises learning by linking it with positive emotions."

The programmes offered by the “Centre of Language and Exercise” are intended to support language skills for children from immigrant backgrounds. Adults who are learning German as a second language, for example as part of an integration course, can also benefit from this concept. Physical activities provide a valuable opportunity for people to meet, and those who exercise are able to learn more effectively.

According to Prof. Dr. Klaus Fischer, Cologne University (Department of Physical Education and Exercise Therapy in Curative Education), “Movement and physical exercise are very important for all areas of development, including language. This is particularly pertinent for children, but it applies equally to young people and adults."

The programme for this second event was largely drawn up with the help of the Movement and Play research group from Hamburg University’s Sports Education Department. Since 2011 the University has been on hand to assist the stakeholders in the “Centre of Language and Exercise”, in order to ensure that their programme is designed in such a way that people of all ages can further develop their language skills here, and thus master an important prerequisite for educational achievement and participation in society.

The event was aimed at educators from all fields and included suggestions on how to combine language and movement in their own institutions. This second Hamburg “moving and speaking” presentation was focused on the development of programmes for the IBA project “Centre of Language and Exercise”, based in the Reiherstieg district. Since the beginning of the year, residents of all ages have been able to “learn language while moving” as part of various programmes at the centre. The building is home to a double sports hall, seminar and exercise rooms, a library, and a large foyer with a café and doors onto the adjacent Rotenhäuser Feld open space. Educational, counselling, and training establishments have come together in this new venue, situated between a primary school and a youth centre, to strengthen and expand their cross-institutional cooperation regarding language and movement.

For further queries please contact:

IBA Hamburg GmbH, Rainer Müller, Head of the Press Department, rainer.mueller@iba-hamburg.de, Tel.: 040 / 226 227 335, or Anna Vietinghoff, Press Department, anna.vietinghoff@iba-hamburg.de, Tel: 040 / 226 227 – 331 or email presse@iba-hamburg.de