Léna JAHIER

The central hypothesis of this work is that language comprehension and memorization are closely linked to sensorimotor experiences. KMI, which involves imagining oneself performing a movement while focusing on the associated sensations, is already used in motor rehabilitation and could also enhance vocabulary acquisition. Recent studies have shown that associating a mental action with a word improves memory retention and semantic understanding. The mechanisms involved in this strategy are thought to be related to motor simulation processes, which suggest that a modal mental simulation occurs when accessing concepts. Strengthening these connections may lead to better consolidation of learning, particularly in the context of word acquisition. However, these approaches need to be tested within a rigorous experimental framework and applied to concrete educational contexts.
This project is based on three main research areas.
First, it will assess the effect of KMI training on the learning of new words by comparing participants practicing KMI with a control group. This method will then be tested on learners of French as a second language (L2), in collaboration with the Centre Universitaire d’Études Françaises (CUEF) in Grenoble, to evaluate its relevance for language teaching. In parallel, a psycholinguistic database will be developed to catalog the sensorimotor properties of French words, inspired by similar databases already available in English and Italian. This database, built through online surveys conducted with 1,400 participants, will help identify links between the sensory characteristics of words and their cognitive processing.
The expected outcomes include a significant improvement in word learning through KMI, particularly for concrete words and manipulable objects, as well as an optimization of teaching strategies for L2 learners. The impact of this research could extend to education, by offering innovative methods for vocabulary learning, and to neuropsychology, by exploring the role of motor mechanisms in language cognition. 

language,learning,Motor imagery,Cognition,