Circle Singing and Embodied Learning
Aural Perception, English Language Learning, and Social Relationships in Inclusive Education
Parole chiave:
Circle Singing, embodied cognition, didattica inclusiva, performative intermedial analysis, pronuncia ingleseAbstract
This paper presents a mixed-methods quasi-experimental study on the implementation of Circle Singing at Roma Tre University (Pantano & Rizzo, 2025). The study situates the practice within the theoretical framework of embodied cognition and 4E cognition, interpreting learning as an embodied, situated, relational, and performative process (Varela et al., 1991). In dialogue with intermedial analysis and the affective dimension of intermediality (Hansen-Löve, 1983; Pethő, 2026), Circle Singing is conceptualised as an educational device in which body, environment, and social interaction jointly contribute to the construction of learning processes. The study involved 188 university students, divided into an experimental group (n = 104) and a control group (n = 84), to investigate whether collective vocal improvisation could enhance aural perception, English pronunciation, and socio-relational wellbeing. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-tests using the Mini-PROMS and SpeechAce (Law & Zentner, 2012; Nguyen et al., 2025), while questionnaires and focus groups explored participants' subjective experiences of the intervention. The analyses revealed significantly greater improvements in the experimental group than in the control group, both in aural perception (Mini-PROMS: F(1,186) = 202.084, p < .001, η²p = .521) and in English pronunciation accuracy(SpeechAce: F(1,186) = 119.872, p < .001, η²p = .392).
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Copyright (c) 2026 Giuseppe Pantano, Amalia Rizzo
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