Individual physical expression from onomatopoeia in young Japanese children: the process from movements to images

Previous studies of physical expression education for young children in Japan have reported methods for promoting interplay between images and movements using onomatopoeia to encourage children to perform individual physical expression. This study aimed to clarify the differences and characteristics between individual physical expression and formulaic physical expression in expressions of ‘becoming something’ (a collective term encompassing ‘imitation’, ‘becoming’ and ‘mimicry’ in Japanese) in response to onomatopoeia in young native Japanese-speaking children, and to examine the process from movements to images. An experiment was conducted with 5-year-old children to analyze their physical expression using onomatopoeia. A total of 13 children (four boys and nine girls) participated. The results indicated that individual physical expression involved unique images, and that its movements were varied and clear. Furthermore, children were found to exhibit a process of embodying unique images through onomatopoeia and creating new onomatopoeia and sound effects. Formalized physical expression was confirmed to involve non-unique images and ambiguous movements. Additionally, specific movements corresponded to specific onomatopoeia in formalized physical expression. The current findings may be useful for informing the development of physical expression for young children in Japan, as well as those in non-Japanese-speaking countries.