Before revision:  Here we use neuroscience methods and a gesture-enriched foreign language (L2) vocabulary learning paradigm to adjudicate between opposing predictions of two neuroscientific learning theories . We demonstrate that sensory brain regions associated with the processing of gesture-related stimulus information causally contribute to performance benefits following gesture-enriched L2 vocabulary learning . Sensory brain responses benefitted both short- and long-term learning outcomes, as well as the learning of both concrete and abstract words. These findings suggest that responses within specialized visual sensory cortices precipitate sensorimotor-based learning benefits .
After revision:  Here we use neuroscience methods and a gesture-enriched foreign language (L2) vocabulary learning paradigm to adjudicate between opposing predictions of two neuroscientific learning theories : While reactivation-based theories predict no functional role of visual motion cortex in vocabulary learning outcomes, the current study supports the predictive coding theory view that specialized sensory cortices precipitate sensorimotor-based learning benefits .