英语语言教学英文.docx

英语语言教学英文.docx

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英语语言教学英文

MultipleIntelligencesTheoryandEnglishLanguageTeaching

MultipleIntelligencesTheoryandEnglishLanguageTeaching

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DepartmentofEnglish,NCCU

I.Introduction

Withtheadventof"humanism"inthe60softhe20thcentury,theconventional,authoritativeteacher-centeredinstructionhasgivenwaytothelearner-centeredmodeofinstruction.Educatorsstartedpayingattentiontotheimpactthatlearners'affectivefactors.,theirfeelings,emotions,tension,anxiety,frustration,needs,interests,motivation,andconfidence,etc.）maybringintheprocessoflearning.ThenwehavewitnessedthebirthandmaturingofsomeinnovativeELTapproaches,methods,andtechniquesduringthe70stothe80s,suchasTheSilentWay,CommunityLanguageLearning,TotalPhysicalResponse（TPR）,Suggestopedia,TheNaturalApproach,CommunicativeApproach,cooperativelearning,interactivelearning,wholelanguagelearning,task-basedlearning.Inthe90s,Dr.HowardGardner,adistinguishedAmericancognitivepsychologist,suggestedfromhisresearchfindings（1983,1993and1995）thathumancognitivecompetenceactuallyispluralistic,ratherthanunitary,indesign.Hismultipleintelligences（MI）theorytouchedoffawaveofeducationalinnovationnotonlyintheUnitedStatesbutthroughouttheworld.Educatorsrecognizethediversityofthelearnersintheirlearningstyles,learningpotentials,etc.andappreciatethedevelopmentoflearningstrategiesonthepartofthelearners.BeinganEnglishlanguageteacher,IfindthebasicconceptsofMItheoryconformwithmyinterestin"individualizedinstruction"and"independentlearning."ThatistheveryreasonIpickoutthetopicformyresearchpaper.

II.MultipleIntelligencesTheory

Inthepast,intelligencewasafixed,staticentityatbirthwhichwasdefinedoperationallyastheabilitytoansweritemsonIQtests.EvensincethepublicationofhisFramesofMind（1983）,Dr.HowardGardnerhaspostulatedanalternativedefinitionofintelligencebasedonaradicallydifferentviewofintelligence.Accordingtohim,anintelligenceentailstheabilitytosolveproblemsorfashionproductsthatareofconsequenceinaparticularculturalsettingorcommunity（1993:

15）.Therearemany,notjustone,differentbutautonomousintelligencecapacitiesthatresultinmanydifferentwaysofknowing,understanding,andlearningaboutourworld.AsGardner（1993:

12）states:

Itisoftheutmostimportancethatwerecognizeandnurtureallofthevariedofhumanintelligences,andallofthecombinationofintelligence.Weareallsodifferentlargelybecauseweallhavedifferentcombinationsofintelligences.Ifwerecognizethis,Ithinkwewillhaveatleastabetterchanceofdealingappropriatelywiththemanyproblemsthatwefaceintheworld.

Inordertomakeacleardistinctionbetweenanintelligencewithitsbiologicaloriginandatalent/skill,Gardnerassertsthateachintelligencemustsatisfyalloramajorityofthefollowingcriteria,namelybraindamagestudies,exceptionalindividuals,developmentalhistory,evolutionaryhistory,psychometricfindings,psychologicaltasks,coreoperations,andsymbolsystem（Christison,1998）.Uptothepresent,hehasproposedaschemaofeightintelligencesandsuggeststhatthereareprobablymanyothersthatwehavenotyetbeenabletotest（Gardner,1995）.AsummaryofGardner'seightintelligencesisgivenasfollow:

Verbal/LinguisticIntelligenceistheabilitytouselanguageeffectivelyandcreativelybothorallyandinwriting.Thisintelligencecanbeseeninsuchpeopleaspoets,playwrights,storytellers,novelists,publicspeakers,andcomedians.

Logical/MathematicalIntelligenceistheabilitytousenumberseffectively,torecognizeabstractpatterns,todiscernrelationshipsandtoreasonwell.Theintelligencecanbeseeninsuchpeopleasscientists,computerprogrammers,accountant,lawyers,bankers,and,ofcourse,mathematicians.

Thelogical/mathematicalandverbal/linguisticintelligencesformthebasisformostsystemsofeducation,aswellasforallformsofcurrentlyexistingstandardizedtestingprograms.

Visual/SpatialIntelligenceinvolvestheabilitytosenseform,space,color,line,andshapeincludingtheabilitytographicallyrepresentvisualorspatialideas.Thisintelligencecanbeseeninsuchpeopleasarchitects,graphicartists,cartographers,industrialdesigndraftspersons,and,ofcourse,visualartists（paintersandsculptors）.

Bodily/KinestheticIntelligenceistheabilitytouseone'sbodytoexpressoneselfandtosolveproblems.Thisintelligencecanbeseeninsuchpeopleasactors,athletes,mimes,dancers,andinventors.

Musical/RhythmicIntelligenceinvolvestheabilitytorecognizetonalpatternsandasensibilitytorhythm,pitch,melody,etc.Thisintelligencecanbeseeninadvertisingprofessionals（thosewhowritecatchyjunglestosellaproduct）,performancemusicians,rockmusicians,dancebandsandcomposers.

InterpersonalIntelligenceinvolvestheabilitytounderstandpeople'smoods,feelings,motivationsandintentions.Itincludestheabilitytoworkcooperativelywithothersinagroupandtocommunicate,verballyandnonverbally,withotherpeople.Thisformofintelligenceisusuallyhighlydevelopedinsuchpeopleascounselors,teachers,therapists,politicians,andreligionsleaders.

IntrapersonalIntelligenceinvolvestheabilitytounderstandtheinternalaspectsoftheselfandtopracticeself-discipline.Thisintelligencecanbeseeninsuchpeopleasphilosophers,psychiatrists,spiritualcounselors,andcognitivepatternresearchers.

NaturalistIntelligenceinvolvestheabilitytorecognizeandclassifyplants,minerals,andanimals,includingrocks,grass,andallvarietyoffloraandfauna.Italsoincludestheabilitytorecognizeculturalartifactslikecars,sneakers,etc.Theintelligencecanbeseeninsuchpeopleasfarmers,hunters,zookeepers,gardeners,cooks,veterinarians,natureguide,andforestrangers.

III.TheApplicationofMITheorytoEnglishLanguageTeaching（ELT）

Itseemedtousthateversincethearisingofthelearner-centeredinstruction,everyELTmethod/techniquewithitsspecificemphasishasbeendevelopedtomeetstudents'differentneeds,orinterests（somewhatasGardner'sintentionofdevelopingand/orusingdifferentkindsof"intelligences"）.TheSilentWay,forexample,emphasizesthedevelopmentofstudents'innerthinking（intrapersonalintelligence）;TotalPhysicalResponse,however,emphasizeslanguagelearningthroughphysicalaction（bodily/kinestheticintelligence）;Suggestopedia,ontheotherhand,emphasizestheuseofmusic（musicalintelligence）tofacilitatelanguagecognition;boththeCommunicativeApproachandcooperativelearningemphasizetheimportanceofinterpersonalrelationship（interpersonalintelligence）tolanguagelearning;andthewholelanguagelearningnotonlyemphasizesthewholenessandrealityoflanguage（verbal/linguisticintelligence）butalsobelievethecoordinationofbodily/kinesthetic,interpersonal,andintrapersonalintelligencestopromotelanguagelearning.

TheannouncementofGardner'sMItheoryacknowledgesabroaderintellectualspectrumineveryleaner.We,theEnglishlanguageteacherstoday,arebetterawareofthefactthatstudentsbringwiththemspecificstrengths,uniquelearningstyles,anddifferentlearningpotentials.Thetheoryofmultipleintelligenceoffersusawaytoexamineandformourbestteachingtechniquesandstrategiesinlightofhumandifferences.Wecanteachourstudentstobemoreintelligentinmoreways,andonmorelevelsthanweeverdreamed.

WiththereferenceofChristison（1996:

10-11）,IlistfourstepstoshowhowMItheoryappliestoELT.Thefirststepistoidentifytheactivitiesfrequentlyusedinourclassesandcategorizethemtoeachparticulartypeofintelligence.Throughliteraturereview（Lazear,1999&1993,Christison,1990,1996&1998,Haggerty,1995,Li'stranslationofArmstrong,1994andCampbells&Dickinson,1993）andmydecades'teachingandobservation,Icameupwiththelistbelow,whichisbynomeansexhaustive,foryourreference.

Verbal/LinguisticIntelligence

AVocabulary&GrammarLearning--learningnewwordsandgrammaticalpointsandpracticingusingthemaccuratelyinregularcommunication

AListening--listeningtotapesofstories,dialogues,andlectures,etc.

AFormalandInformalSpeaking--makingverbalpresentationtoothers,makingconversations,havingdiscussionsanddebates,etc.

AHumororJokes--creatingpuns,limericks,andtellingjokesontopicsofstudy

AImpromptuSpeaking--instantlyspeakingonarandomlydrawntopic

AStorytelling--tellingstoriesaboutanytopiconeisstudying

AReading--silentreading,oralreading,andgroup/choral/chainreadingforcomprehension

AWriting--doingwrittenexercises,note-taking,summary/reportwriting,andjournal/log/diarykeepingtokeeptrackofone'sownthoughtsandideas

ACreativeWriting--writingoriginalpieces.,stories,essays,poems,novels,etc.）

Logical/MathematicalIntelligence

ALogicPatternGames--creatingriddlesorpuzzlesthatchallengestudentstofindahiddenrationaleorpattern

ALogical/SequentialPresentation--inventingpoint-by-pointlogicalexplanationsforitemsormakingsystematicpresentationofsubjectmatter

ANumberSequences/Patterns--investigatingnumericalfactsorgatheringandanalyzingstatisticsonatopic

AProblemSolving--listingappropriateproceduresforproblemsolvingsituations

AFormingRelationships--creatingmeaningfulconnectionsbetweendifferentideas

ASyllogisms--making"if…,then…"logicaldeductionsaboutatopic

Visual/SpatialIntelligence

AVisualAidsUsing/Ma