Phát triển kỹ năng nói của học sinh THPT qua chương trình giảng dạy dựa theo thuyết đa trí tuệ nghiên cứu hành động tại một trường THPT ở hà nội

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************

NGUYỄN THỊ THÙY NGÂN

IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ SPEAKING
SKILLS THROUGH MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES-BASED
SYLLABUS: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY AT
A HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI
(Phát triển kỹ năng nói của học sinh THPT qua chương trình giảng dạy
dựa theo thuyết đa trí tuệ: Nghiên cứu hành động tại một trường THPT
ở Hà Nội)

MA. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
Code : 8140231.01

Hanoi, 2021


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
*********************

NGUYỄN THỊ THÙY NGÂN

IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ SPEAKING

SKILLS THROUGH MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES-BASED
SYLLABUS: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY AT
A HIGH SCHOOL IN HANOI
(Phát triển kỹ năng nói của học sinh THPT qua chương trình giảng dạy
dựa theo thuyết đa trí tuệ: Nghiên cứu hành động tại một trường THPT
ở Hà Nội)

MA. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

FIELD

: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY

CODE

: 8140231.01

SUPERVISOR: HUỲNH ANH TUẤN, PhD

Hanoi, 2021


DECLARATION
I, Nguyễn Thị Thùy Ngân, declare that the thesis is the result of my own
research and the substance of the thesis has not, wholly or partially, been submitted
for a degree to any other university or institution. Where other sources of
information have been used, they have been identified and acknowledged.
Hanoi, March 2021

Nguyễn Thị Thùy Ngân

i


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my
supervisor, Dr. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn, for his valuable guidance, encouragements,
comments and continuous support during my thesis writing. I am also grateful to
him for reading my manuscript and helping me make necessary changes.
I would also like to thank forty-two students of grade 11 at a high school in
Hanoi. Without their passionate participation and input, the research could not have
been successfully conducted.
Last but not least, my sincere thanks go to my parents, my husband, my
colleagues and my friends for their continuous support and encouragement
throughout my study time.
Hanoi, March 2021

Nguyễn Thị Thùy Ngân

ii


ABSTRACT

According to Zafar (2012), individual learner differences in terms of age,
sex, aptitude and motivation, play a crucial role in the acquisition of the second
language. Based on Gardner‟s “Theory of multiple intelligences”, an action research
was conducted among forty-two students at a high school in Hanoi through means
of questionnaires, tests, observation and interview. The study aimed at investigating

the extent to which the students‟ speaking skills could be enhanced through mutilple
intelligences (MI) activities, students‟ attitudes towards these activities and
challenges that the teacher and students encountered in the MI-based lessons. The
findings showed that MI activities were beneficial to help students improve their
speaking competence. Besides, students' interest and motivation were increased
significantly during the action phase of the study. Students admitted that MI
activities in speaking lessons could help them retain the pronunciation faster and
longer, help them enhance their vocabulary and consolidate their grammar
structures. Although there were some challenges such as limitation of class time, the
big difference among students in terms of preferential intelligence type, both the
teachers and the students renovated the activities and got beneficial results after the
study. Based on the findings, some recommendations would be listed for the future
studies so that most of the students could benefit from the MI-based lessons.
Keywords: intelligence, multiple intelligences, speaking skills

iii


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ESL

: English as a Second Language

M

: Mean

MI

: Multiple intelligence(s)

SD

: Standard Deviation

SPSS : Statistical Package for Social Science

iv


LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2. Reliability Statistics of Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire ...................27
Figure 3. Mean scores and Standard deviation of MI frequencies ...........................33
Figure 4. Mean scores of MI preferences .................................................................34
Figure 5. Paired samples Statistics of the whole class ..............................................35
Figure 6. Paired samples Statistics of students whose MI were employed. .............36
Figure 7. A score comparison between pre-test and post-test ..................................36
Figure 8. Students‟ improvement in aspects of speaking skills ................................38
Figure 9. Students‟ level of interest in learning speaking lessons with MI activities ......39
Figure 10. Students‟ feeling when participating in MI activities ..............................39
Figure 11. Students‟ preferences for MI activities ....................................................40
Figure 12. Overall class motivation score for all students ........................................42

v


LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. MI groups classified by the most dominant intelligences ...........................32
Table 2. Results of students‟ speaking performance.................................................37
Table 3. Students‟ comments on MI activities ..........................................................41
Table 4. Students‟ challenges when joining MI activities ........................................44

vi


TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ....................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................. iv
LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. vi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................1
1.1. Rationale for the study .........................................................................................1
1.2. Aims and objectives of the study .........................................................................2
1.3. Research questions ...............................................................................................2
1.4. Significance of the study ......................................................................................3
1.4.1. Practical significance of the study ....................................................................3
1.4.2. Theoretical significance of the study ................................................................3
1.5. Scope of the study ................................................................................................3
1.6. Methods of the study ............................................................................................4
1.7. Structure of the study ...........................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................6
2.1. Speaking skills .....................................................................................................6
2.1.1. Definition of speaking skills .............................................................................6
2.1.2. Components of speaking skills .........................................................................6
2.1.3. Principles for teaching speaking .......................................................................8

2.2. The theory of multiple intelligences ..................................................................11
2.3. MI-based syllabus in teaching speaking skills ...................................................15
2.4. Advantages and disadvantages of MI-based syllabus ........................................16
2.4.1. Advantages of MI-based syllabus ...................................................................16
2.4.2. Disadvantages of MI-based syllabus ...............................................................18
2.5. Related studies in improving students‟ speaking skills through MI activities...18

vii


CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .........................................................................21
3.1. The setting of the study ......................................................................................21
3.1.1. A description of the students and their learning program ...............................21
3.1.2. The teaching program and material ................................................................21
3.2. Participants of the study .....................................................................................21
3.3. An overview of action research..........................................................................22
3.3.1. What is action research?..................................................................................22
3.3.2. Types of action research..................................................................................23
3.3.3. Models of action research ...............................................................................24
3.4. Data collection instruments and procedure ........................................................26
3.4.1. Data collection instruments .............................................................................26
3.4.2 The action procedures ......................................................................................30
3.5. Statistics Analysis ..............................................................................................30
3.6. MI-based syllabus ..............................................................................................31
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................32
4.1. Data analysis and findings .................................................................................32
4.1.1. The enhancement of students‟ speaking skills after the MI-based syllabus ...32
4.1.2. The students‟ attitudes towards MI activities in speaking lessons .................38
4.1.3. Students‟ and teacher‟s challenges in MI-based speaking lessons .................43
4.2. Discussion ..........................................................................................................47

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ...............................................................................50
5.1. Recapitulation ....................................................................................................50
5.2. Reflection ...........................................................................................................51
5.2.1. Reflection on the action process .....................................................................51
5.2.2 Reflection on the consequences of the change.................................................53
5.3. Recommendation for further researches ............................................................53
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................55
APPENDICES ........................................................................................................... I

viii


CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the research area and outlines the background as
well as the reasons for choosing the research topic. Besides, the study’s
elaborations are mentioned as the main guidelines for the rest of the paper.
1.1. Rationale for the study
Being a global language, English plays a very pivotal role in communicating
all over the world. Crystal (2003) claimed that a language became an international
language for the power of its people. Furthermore, being good at English gives
people chances to access to a great wealth of entertainment because many of the
world‟s top films, books as well as music are published and produced in English.
All the above-mentioned facts are reasons why learning English is really essential
nowadays.
According to Ammon (2001: 345), English is an exceptional language since
it is highly preferred and chosen for education, occupation and communication. In
education, almost all countries around the world choose English as one of the
compulsory subjects in schools. This trend is also true in Vietnam‟s situation.
Therefore, educators and teachers of English have made continuous researches in

how to teach English effectively in terms of four skills: listening, speaking, reading
and writing.
Among these four skills, speaking seems to be a crucial one that proves
learners' understanding about the language and their ability to use that language. In
other words, speaking is a chance to notice the gaps between what students want to
say and what they can say. However, in the classes I have been taught at a high
school in Hanoi, many students find speaking the most challenging skill and they
are lack of confidence to have a speech in front of class.
As Gentry (2013) mentioned in his journal article „Differentiated
Instructional Strategies to Accommodate Students with Varying Needs and
Learning Styles‟, students enter classrooms with different abilities, learning styles,

1


and personalities. Thus, every student has their own needs and interests, their own
type of intelligence as well as learning paths. And all students deserve to have the
opportunity to learn in ways that make the most of their strengths and help them
overcome their weaknesses. However, teaching a lesson that meets the needs of
diverse learners is truly a challenge for teachers in general and teachers of English
in particular.
Based on the practical experience in school and after researching the related
ESL/EFL studies, I decided to implement a research on “Improving high school
students' speaking skills through a multiple intelligences-based syllabus: An
action research study at a high school in Hanoi". For this study, my syllabus was
designed based on the theory of multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner
(1993) because I would like to utilize the strengths and favorite fields of my
students with the purpose of inspiring them to enhance their English-speaking
competence.
1.2. Aims and objectives of the study

The initial aim of the study was to determine the effects of adopting multiple
intelligence (MI) activities in speaking lessons of 11th-grade students on their
speaking skills. Besides, the study aims at finding out the difficulties of the teacher
and the students when utilizing and taking part in MI activities in speaking lessons
at a high school.
To achieve these aims, the study had to obtain the following three objectives:
-

Investigate the extent to which the students‟ speaking skills can be
enhanced through their participation in the MI activities.

-

Explore the students‟ attitudes in regards to the MI activities organized in
speaking lessons.

-

Enquiry the challenges faced by the teacher and the students when the
MI-based syllabus was applied.

1.3. Research questions
There are three research questions the author would like to address when
conducting this study:

2


1. To what extent does the MI-based syllabus enhance the students' speaking skills?
2. What are the students‟ attitudes towards the MI activities in speaking lessons?

3. What challenges do the teacher and students encounter while teaching and
learning speaking skills through MI-based syllabus?
1.4. Significance of the study
1.4.1. Practical significance of the study
There are various acclaimed benefits for the teacher and the students who got
involved in this research. Firstly, the results from the study are useful for myself,
my students as well as my colleagues at my high school. Based on the findings,
conclusion could be made on which among multiple intelligences should be applied
most frequently in speaking classes and how to use MI-based syllabus to stimulate
student's interest as well as improve their speaking skills. For the students, this
study might help them solve their problems in speaking skills so as to learn and
practice this skill with confidence. As a result, the study can be a considerable
contribution to teaching and learning speaking skills effectively and enjoyably at a
high school.
1.4.2. Theoretical significance of the study
It is supposed that this research can be used as a reference for other
researchers who want to conduct a study on students' speaking skills using MIbased activities at a high school or other school levels. The activities designed for
this study can be a suggestion for teachers of English who desire to adopt
differentiated activities to get all students engaged in learning.
1.5. Scope of the study
Among the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing,
speaking was chosen for the study because it seemed to be the most challenging
skill for my students. The components of speaking skills are various according to
different viewpoints. However, to be suitable to research variables, researcher
followed the theory of Hormailis (2003:6), using vocabulary, grammar, fluency and
pronunciation as the criteria to assess students‟ speaking ability. Besides, these

3

criteria could help researcher find out on which aspect the students have
improvement after the employment of different MI activities.
In terms of intelligence types, even though Gardner (1999) pointed out nine
different MIs, the researcher only focused on applying two intelligences in the
research: Kinesthetic intelligence and Interpersonal intelligence. These are two
dominant intelligences that the majority of students participating in this research
have. This will be discussed more in the Methodology chapter.
A class of forty-two students from grade eleven was investigated during 12
weeks. They had one speaking period per week and each period lasted for forty-five
minutes.
In this study, the main purpose of designing a MI-based syllabus is to specify
the MI activities which could be implemented in speaking lessons. Therefore, the
term "MI activities" would be mentioned and understood as the core factor of "MIbased syllabus".
1.6. Methods of the study
The study was carried out adopting action research approach. Four
instruments were employed in this study: questionnaire, test, class observation and
interview.
The questionnaires, which included pre-action questionnaire and post-action
questionnaire, were for 42 eleventh graders from class 11A1 of a high school in
Hanoi. The pre-action questionnaire was to determine the intelligences that most
students have. Based on this data, the teacher made lesson plans that focus on
nurturing the two most dominant intelligences. The post-action questionnaire was
desired for students to see their attitudes towards the MI-based activities in speaking
lessons. Besides, this questionnaire also helped find out the challenges that the
student coped with when learning speaking skills through MI-based syllabus.
Tests, which included a pre-test for the students before the action and a posttest after the action, were designed to see if there was any development in their
performance. Especially, results from two tests help indicate the extent that the MIbased syllabus can enhance students‟ speaking skills.
4

Class observation was implemented during 12 weeks with the purpose of
assessing students‟ interaction when joining MI activities.
Interview conducted with the teacher aimed to find out the teacher‟s
challenges when organizing MI activities in speaking lessons.
The combination of different instruments used in this study is supposed to help
gain reliable data and a close investigation into the problems that students are having.
1.7. Structure of the study
In order to make this research easy to follow, the researcher would like to
present the organization of the thesis:
Chapter 1: Introduction - consists of rationale for the study; aims, significance,
scope of the study; three research questions, research methodology and structure of
the study.
Chapter 2: Literature review - provides a review of basic concepts and
knowledge relevant to the study, in which the principles of designing a MI-based
syllabus as well as advantages and disadvantages of applying MI activities in
speaking lessons were discussed.
Chapter 3: Methodology - presents an overview of the current situation of
teaching and learning speaking at a high school in Hanoi. Instruments and
Procedures for Data collection and analysis are also mentioned in this chapter.
Chapter 4: Findings and discussions – represents the results and discussions of
the findings related to the research questions.
Chapter 5: Conclusion - summarizes the major findings and discusses some
limitations of the study as well as suggests some recommendations for further
studies.
Besides, the list of references and appendices are also parts of the study.
Summary: The part has provided the rationale, aims and significances of the
study. The method of the study has also been identified clearly with three research
questions and defined scope. A chapter-by-chapter overview of the thesis plays the
role of justifying the major contents and organization of the study.

5


CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter aims to provide the theoretical background of the study and the
key concepts related to MI as well as principles to design MI-based syllabus in
teaching speaking skills. In addition, background information about MI and
preceding studies will be displayed specifically.
2.1. Speaking skills
2.1.1. Definition of speaking skills
Speaking skills, according to Chaney & Burk (1998), are the processces of
building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in
a variety of contexts.
Sharing the same viewpoint, Nunan (2003) defined speaking skills as the
ability speaker can produce English speech sounds, use word and sentence stress,
intonation patterns of target language as well as choose words, phrases and
sentences for specific context of communication appropriately and logically.
In the research conducted by Đỗ Thị Mai Hương (2016), she cited the
definition written by Florez (1999) that speaking is an interactive process of
constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing
information.
Undoubtedly, speaking skills are among the key modes of human
communication which enabl people to express their ideas and to know others‟ ideas
as well. Speaking skills are the ones that language students should be assisted to
develop for their communicative purpose.
2.1.2. Components of speaking skills
The components of speaking skills have been widely investigated. Dendrinos
(2016) stated that speaking competence includes Interaction skills (openings, turntaking, interrupting, topic-shift, adjacency pairs, closings) and Communication
strategies (message adjustment/ avoidance, paraphrase, asking for repetition etc.).

In a more detail and distinct classification, Heaton (1988:100) introduced
four components of speaking skills which are Accuracy (in terms of pronunciation,

6


grammar and vocabulary), Fluency, Comprehensibility and Content. Meanwhile,
Hormailis (2003:6) pointed out 4 sub-skills of speaking. They are:
a. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is one of the extreme aspects that support speaking activity. It
deals with the right and appropriate words. (Ur in Hormailis 2003:6). Apparently,
vocabulary is essential for successful second language use because without an
extensive vocabulary, students will be unable to use the structure and function they
may have learnt for comprehensible communicative.
b. Grammar
The grammar of a language is the description of the ways in which words
can change their forms and can be combined into sentences in that language
(Harmer, 2001:12). Thus, the function of grammar is to arrange the correct meaning
of sentences based on the context; in addition, it is used to avoid misunderstanding
in each communicator. In other words, communication in speaking runs smoothly if
its grammar can be understood. Therefore, speakers must be aware of the grammar
that they use in their speaking.
c. Fluency
Speaking is an activity of reproducing word orally. It means that there is a
process of exchanging ideas between a speaker and a listener. Therefore, it is
important to have fluency which is defined as the ability to speak communicatively,
fluently and accurately. Fluency usually refers to express oral language
spontaneously and confidently, without undue pauses and hesitation.
d. Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the way for students to produce clearer language when they

are speaking. It means that the student can communicate effectively when they have
good pronunciation and intonation even though they have limited vocabulary and
grammar. Pronunciation refers to the traditional or customary utterance of words.
From that statement can be concluded that pronunciation is the way for students to
produce the utterance words clearly when they are speaking (Kline, 2001:69).

7


Besides, Kelly (2000:11) says that problems could be caused by using the stress and
the intonation inaccurately.
In addition to 4 sub-skills pointed out by Hormailis, Cohen et al. (2005:51)
lists one more aspect: comprehension and interactive communication. According to
Cohen et al. (2005:51), comprehension is an ability to perceive and process
stretches of discourse, to formulate representations the meaning of sentences.
Meanwhile, interactive communication is the ability of a candidate to interact with
the interlocutor and the other candidates by initiating and responding appropriately
and at the required speed and rhythm to fulfil the task requirements.
In this study, Hormailis‟ framework, with four components namely
vocabulary, grammar, fluency and pronunciation, was chosen to assess students‟
speaking competence.
2.1.3. Principles for teaching speaking
There is a big difference between speaking and writing skill. One simple
reason is that in our daily lives, most of us often speak more than write. Therefore,
the principles to teach speaking should be, undoubtedly, different from teaching
other skills.
If Bailey (2005) introduced principles for teaching speaking with 3 levels of
students (beginner, intermediate and advanced level), Brown (2000: 275-276)
provided 7 principles as follows:
* Focus on both fluency and accuracy, depending on your objectives

Accuracy is the extent to which students‟ speech matches what people
actually say when they use the target language. Fluency is the extent to which
speakers use the language quickly and confidently, with few hesitations or unnatural
pauses, false starts, word searches, etc.
In our current interactive language teaching, we can easily slip into
interactive activities that do not capitalize on grammatical pointers or pronunciation
tips. We need to bear in mind a spectrum of learner needs, from language-based
focus on accuracy to message-based focus on interaction, meaning and fluency.

8


When the teacher does a jigsaw group technique, play a game, or discuss solutions
to the environmental crisis, it is important to make sure that the tasks have a
linguistic (language-based) objective, and seize the opportunity to help students to
perceive and use the building blocks of language. Besides, the teacher should make
any drilling he/she does as meaningful as possible. The student cannot develop
fluency if the teacher is constantly interrupting them to correct their oral errors.
Teachers must provide students with fluency building practice and realize that
making mistakes is a natural part of learning a new language.
* Provide intrinsically motivating techniques
The teacher's duty is to try at all times to appeal to students‟ ultimate goals
and interests, to their need for knowledge, for status, for achieving competence and
autonomy, and for “being all that they can be”. Even in those techniques that do not
send students into ecstasy, help them to see how the activity will benefit them.
Often students don‟t know why we ask them to do certain things, it usually pays to
tell them.
* Encourage the use of authentic language in meaningful contexts
This theme has been played time and again. It is not easy to keep coming up
with meaningful interaction. We all succumb to the temptation to do, say,

disconnected little grammar exercises where we go around the room calling on
students one by one to pick the right answer. It takes energy and creativity to devise
authentic contexts and meaningful interaction, but with the help of a storehouse of
teacher resource material, it can be done.
* Provide appropriate feedback and correction
According to Brown (2000), in most EFL situations, students are totally
dependent on the teacher for useful linguistic feedback. In ESL situations, they may
get such feedback “out there” beyond the classroom, but even then, the teacher is in
a position to be of great benefit. It is important that the teacher takes advantage of
his/her knowledge of English to inject the kinds of corrective feedback that are
appropriate for the moment.

9


* Capitalize on the natural link between speaking and listening
Many interactive techniques that involve speaking will also of course include
listening. The teacher should not lose out on opportunities to integrate these two
skills. As he/she is perhaps focusing on speaking goals, listening goals may
naturally coincide, and the two skills can reinforce each other. Skills in producing
language are often initiated through comprehension.
* Give students opportunities to initiate oral communication
A good deal of typical classroom interaction is characterized by teacher
initiation of language. Teachers ask questions, give directions, and provide
information and students have been conditioned only to “speak when spoken to.”
Part of oral communication competence is the ability to initiate conversation, to
nominate topics, to ask questions, to control conversations, and to change the
subject.
* Encourage the development of speaking strategies
The concept of strategic competence is one that few beginning language

students are aware of. They simply have not thought about developing their own
personal strategies for accomplishing oral communicative purposes. The classroom
can be done in which students become aware of, and have a chance to practice, such
strategies as:
 asking for clarification (what?)
 asking someone to repeat something (Pardon me? Huh? Excuse me?)
 using fillers (uh, I mean, Well) in order to gain (to get) time to process
 using conversation maintenance cues (Uh-huh, Right, Yeah, OK, Hmm)
 getting someone‟s attention (Hey, Say, So)
 using paraphrasing for structures one can‟t produce
 appealing for assistance from the interlocutor (to get a word or phrase, for
example)
 using

formulaic

expressions

(at

the

survival-stage)

does____cost? How do you get to the____?)
 using mime and non-verbal expressions to convey meaning
10

(How

much


2.2. The theory of multiple intelligences
According to Richards and Rodgers (1995), "multiple intelligences refers to
a learner-based philosophy that characterizes human intelligence as having multiple
dimensions that must be acknowledged and developed in education”. Intelligence is
the human being's ability to reason, solve problems and understand complex,
abstract things. In our real world, some people are exceptional thinkers but prove to
lack practical skills or emotional intelligence. Meanwhile, others, less gifted with
logical-mathematic thinking have other gifts, talents in the field of art or creative
activities. Thus, the types of intelligence coexist and people can be gifted in a
certain area and weaker in other.
Gardner (1983) coined seven types of intelligences in the book named
“Frames of mind”. They are visual – spatial; verbal – linguistic; logical –
mathematical; bodily - kinesthetic; musical; interpersonal and intrapersonal
intelligences. Later, in his new book “Multiple Intelligences” (1993), he added one
more type: Natural intelligence. In 1999, he appended Existential intelligence to the
list in “Intelligence reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st century”.
In the research conducted in 2014, AlinaPădurean, Assistant Professor,
PhD from University of Arad cited from Gardner (1993) and explained the types of
intelligence as following:
Visual – spatial intelligence
This type of intelligence refers to one`s ability of visually perceiving what
surrounds us, of observing shapes, ideas and structures which can be memorized for
a long time. Pupils use a concrete image to synthesize and create new meanings. It
is commonly used in writing and reading activities, as well as in painting,
photography, drawings and sculpture. Classroom activities to highlight spatial
intelligence include the following:
-

Art activities such as painting and play dough

-

Working with play money

-

Map reading and map making

11


-

Play a Pictionary-style game

-

Diagram sentences

-

Making poster on specific theme
Verbal – linguistic intelligence
It is represented by one‟s ability of using words, developing a rich

vocabulary and learning foreign languages in an easy way. Pupils possessing this
type of intelligence learn easily if they hear the information rather than read it;

therefore, teachers should use CDs and other audio materials. Teachers develop this
type of intelligence in listening, speaking, writing, word game activities.
The following classroom activities favor this type of intelligence:
-

Storytelling and narration

-

Write stories

-

Create a television or radio newscast

-

Create a newspaper

-

Have a debate

-

Play vocabulary games
Logical – mathematical intelligence
It is represented by one‟s ability to use logic, reason and numbers, to solve

problems easily, to make future plans and to face challenges. It involves superior

analytical activities and uses statistics, abstract concepts and calculations for
problem solving. Classroom activities that work well with this type of intelligence
include the following:
-

Solve mysteries using deductive reasoning

-

Predict outcomes based on circumstances

-

Solve number or logic puzzles

-

Do a planning for a Math-related circumstance
The bodily –kinesthetic intelligence
It is represented by the ability to use the body to solve problems, to share

feelings and wishes. These students are skilled at physical activities such as sport
and dance, mime, etc. Activities for kinesthetic learners include the following:
12


-

Dramatic re-enactments of historical or literary events

-

Use different body parts to express words/ phrases

-

Use charades to act out parts of speech

-

Learn folk dances that represent different cultures

-

Design and make a model with specific theme
Musical intelligence
Musical intelligence is one`s ability to produce and interpret music, to

identify a composer`s style, pitch and timber. This ability is commonly used to
reduce stress and release stress. For these activities it is necessary to be able to play
an instrument, to sing and have artistic skills. Classroom activities for musical
intelligence include the following:
-

Write and recite poetry

-

Perform dance routines to act out historical or literary events

-

Create songs or raps about math concepts

-

Perform sound and vibration experiments in science
Interpersonal intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence involves the ability to understand others, their

feelings and emotions, and also the ability to cooperate, socialize, analyze and
handle emotions. It is the most common type of intelligence used by foreign
language teachers. It includes: empathy, listening, team work, conflict solving,
group guidance and organization. Activities to teach interpersonal learners include
the following:
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Work in small groups on a project

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Mentor or teach concepts to another student

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Conduct interviews

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Discuss in a group

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Compose a story and act it out

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Team building exercises
Intrapersonal intelligence

People with intrapersonal intelligence have great self-knowledge; they know
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their strengths and weaknesses, their motivations and intensions. They are
independent personalities, like to work alone and plan carefully their work.
Intrapersonal intelligence is important in individual study and homework.
Intrapersonal classroom activities include the following:
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Keep a journal

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Write an autobiography

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Work independently

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Write essays about specific topic

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Rewrite a story from their point of view

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Share how they'd be different if they were from another culture

Natural intelligence
Natural intelligence is the most recent addition to Gardner‟s theory.
According to Gardner, individuals who are high in this type of intelligence are more
in tune with nature and are often interested in nurturing, exploring the environment,
and learning about other species. These individuals are said to be highly aware of
even subtle changes to their environments. Activities for naturalist learners include
the following:
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Categorize species in the natural world

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Collect items from nature

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Recycle things

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Go on nature walks

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Cultivate plants or care for small animals

Existential intelligence
Armstrong (2009) stated that Gardner defined existential intelligence as “a
concern with ultimate life issues”, while Allan and Shearer (2012:21) assumed that
it is the tendency to explore the fundamental concerns of human existence plus
having the capacity to engage in a meaning-making process that locates oneself in
the respect of life‟s issues. The hypothesis of existential intelligence has been
further explored by educational researchers for years. Some activities to develop
students‟ existential intelligence are:

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Read Books in Different Languages

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Host a Metric Versus Imperial Measurement Debate

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Show History Repeating Itself

Although Garder (1999) explored nine different MI, only Kinesthetic
intelligence and Interpersonal intelligence were employed in this study because
these are the two most preferable intelligences among all participants.
2.3. MI-based syllabus in teaching speaking skills
A syllabus, as defined by Breen (1984: 47), is most typically a plan of what
is to be achieved through our teaching and our students' learning. In order to take
advantages of MI theory in language teaching and learning, teachers should design a
syllabus with various of activities based on students‟ intelligence profile. However,
it is very important for teachers to examine how to adopt MI theory into different
activities effectively in class.
Christison (as cited in Ibragimova, 2011) suggested teachers identify and
categorize activities in their classes, and presents four stages of how MI-based
lessons can be reinforced: arouse the intelligence; improve and support it; organize
lessons according to different intelligence types and integrate intelligences into
problem solving. Akbari and Hosseini (2007) focused on possible connection
between the use of language learning strategies and the scores of MI among the
foreige language learners of English.
Meanwhile, according to Trianto (2011, as cited in Tolkhah, 2016), there are
three principles that MI can be best applied. They are:
1. Planning Phase that covers: a) determining the types of subjects, b)
choosing materials related to competence standards and basic competence, c)
determining intelligence to develop, d) formulating indicators of learning outcomes,
e) preparing a syllabus and lesson plan.
2. Implementation phase that involves the three principles that must be taken
into consideration in the implementation of thematic learning. They are: a) the
teacher should not dominate the learning activities, but acts as a mentor and
facilitator, b) the teacher clearly explains the responsibilities for both individuals

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