Applying multiple intelligences theory to teach speaking skill to 10th graders

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
===*****===

PHAN THI VINH

APPLYING MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY
TO TEACH SPEAKING SKILL
TO 10TH GRADERS
MASTER‟S THESIS IN EDUCATION

Nghe An, 2019


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
VINH UNIVERSITY
===*****===

PHAN THI VINH

APPLYING MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
THEORY TO TEACH SPEAKING SKILL TO 10TH
GRADERS
Field: Theory and Methods of Teaching English
Code: 8.14.01.11
MASTER‟S THESIS IN EDUCATION
SUPERVISOR
Tran Ba Tien, Ph.D.

Nghe An, 2019

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I gratefully acknowledge the encouragement and support of many
individuals in assisting me to fulfill this study.
First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis
supervisor: Dr. Tran Ba Tien for his valuable guidance, precious orientation,
warm stimulation, and continuous support during my implementation of this
study. Without this assistance, the fulfillment of this master thesis would not be
possible.
In addition, I highly appreciate all the cooperation of my colleagues and
the students of class 10H and 10M at Thanh Chuong 3 high school, who
willingly spent their precious time helping me to collect data for the study.
Last but not least, words cannot describe my thanks for the unfailing
enthusiasm, support, encouragement and love that my family and friends have
provided me during the process of completing this research.


ABSTRACT
This study aims to look at the effectiveness of the application of
Multiple Intelligences (MI) based activities in teaching speaking skill for high
school students by adapting some provided activities in textbook “Tiếng Anh
10”.

Seventy three 10th graders from two classes were involved in an

experiment. To ensure that the level of speaking competence between the two
groups were the same, a pre- test was carried out before the experiment. Next,
teachers and participants from the treatment group were asked to answer
questionnaires whose aims were to identify their problems in teaching and

learning speaking skill; create students‟ MI profiles and investigate their
attitudes towards learning speaking. The teacher based on the data from the
questionnaires to adapt activities in textbooks so that they match these types of
learners. During the experiment, only one class was taught with MI based
activities whereas the other was not. Finally, the two groups were involved in
the post- test and the post-survey questionnaires were also delivered to the
treatment group after the experiment. By making comparisons between the
results from these two classes and the analysis of the data form survey
questionnaires, the researcher then can evaluate the effectiveness of MI – based
activities on the students speaking proficiency.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1
1.1. Rationale ..................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Aims of the study ........................................................................................ 3
1.3. Objectives of the study ............................................................................... 3
1.4. Research questions...................................................................................... 3
1.5. The scope of the study ................................................................................ 4
1.6. Methodology .............................................................................................. 4
1.7. The design of the study ............................................................................... 4
Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................... 5
2.1. Multiple Intelligences and its application to ELT ...................................... 5
2.1.1. Definition .............................................................................................. 5
2.1.2. Overview of the Eight Intelligences ………………………………..6

2.1.3 Roles of Multiple Intelligences Theory in Teaching and Learning
English……………………………………………………………………...10
2.1.4 The Application of MI Theory to English Language Teaching .......... 13
2.2 Teaching the speaking skill ....................................................................... 22
2.2.1. Speaking skill ..................................................................................... 22
2.2.2. Fluency ............................................................................................... 23
2.2.3. Accuracy ............................................................................................. 24
2.2.4. Teaching speaking in light of Communicative Language Teaching
(CLT) ............................................................................................................ 24


2.3 Related research……..…………………………………………………...28
Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 32
3.1. Research context ....................................................................................... 32
3.1.1. An overview of the research site ........................................................ 32
3.1.2. Description of 10th graders at ThanhChuong 3 High school ............ 32
3.1.3. Description of the English teachers at Thanh Chuong 3 High school
...................................................................................................................... 33
3.1.4 The current situation of teaching and learning speaking skill at Thanh
Chuong 3 High School ................................................................................. 33
3.2 Participants................................................................................................ 36
3.3. Instruments................................................................................................ 37
3.4. Research procedure ................................................................................... 39
Chapter 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ...................................................... 41
4.1. Presentation and analysis of data .............................................................. 41
4.1.1. Questionnaire for teachers .................................................................. 41
4.1.2 Questionnaire for the students ............................................................. 47
4.1.3 The results of the Pre – test and Post - test ......................................... 55
4.2 Discussion .................................................................................................. 60
4.3 Summary .................................................................................................... 61

Chapter 5 IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION ............................................ 63
5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 63
5.2 Implications ............................................................................................... 64
5.2.1. For teachers ........................................................................................ 64
5.2.2. For the students .................................................................................. 64
5.3 Limitations of the study ............................................................................. 65
5.4 Suggestions for Further Studies ................................................................. 65
REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 67
APPENDIX 1 STUDENTS‟ MI PROFILES .................................................... 72


APPENDIX 2 SURVEY QUESTIONAIRES FOR STUDENTS .................... 79
APPENDIX 3 POST- SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE FOR STUDENTS .......... 81
APPENDIX 4 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS ................... 82
APPENDIX 5 THE PRE-TEST ........................................................................ 85
APPENDIX 6 THE POST - TEST.................................................................... 88
APPENDIX 7 LESSON PLAN 1 .................................................................... 92
APPENDIX 8 LESSON PLAN 2 .................................................................... 98
APPENDIX 9 LESSON PLAN 3 .................................................................. 101
APPENDIX 10 LESSON PLAN 4 .................................................................. 108
APPENDIX 11 SPEAKING RUBRICS .......................................................... 115
APPENDIX 12 SCORES OF THE PRE – TEST AND POST - TEST .......... 116


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CLT:

Communicative Language Teaching

EFL:

English as a Foreign Language

ELT:

English language teaching

I:

Increase

M:

Mean score

MI:

Multiple Intelligences

MOET:

Ministry of Education and Training

PBL:

Project-based learning


LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES

Chart 4.1. Teachers‟ opinions about the language skills and language elements
that their students are at the lowest level. ........................................................... 41
Chart 4.2. Teachers‟ opinions of causes for students‟ low level of spoken
English. ................................................................................................................ 42
Chart 4.3. Teachers‟ opinion about activities in speaking sections in text book
“Tieng Anh 10”.................................................................................................... 43
Chart 4.4. Teachers‟ frequency of adapting text book activities. ........................ 44
Chart 4.5. Factors frequently taken into consideration by teachers when planning
their lessons. ........................................................................................................ 45
Chart 4.6. Teachers‟ grouping techniques. .......................................................... 46
Chart 4.7. Students‟ MI profiles .......................................................................... 47
Chart 4.8. Students‟ opinions about the importance of speaking skill. ............... 48
Chart 4.9. Students‟ opinions about activities in textbook. ................................. 49
Chart 4.10. Students‟ opinion about the effectiveness of speaking activities
before and after the intervention ......................................................................... 50
Chart 4.11. Students‟ problems in speaking lessons. .......................................... 51
Chart 4.12. Students‟ opinion about solutions to their problems in speaking skill
............................................................................................................................. 52
Chart 4.13. Students‟ motivation in speaking activities before and after the
intervention.......................................................................................................... 53
Chart 4.14. Students‟ participation in speaking activities before and after the
intervention.......................................................................................................... 54
Chart 4.15. Scores on accuracy of the Control group ......................................... 56
Chart 4.16. Scores on fluency of the Control group ........................................... 57
Chart 4.17. Scores on accuracy of the treatment group ...................................... 58
Chart 4.18. Scores on fluency of the treatment group ........................................ 59


Table 2.1. Activities frame of reference …………………………………….....17
Table 3.1. Summary of the Topic and Activities in textbook “Tieng Anh 10....34

Table 3.2. Scoring Rubrics …………………………………………...………..38
Table 3.3. List of the lesson plans …………………………………………….39
Table 4.1. The overall results of the Pre – test between the two groups ............ 55
Table 4.2 The overall results of the Post – test between the two groups ............ 60


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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale
English is becoming increasingly important in our modern life. It is not
simply a compulsory subject in the national curriculum, but also plays a key role
in preparing students for integrating with the English speaking world. This is the
reason why most of schools in Vietnam are trying to innovate the curriculum as
well as the teaching methods, which is aimed at developing students‟
communication skills. One of the aims of Vietnamese English language teaching
at general educational level expressed in the new curriculum is to ensure that
students will be able to use English as a means of communication at a certain
level of proficiency in four macroskills: listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. (MOET 2007)
However, contrary to our expectations, this expected outcome for English
learners seems to be far-fetched, especially in speaking skills. Though
considered to be the most important skill by language learners, the process of
teaching and learning speaking, in Vietnam still has many problems. Whereas
the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training emphasizes the importance
of practical communication skills, there is a mismatch between testing and
English language teaching. While teaching follows the communicative
approach, testing seems to focus on measuring students‟ lexico-grammatical

knowledge. Because of this, teachers and students put much stresses on the
development of reading comprehension, vocabulary and structural patterns for
the purposes of passing all compulsory exams, especially university entrance
examinations. Consequently, the majority of high school students are found to
be at very low level of spoken English. Many of them can hardly complete a
simple sentence about familiar topics such as hobbies or families. Students,


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especially at high school level in rural areas, not only pay no attention to
learning this skill but have no motivation in speaking lessons as well. A large
number of students revealed that they are bored with the repetition of the
activities in the classroom such as: questions and answers, reading out loud the
dialogue. They also think there is no need to improve speaking as this skill is
only for those who have the intention of traveling abroad in the future. Without
doubt, speaking, a vitally important skill of communication, is being ignored.
Being an educator, I have been trying to find out the most suitable and
efficient methods of teaching to improve this situation. From the best of my
knowledge about the Multiple Intelligences Theory (MI), I strongly hold the
belief that MI based activities will make a great contribution to improving this
situation at my school. According to this theory, people perceive, learn, and
process information in many different ways. It is not about “How smart you are”
but about “How you are smart”. In other words, everyone is talented in their
own ways, and giving our students chances to take advantage of their strengths
can enhance their education. Gardner (2006:61) suggests that instead of relying
on one form of curriculum, schools should offer individualized education so that
the curriculum meets the needs of each child. It opens the door to a variety of
teaching strategies which can motivate students to learn effectively by activating
their strength, help them see the way they are smart and therefore reach their

maximum potential.
Unfortunately, it is clear that many of these talents and abilities are
overlooked in traditional classrooms as activities in textbooks tend to rely too
heavily on only linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences. This may be
the main factor that is to blame for students‟ low motivation in learning
speaking skill as well as their low level of speaking ability. Because of this, I am
convinced that if my students are given chances to use their unique gifts, talents,
and abilities in learning this skill, they will be highly motivated to learn and


3

much progress will be made after the implementation of MI theory.
From the reasons above, I have seen the need to adapt the tasks in
textbook by applying MI based activities and therefore would like to do a
research entitled: “Applying Multiple Intelligences theory to teach speaking
skill to 10th graders”
1.2. Aims of the study
The study will focus on exploring the students‟ attitudes towards MI
based teaching and its effects on students‟ speaking accuracy and fluency by
motivating them through activities designed based on their strength and learning
styles.
1.3. Objectives of the study
To achieve these above aims, I will:
- Investigate the students‟ attitude towards the teaching and learning
speaking skill before and after the application of MI- based activities
into speaking lessons.
- Identify some of their Multiple Intelligence (MI) profiles, examine
their preferred learning styles.
- Adapt the tasks in textbooks “Tiếng Anh 10” to make it more suitable

for most of the intelligences in order to motivate them to learn this
skill more effectively.
1.4. Research questions
The study attempted to answer the following main questions:
- What is the students‟ perception of applying MI theory in learning
speaking skill?
- What are the effects of MI based activities on students speaking
fluency?
- What are the effects of MI based activities on students speaking
accuracy?


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1.5. The scope of the study
This study was carried out among seventy three 10th graders‟ at Thanh
Chuong 3 high school, who will be taught by six lesson plans, in which the
activities are adapted to match their types of intelligences.
The content of the speaking activities in each lesson dealt with a combination of
at least five types of intelligences.
1.6. Methodology
This research is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods.
The data will be collected via tests (pre-test and post-test) and survey
questionnaires.
1. 7. The design of the study
This study is composed of five chapters.
Chapter 1, Introduction, deals with rationale, aims, objectives, research
questions, scope, method and the organization of the study.
Chapter 2, Literature Review, reviews the theoretical background related
to the topic.

Chapter 3, Methodology, provides information about the research context,
participants, instruments for data collection, research procedures and method of
data analysis.
Chapter 4, Findings and Discussion, presents the detailed results and
discussions developed after the impacts analyzed.
Chapter 5, Implications and Conclusion summarizes the main issues
touched upon in the research, the limitations of the research and some
suggestions for further studies.
Following the chapters are the references and appendices.


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Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Multiple Intelligences and its application to ELT
2.1.1. Definition
'Intelligence' is a term that has been defined differently by a large number
of researchers. However, they have characteristics and features in common. It is
defined as a general mental capability which can be developed and influenced
by the environment. Traditionally, intelligence is considered as a uniform
cognitive capacity people are born with and this capacity can be easily measured
by short-answer tests. This concept of intelligence has been interpreted as
something inherited and unchanged or developed by age. It was limited to two
types of intelligence, namely linguistic and logical mathematical. Gardner
challenged this commonly held belief saying that, “our culture had defined
intelligence too narrowly”. This narrow view of intelligence encouraged
scientists to look for other alternatives for defining and interpreting the concept
of intelligence (Gardner, 2006). He sought to broaden the scope of human

potential beyond the confines of the IQ score.
Gardner, (1983) defined Intelligence as:
- The ability to create an effective product or offer a service that is
valued in a culture
- A set of skills that make it possible for a person to solve problems in
life
- The potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which
involves gathering new knowledge
Gardner, (1983,1999) claims that people perceive, learn, and process
information in many different ways. The phrase "multiple intelligences", coined
by him describes these multi-intellectual abilities. “MI refers to a learner-based


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philosophy that characterizes human intelligence as having multiple dimension
that must be acknowledged and developed in education” (Jack C Richard, 2001).
According to Gardner (1983) these intelligences are featured as follow:
- All human beings possess all intelligences in varying amounts
- Each person has a different intellectual composition
- We can improve education by addressing the multiple intelligences of
our students
- These intelligences are located in different areas of the brain and can
either work independently or together
- These intelligences may define the human species
- Multiple intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored
and weakened
Originally Gardner identified seven main intelligences: Linguistic,
Logical- Mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal and
Intrapersonal. In 1999 he added an eighth, Naturalistic Intelligence.

2.1.2. Overview of the Eight Intelligences
The eight Intelligences can be briefly described based on Richards, J. C
and Rogers, T. S (2001) and Lazear, D. (1992) as follow.
Linguistic intelligence: The capacity to use words effectively, whether
orally (e.g., as a storyteller, orator, or politician) or in writing (e.g., as a poet,
playwright, editor, or journalist). This intelligence includes the ability to
manipulate the syntax or structure of language, the phonology or sounds of
language, the semantics or meanings of language, and the pragmatic dimensions
or practical uses of language. Some of these uses include rhetoric (using
language to convince others to take a specific course of action), mnemonics
(using language to remember information), explanation (using language to
inform), and metalanguage (using language to discuss language). It is best
represented by writers, novelist, poets, lawyers, teachers, linguists, preachers,


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story tellers, etc.
Logical intelligence: The capacity to use numbers effectively (e.g., as a
mathematician, tax accountant, or statistician) and to reason well (e.g., as a
scientist, computer programmer, or logician). This type of intelligence includes
sensitivity to logical patterns and relationships, statements and propositions (ifthen, cause-effect), functions, and other related abstractions. The kinds of
processes used in the service of logical-mathematical intelligence include
categorization, classification, inference, generalization, calculation, and
hypothesis testing. It is best represented by mathematicians, accountants,
scientists, etc.
Visual intelligence: The ability to perceive the visual-spatial world
accurately (e.g., as a surveyor or cartographer) and to perform transformations
upon those perceptions (e.g., as an interior decorator, architect, artist, or
inventor). This intelligence involves sensitivity to color, line, shape, form, space,

and the relationships that exist between these elements. It includes the capacity
to visualize, to graphically represent visual or spatial ideas, and to orient oneself
appropriately in a spatial matrix. These types of learners are whole-picture
thinkers who grasp a concept all at once and see the whole before
acknowledging the details. They neither learn in the step-by-step style that is
common in the classroom nor learn well from drills and repetition. Since they
see the task as a whole, they often have troubles showing the sequence of a
process; however, they can find solutions to their problems without taking steps.
Dealing with complex tasks seems to be easier for them than easy ones. They
are often creatively, technologically, mathematically or emotionally talented. It
is represented by artists, decorators, etc.
Kinesthetic intelligence: Having expertise in using one‟s whole body to
express ideas and feelings (e.g., as an actor, a mime, an athlete, or a dancer) and
facility in using one‟s hands to produce or transform things (e.g., as a


8

craftsperson, sculptor, mechanic, or surgeon). This intelligence includes specific
physical skills such as coordination, balance, dexterity, strength, flexibility, and
speed, as well as proprioceptive, tactile, and haptic capacities. It is represented
by athletes, dancers, actors, sculptors, etc.
Musical intelligence: The capacity to perceive (e.g., as a music
aficionado), transform (e.g., as a composer), express (e.g., as a performer), and
discriminate among (e.g., as a music critic) musical forms. This intelligence
includes sensitivity to the rhythm, pitch or melody, and timbre or tone color of a
musical piece. One can have a figural or “top-down” understanding of music
(global, intuitive), a formal or “bottom-up” understanding (analytic, technical),
or both. Musically talented people enjoys being surrounded by music and can
appreciate many different types of music and sounds.

Interpersonal intelligence: The ability to perceive and distinguish among
the moods, intentions, motivations, and feelings of other people. This can
include sensitivity to facial expressions, voice, and gestures; the capacity for
discriminating among many different kinds of interpersonal cues; and the ability
to respond effectively to those cues in some pragmatic way (e.g., by influencing
a group of people to follow a certain line of action). Interpersonal learners love
to interact and prefer learning through interpersonal communication and
interaction. This type of intelligence is represented by counselors, political
leaders, negotiators, etc.
Intrapersonal intelligence: Self-knowledge and the ability to act
adaptively on the basis of that knowledge. This intelligence includes having an
accurate picture of oneself (one‟s strengths and limitations); awareness of one‟s
inner moods, intentions, motivations, temperaments, and desires; and the
capacity for self-discipline, self-understanding, and self-esteem. Intrapersonal
Learner‟ is someone who prefers working alone, which is the exact opposite of
an „interpersonal learner‟. While individuals with interpersonal intelligence are


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great with developing relationships with others, those with intrapersonal
intelligence are better off with themselves. In other words, they are selfmotivated individuals with a clear understanding of the reason behind it. These
are self-motivated learners that like to set individual goals, and prefer to study
by themselves with their own thoughts and ideas rather than with others that
intrude on those thoughts. Students with this intelligence usually need time
alone to process and create. It is represented by psychotherapists, religious
leaders, etc.
Naturalist intelligence: The ability to understand and recognize the
patterns of nature). They have considerable expertise in the recognition and
classification of the numerous species, the flora and fauna, of an individual‟s

environment. This also includes sensitivity to other natural phenomena (e.g.,
cloud formations and mountains). Naturalistic learners share a few similarities
with kinesthetic learners in the sense that they thrive on holding and touching
things. They don‟t want to just learn about nature, they want to literally dig in
and get their hands dirty. They love being outdoors and have a strong preference
for hands-on experiences. It is represented by naturalists, biologists, explorers,
animal activists, etc.
Moreover, there are also other terms that more clearly and directly reflect
the essential nature of each intelligence as follows:
• Linguistic Intelligence - Word Smart
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence - Number/Logic Smart
• Spatial Intelligence - Picture Smart
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence - Body Smart
• Musical Intelligence - Music Smart
• Interpersonal Intelligence - People Smart
• Intrapersonal Intelligence - Self Smart
• Naturalist Intelligence - Nature Smart


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As mention above, everyone is talented in their own way; therefore, each
learner has at least a unique strength, even four or five intelligences that are
equally developed and two that are less developed. While teachers in traditional
classrooms primarily teach to the verbal/linguistic and mathematical/logical
intelligences, MI Theory suggests that identifying each student‟s intelligences
has strong ramifications in the classroom. If a child's intelligence can be
identified, then teachers can accommodate different children more successfully
according to their orientation to learning.
2.1.3 Roles of Multiple Intelligences Theory in Teaching and

Learning English
Christision and Kennedy (1999) points out that MI theory can be a great
help to teachers thanks to its immense role in foreign language teaching and
learning.
Firstly, it is used as a tool to help students develop a better understanding
and appreciation of their own strengths and learning preferences. Howard
Gardner, in his Frames of Minds, suggest that the question “How smart are
you?” does not tell us very much about the individuals. A better question might
be: How are you SMART? in order to explain and identify the variety of ways
that individuals are "smart". According to Christison &Kennedy (1999), the
above mentioned can be done by taking an inventories or surveys which might
help the students to define their predominant type of intelligence. Identification
of their strengths encourages them to focus on maximizing their learning
potential and make them more active in learning activities, which builds both
their confidence and motivation. MI activities can allow learners to discover
their strengths, learn in many ways, and can help students be under control of
their learning (Guignon, as cited in Ahmed, 2012, p. 29).
Additionally, it can be seen as a tool to develop a better understanding
of learners' intelligences. Albert Einstein once said “Everyone is a genius. But if


11

you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing
it is stupid”. Everyone has their unique strengths. However, many of these
talents are being ignored at schools as in these places, being intelligent always
means doing well in all required tests and passing exams with flying colors.
Howard Gardner's MI theory helps educators think differently about "IQ," and
about what being "smart" means. A student may be terrible at math and
literature but be an accomplished hip hop dancer. Such a student may be told

that she‟s a poor student. She may suffer from low self-esteem, and feel
worthless. If a teacher recognizes and cultivates this student‟s special aptitude
for dancing, the student will begin to feel “smart.” McKenzie (2010). Other
researchers such as Christison & Kennedy (1999), Guignon (1998) also agreed
that the theory of Multiple Intelligences raises the awareness of teachers of the
diversity of their students‟ potentials and skills and different ways the students‟
demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the material.
Moreover, MI theory is a guide to provide a greater variety of ways for
students to learn and to demonstrate their learning. Christison & Kennedy
(1999) proposed that raising students‟ awareness of their strengths and
weaknesses can make them more responsive to a variety of learning activities
and tasks which might be unfamiliar to students based backgrounds and
experiences. Gardner (1996) feels that only by recognizing multiple
intelligences can more students be reached, and be given the opportunity to
demonstrate what they have learned. MI based activities encourage students‟
effective language acquisition by activating their strength, help them see the way
they are smart and enhance their learning motivation and therefore reach their
maximum potential. When students are allowed to develop, demonstrate, and
strengthen their unique gifts, talents, and abilities, they can produce the best
results.
Finally, this theory is considered as guide to develop lesson plans that


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address the full range of learner needs. Gardner argues that eight different kinds
of intelligence will provide the opportunity to teach in eight different ways. In
many EFL classes, teachers are unaware of their students‟ varieties of
intelligences, potentials, and preferences. They still teach in the traditional view
“one size fits all”. This may results in unsuccessful and monotonous teaching

styles, which may discourage a large number of students from being involved in
the lessons. The MI theory offers teachers a way to apply the best teaching
techniques and strategies to meet their students‟ different needs. For example, in
a vocabulary lesson, students can have different tasks; some can look up the
dictionary definition of words, others can find sentences in the text where the
words appeared, while others can have their own sentences with new words.
Without doubt, with the help of the theory, language teachers can create flexible,
reflective, logical, and creative activities for a MI class. Concerning class
diversity, MI theory is considered as a lens through which educators scrutinize
their practices in order to extend what they currently do well and better meet the
diverse needs of their students (Baum et al., 2005). Ahmed (2012) also
suggested that MI theory also opens the door to a variety of teaching strategies
which can be easily applied in the language classroom. Lesson plans based on
the theory of MI might combine different language learning tasks and activities
which, according to Christison& Kennedy(1999), would not aim to use specific
intelligences but to enable the learners to use the best way for them to acquire
that knowledge,
There has been much evidence confirming the vital roles of the applying
multiple intelligences theory. Teachers who use MI activities in their language
lessons find that they gain a deeper understanding of students' learning
preferences and a greater appreciation of their strengths. Students are likely to
become more involved and motivated in learning as they can learn new things in
the ways that match their intelligence strengths. MI theory has made great


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effects on enhancing students‟ engagement and motivation in learning, which
has greatly contributed to stimulating and meaningful lessons.
2.1.4 The Application of MI Theory to English Language Teaching

2.1.4.1 Language Activities for MI
It is pivotal that students recognize their strengths and know how to use
them. It is therefore imperative for teachers to know how to activate these
intelligences and be able to use various teaching methods. For the purpose of
teaching English as a foreign language, the activity is considered in order to
activate different types of intelligences. These activities have presented in
several sources to show how MI theory can be applied to practice in the EFL
classroom effectively. These activities have been identified based on (Lazear,
1994; Campbell, 1991; Armstrong , 1999 ) as bellows.
Verbal-linguistic: People with verbal-linguistic learning styles learn best
when taught using spoken or written materials. They prefer activities that are
based on language reasoning rather than abstract visual information. Math word
problems are more appealing to verbal-linguistic learners than solving equations.
They usually enjoy written projects, speech and drama classes, debate, language
classes, and journalism. The activities involving this type of intelligence can be:
making conversations to relate on topics of study, learning new words and
grammatical points using them accurately in regular communication, reading a
story to choose appropriate word to fill in a gap in a sentence, writing summary
to keep track of thought and idea, listening a story to choose an appropriate
synonym or antonym for answering different questions related to a text.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: People with logical-mathematical
learning styles learn best when they're taught using visual materials, computers,
statistical and analytical programs, and hands-on projects. They prefer
structured, goal-oriented activities that are based on math reasoning and logic
rather than less structured, creative activities with inexact learning goals.


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Logical-mathematical learners would find a statistical study more appealing than

analyzing literature or keeping a journal. They may also enjoy creating graphs,
charts,

timelines,

and

categorizing

collections.

Logical

Mathematical

Intelligence can be activated by activities such as: practicing puzzles to find a
hidden rationale or patter, sequencing events in a chronological order, finding
logical errors, presenting timelines of events presented in a story or a text,
mapping the idea that will happen next in certain topic, making systematic
presentation of subject matter, inventing point by point logical explanations for
items, creating meaningful connections between different ideas.
Bodily- Kinesthetic Intelligence: people with bodily kinesthetic learning
styles learn best when they are permitted to use their tactile senses and fine and
gross motor movement as part of the learning process. They often prefer direct
involvement with the material they are learning rather than worksheets or
reading from a book. Bodily kinesthetic learning style students understand and
remember material longer when they use it in an active way. Bodily Kinesthetic
intelligence preferred activities such as: creating a mini drama that shows the
dynamic interplay of various topics of study, arranging and doing total physical
responses and hands on activities, drawing and coloring the objects to show their

idea, using part of body to solve the problem, and making models of objects
relate to topic of study.
Visual -Spatial Intelligence: people with visual-spatial intelligence learn
best when taught using written, modeled, or diagrammed instruction, and visual
media. Visually and spatially talented students have a good visual memory for
details. They do less well with auditory-sequential teaching methods such as
lecture, recitation, drill, and repetition. Activities for visual Spatial Intelligence
can be: using pictures, diagrams, and concept maps to facilitate learning and
encouraging students to make the visual aids by themselves, matching pictures
with appropriate words on topic of study, describing pictures or images to


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facilitate their thinking, finding connection between visual designs or patterns
and encouraging students to express their view for all of learning topic.
Musical Intelligence: people with musical learning styles learn best
when taught using spoken instruction and auditory media. They focus on using
spoken content in their association and visualization. Musical learning
style students have good auditory memory and may respond well to jingles and
rhymes to help memorize information they may otherwise struggle to remember.
Teachers or students may want to create a rap that covers the material to help
them remember it. Students may find that they like to have background music
while studying or working on projects. They enjoy musical games. They may
want to add music to presentations. They can enjoy performing in musicals,
through singing or playing an instrument, or through composing or selecting the
music to be included. Favorite activities for Musical Intelligence are: playing
songs in order to introduce a topic or analyze the lyrics, transforming lyrics into
a text or task on topic of study, creating songs for a class, producing sounds with
one's vocal cords to illustrate the meaning of words, and employing musical

instruments to produce sounds for a lesson as background accompaniment.
Interpersonal Intelligence: people with interpersonal learning styles
learn best when they are permitted to involve in direct interaction with others in
group projects in school or within the larger community. They are stimulated by
dialog with students and adults and seem to have a strong sense of intuition
regarding others' opinions and preferences. One-on-one tutoring may also be of
value, since they may learn better through interaction. Mentoring and
apprenticeship programs may also be of value for the interpersonal learner. They
may want to join or form a study group outside of the classroom. They may not
be comfortable or perform best when required to work alone or on self-paced
projects. Interpersonal Intelligence like activities such as: offering input on one's
performance or about one's opinions, analyzing a character to discuss a topic