TEFL Peru Indiana

Education has traditionally focused on logical and linguistic intelligence. Academic success has therefore relied on excelling in these areas, as exemplified by the popularity of IQ tests and standardized tests. While some may perform well this way, others do not. Such a view of intelligence has increasingly been deemed as archaic as it ‘cannot assess or predict a person's ability to learn, to assimilate new information, or to solve new problems' (Helding, 2009, p. 196). In 1983 Howard Gardner established the theory of Multiple Intelligences in an attempt to explain different learning styles. According to him, ‘Fundamentally, an intelligence refers to a biopsychological potential of our species to process certain kinds of information in certain kinds of ways' (Gardner, 2004, p. 1). Gardner is therefore proposing a more pluralistic view of intelligence and a move towards a broader view of education in which educators utilise different methodologies, exercises and activities that cater to different learning styles apart from just linguistic and logical intelligence (Gardner, 2004, p.4). Society is seen as being able to benefit from a variety of individual talents and as a result these talents should be fostered. According to the American psychologist, there are eight different intelligences (Teaching english, BBC): • Linguistic - The word player • Logical / Mathematical - The questioner • Visual / Spatial - The visualiser • Musical - The music lover • Bodily / Kinaesthetic - The mover • Interpersonal - The socialiser • Intrapersonal - The loner • Naturalistic - The nature lover (added by Gardner at a later date) The consequences of this theory on pedagogy are tremendous. It is no longer valid to assume that all people learn in the same way. This calls for lessons that are more varied and creative. Below is a table that illustrates the different learner types, what they are good at, how they learn best and suitable activities (Teaching english, BBC): Learner type Is good at Learns best by Activities Linguistic Reading, writing and stories Saying, hearing and seeing words Memory games Trivia quizzes Stories. Logical / mathematical Solving puzzles, exploring patterns, reasoning and logic Asking questions, categorising and working with patterns Puzzles Problem solving. Visual / Spatial Drawing, building, arts and crafts Visualising, using the mind's eye Flashcards Colours Pictures Drawing Project work. Musical Singing, listening to music and playing instruments Using rhythm, with music on Using songs Chants Drilling. Bodily / Kinaesthetic Moving around, touching things and body language Moving, touching and doing TPR activities Action songs Running dictations Miming Realia. Interpersonal Mixing with others, leading groups, understanding others and mediating Co-operating, working in groups and sharing Mingle activities Group work Debates Discussions. Intrapersonal Working alone and pursuing own interests Working alone Working individually on personalised projects Naturalistic Nature Working outside and observing nature Environmental projects Source: Teaching english, BBC With regards to foreign language instruction (including english as an additional language), numerous teachers advocate incorporating MI theory. Gardner himself was sceptical of its relevance for teaching foreign languages at first as he initially viewed languages as ‘function either of the opportunity to live in a setting where one is compelled to use the language; or of extensive drill and practice in a language laboratory (Gardner, 2004, p. 17). The feedback that he received from foreign language teachers, however, served to change his mind. He now encourages the use of different activities such as dancing, drawing, debating and singing to learn linguistic structures. He also stresses the importance of getting students engaged in activities that give them the option to activate their favoured intelligence (Gardner, 2004, p. 17). The fact that we are encouraged to use Harner's ESA method in lesson planning shows that MI theory's influence on tesol is obvious. Like any other theory that challenges traditional paradigms, MI theory has its criticism. New intelligences are difficult to measure and there is still an emphasis on thinking about intelligence in a ‘scholastic capacity' as opposed to expanding ‘the notion of intelligence to extend to all manner of human cognitive capacities' (Gardner, 2004, p. 7). Most of the criticism stems from what is seen as a lack of a definition of the word ‘intelligence' and the lack of empirical evidence to support the theory. Another basis for criticism is the fact that Gardner has not provided a test for multiple intelligences (Visser, Ashton and Vernon, 2006, p. 509). Other psychologist such as Demetriou suggest that the theory places too much emphasis on the different domains and do not take into account processes such as working memory, speed of processing, executive functions and meta-cognitive processes (Demetriou et al, 2007,p. 85). Regardless of its criticisms, the influence that MI theory has had on education and pedagogy cannot be disputed. To many teachers, including myself, the idea that students learn in different ways is a rational one and any attempts to differentiate instruction is the way forward. Reference List Demetriou, Andreas. "Can We Be Intelligent about Intelligence?" N.p., May 2007. Web. 13 July 2012. . Gardner, Howard. "frequently asked questions-Multiple Intelligences and Related Educational Topics." Howard Gardner.com. N.p., July 2004. Web. 10 July 2012. . Helding, Lynn. "Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences." Journal of Singing 66.2 (2009): 193-99. Web. 12 July 2012. "Multiple Intelligences." Teachingenglish. BBC, 14 Feb. 2005. Web. 12 July 2012. . Visser, Beth. "G and the Measurement of Multiple Intelligences: A Response to Gardner." N.p., June 2006. Web. 14 July 2012. .