Multiple Intelligences: Theory and Practice in Adult ESL. ERIC Digest.

by Christison, Mary Ann - Kennedy, Deborah The theory of multiple intelligences (MI) broadens the traditional ie! of intelligence as solely composed of erbal"linguistic and logical"mathematical abilities# MI theory maintains that all humans possess at least eight different intelligences that represent a ariety of !ays to learn and demonstrate understanding# This digest outlines the basic tenets of MI theory and describes ho! it has been applied in teaching $nglish as a second language ($%&) to adults# THE THE R! " M#LTIPLE I$TELLI%E$CES

Intelligence has traditionally been defined in terms of intelligence 'uotient (I(), !hich measures a narro! range of erbal"linguistic and logical"mathematical abilities# )o!ard *ardner (+,,-) argues that humans possess a number of distinct intelligences that manifest themsel es in different s.ills and abilities# All human beings apply these intelligences to sol e problems, in ent processes, and create things# Intelligence, according to MI theory, is being able to apply one or more of the intelligences in !ays that are alued by a community or culture# The current MI model outlines eight intelligences, although *ardner (+,,,) continues to e/plore additional possibilities# 0 &inguistic Intelligence1 The ability to use language effecti ely both orally and in !riting# 0 &ogical"Mathematical Intelligence1 The ability to use numbers effecti ely and reason !ell# 0 2isual"%patial Intelligence1 The ability to recogni3e form, space, color, line, and shape and to graphically represent isual and spatial ideas# 0 4odily"Kinesthetic Intelligence1 The ability to use the body to e/press ideas and feelings and to sol e problems# 0 Musical Intelligence1 The ability to recogni3e rhythm, pitch, and melody# 0 5aturalist Intelligence1 The ability to recogni3e and classify plants, minerals, and animals# 0 Interpersonal Intelligence1 The ability to understand another person6s feelings, moti ations, and intentions and to respond effecti ely# 0 Intrapersonal Intelligence1 The ability to .no! about and understand oneself and recogni3e one6s similarities to and differences from others# APPLICATI $ " MI THE R! &ITH AD#LT ESL LEAR$ERS

7ather than functioning as a prescribed teaching method, curriculum, or techni'ue, MI theory pro ides a !ay of understanding intelligence, !hich teachers can use as a guide for de eloping classroom acti ities that address multiple !ays of learning and .no!ing (Christison, +,,,b)#

Teaching strategies informed by MI theory can transfer some control from teacher to learners by gi ing students choices in the !ays they !ill learn and demonstrate their learning# 4y focusing on problem-sol ing acti ities that dra! on multiple intelligences, these teaching strategies encourage learners to build on e/isting strengths and .no!ledge to learn ne! content and s.ills (Kallenbach, +,,,)# It may also mean the adult learners !ho ha e had little success in traditional classrooms !here only linguistic and mathematics s.ills are alued may e/perience more success !hen other intelligences are tapped# &i.e!ise, adult $%& learners from cultures !here other intelligences-such as interpersonal or musical-are highly alued may find the MI classroom a producti e learning en ironment# 4roadly spea.ing, teachers ha e de eloped four !ays of using MI theory in the classroom# +# As a tool to help students de elop a better understanding and appreciation of their o!n strengths and learning preferences# Christison (+,,,a) has de eloped an in entory to identify the preferred intelligences of adult $nglish language learners# &earners are as.ed to respond to si/ statements about each of eight intelligences# An e/cerpt follo!s# M#LTIPLE I$TELLI%E$CES I$'E$T R! " R ESL(E"L AD#LTS Directions1 7ate each statement 8, +, or 9# 8 means you strongly agree# + means you are in the middle# 9 means you disagree# Total the points for each intelligence# Compare your scores on the different intelligences# 2erbal"&inguistic Intelligence --- +# I li.e to read boo.s, maga3ines, or ne!spapers# --- 8# I often !rite notes and letters to my friends and family# --- -# I li.e to tal. to people at parties# --- :# I li.e to tell ;o.es# --- <# I li.e to tal. to my friends on the phone# --- =# I li.e to tal. about things I read# &ogical"Mathematical Intelligence --- +# I can do arithmetic easily in my head# --- 8# I am good at doing a budget# --- -# I am good at chess, chec.ers, or number games#

--- :# I am good at sol ing problems# --- <# I li.e to analy3e things# --- =# I li.e to organi3e things# --- ># I li.e cross!ord pu33les# 5aturalist Intelligence --- +# I li.e houseplants# --- 8# I ha e or !ould li.e to ha e a pet# --- -# I .no! the names of many different flo!ers# --- :# I .no! the names of many different !ild animals# --- <# I li.e to hi.e and to be outdoors# --- =# I notice the trees and plants in my neighborhood# Teachers may adapt the language and accompanying acti ities to suit the needs of the language learners in their classes# ?ord finds, pair dictations, dictionary and spelling !or., focused listening, and grammar acti ities can help learners become comfortable !ith the in entory language e en !hile they are engaged in s.ills !or.# Teachers may choose to let the students decide !hether or not to score the in entory# @ther acti ities, such as dialog ;ournals, murals or bulletin boards, and small group con ersations also offer adult $%& learners opportunities to reflect on their o!n strengths# The ideas and information that come from these acti ities can inform learner needs assessment and goal-setting processes# 8# As a tool to de elop a better understanding of learners6 intelligences# An understanding of MI theory broadens teachers6 a!areness of their students6 .no!ledge and s.ills and enables them to loo. at each student from the perspecti e of strengths and potential# Teachers also become a!are of the different !ays in !hich students may demonstrate their understanding of material# MI theory pro ides a structured !ay of understanding and addressing the di ersity that $%& instructors often encounter in the classroom (Christison, +,,=)# @n a gi en topic or s.ill, teachers can brainstorm !ith learners a list of acti ities to practice# Aor instance, beginners can learn about consumerism by ma.ing and labeling collages of merchandise, reading ne!spaper ads, de eloping dialogues, or going on a sca enger hunt to the store# In this !ay, each learner can ac'uire language s.ills by employing indi idual strengths or preferences# -# As a guide to pro ide a greater ariety of !ays for students to learn and to demonstrate their learning# Identification of personal strengths can ma.e students more recepti e to nontraditional learning acti ities and can gi e students a successful e/perience that builds their confidence as

learners# As learners and teachers !or. together, intelligences can emerge naturally through partner inter ie!s, preference grids (I can###, I li.e to###), and needs assessments# )o!e er, some teachers ha e encountered at least initial resistance to this process of describing intelligences among students !hose cultural or educational bac.grounds emphasi3e more traditional modes of teaching and learning (Costan3o B Ca/ton, +,,,)# In this case, teachers may choose to focus learners6 attention on the language they are practicing through these acti ities rather than on the theory# (More challenges to using MI-based acti ities in the adult $%& classroom are described in the upcoming study on MI from the 5ational Center for the %tudy of Adult &earning and &iteracy D2iens B Kallenbach, in pressE#) Teachers ha e noted other positi e effects of applying MI theory# A curriculum informed by MI theory pro ides a !ay of handling differing language s.ill le els !ithin one class-a ery common situation in adult $%& classes (Costan3o B Ca/ton, +,,,)# ?hen multiple acti ities are a ailable, more students can find !ays to participate and ta.e ad antage of language ac'uisition opportunities# ?ith an MI curriculum, students become a!are that different people ha e different strengths and that each person has a substanti e contribution to ma.e (Kallenbach, +,,,)# This fits in !ell !ith pro;ect-based learning !here students in a group can di ide tas.s based on indi idual strengths# Aor e/ample, one learner might feel confident about planning, another might prefer to do the !riting, and a third might feel able to present the pro;ect to the !hole class# :# As a guide to de elop lesson plans that address the full range of learner needs# An MIinformed reading lesson may begin !ith typical prereading acti ities (re ie!ing earlier material, predicting !hat !ill happen ne/t), follo!ed by silent reading or reading aloud !ith discussion of ocabulary and te/t meaning# &earners can then complete a pro;ect, indi idually or in groups, to demonstrate their understanding of the te/t# The teacher offers a choice of pro;ects, such as descripti e !riting, map dra!ing, illustration, creation of a dialogue or s.it, ma.ing a timeline, song !riting, and retelling# The ob;ecti e is not to teach to specific intelligences or to correlate intelligences !ith specific acti ities, but rather to allo! learners to employ their preferred !ays of processing and communicating ne! information (Coustan B 7oc.a, +,,,)#

Teachers using this type of lesson report that students become more engaged in and enthusiastic about rea understanding of material !hen they e/press !hat they ha e read in !ays that are comfortable for themF and the reading becomes a tool for completion of pro;ects they are interested in (Coustan B 7oc.a, +,,,)# C $CL#SI $ Teachers !ho use MI theory to inform their curriculum de elopment find that they gain a deeper understanding of students6 learning preferences and a greater appreciation of their strengths# %tudents are li.ely to become more engaged in learning as they use learning modes that match their intelligence strengths# In addition, students6 regular reflection on their learning broadens their definitions of effecti e and acceptable teaching and learning practices# %tudents6 increased engagement and success in learning stimulates teachers to raise their e/pectations, initiating a po!erful e/pectation-response cycle that can lead to greater achie ement le els for

all# RE"ERE$CES Christison, M#A# (+,,=)# Teaching and learning languages through multiple intelligences# GT$%@& Hournal, =G (+), +9-+:# Christison, M#A# (+,,,a)# GA guideboo. for applying multiple intelligences theory in the $%&"$A& classroom#G 4urlingame, CA1 Alta 4oo. Center# Christison, M#A# (+,,,b)# Multiple intelligences# G$%& Maga3ine, 8G (<), +9-+-# Costan3o, M#, B Ca/ton, D# (+,,,)# Multiple assessments for multiple intelligences# GAocus on 4asics, -G (A), 8:-8># Coustan, T#, B 7oc.a, &# (+,,,)# Cutting theory into practice# GAocus on 4asics, -G (A), 8+-8:# *ardner, )# (+,,-)# GArames of mind1 The theory of multiple intelligences (+9th anni ersary ed#)#G 5e! Ior.1 4asic 4oo.s# *ardner, )# (+,,,)# Are there additional intelligencesJ The case for naturalist, spiritual, and e/istential intelligences# In H# Kane ($d#), G$ducation, information and transformationG (pp# ++++-+)# $ngle!ood Cliffs, 5H1 Crentice )all# Kallenbach, %# (+,,,)# $merging themes in adult multiple intelligences research# GAocus on 4asics, -G (A), +=-89# 2iens, H#, B Kallenbach, %# (in press)# GMI gro!s up1 Multiple intelligences in adult education sourceboo.#G 4oston1 5ational Center for the %tudy of Adult &earning and &iteracy#

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