Application Of Multiple Intelligences Theory In Preschool Children English Teaching

In 1983, Howard Gardner, the psychologist of Harvard University, first introducedMultiple Intelligences theory (MI theory) in his book Frames of Mind. Gardner believespeople have multiple intelligences, besides Verbal–Linguistic Intelligence,Logical–Mathematical Intelligence, people also have Visual-Spatial Intelligence,Musical-Rhythmic Intelligence, Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence,Intrapersonal Intelligence, Naturalist Intelligence, Existential Intelligence. He also believesevery child possesses the above nine kinds of intelligences. The combination of the ninedifferent intelligences determines the individual’s intelligence difference. The aim ofeducation does not lie more in how smart the children originally are than how to makechildren become more and more smart. The nine different intelligences represent thechildren’s potency and they can only be developed in the most proper situations.Gardner thinks all children are different from each other, that they don’t have the samepsychological propensity, and they do have their intelligence strengths, though. So every childhas his own learning preference and style. School education will be of great effect if it takesinto account children’s differences and attach much importance to their strengths.Although there is a wide use of MI theory in the west，attaching more attentions toexploring children’s multiple intelligences and potentials, relevant theoretical and practicalresearches have not been conducted widely in China. Neural physiologists have alreadyrevealed that children are capable of developing two or more linguistic nervous systemsbecause ages between 3 and 6 are golden period for language learning. With theimplementation of National English Curriculum Standards in 2001, English has become oneof the required subjects in primary schools. Although courses required in primary schools arenot encouraged to be taught in kindergartens, appropriate English teaching in preschoolkindergartens can play an active role in bridging English learning between preschool andprimary school. Further more, objectives in preschool English teaching is qualitativelydifferent from those in primary or middle school. Preschool English teaching aims less inknowledge instruction, and focuses on developing children’s interests and habits in English,training children to foster bilingual nervous system. Models and pedagogies of kindergarten English teaching under theory of Multiple Intelligences share little similarities with those inprimary or middle schools as well, besides developing English learning skills, focusing onexploring children’s cognitions in creativity, imagination, minding and reasoning, etc. whichcaters for the principles of“quality-oriented education”in China.Embracing“base on children’s intelligence strengths, develop children’s multipleintelligences”and“take children’s ability to solve real problems as core”as fundamentalprinciples in this research, the author conducted an empirical research in Long Quan nurseryschool in Zaozhuang city, Shandong province which lasted for a semester. Two Middle classeswere chosen as the subjects. One was the experimental class; the other was the control class.The same 3 English teachers taught the two classes, but they used different teaching methods.The experimental class was taught under MI-based classroom teaching model, incorporatingwith traditional thematic teaching, while the control class was taught under traditional model.According to children’s results of MI profile testing, children in the experimental class aregrouped into three fields: Linguistic and Musical Intelligences Field, Bodily-kinestheticIntelligence Field and Spatial Intelligence Field. Based on children’s intelligence strengths,they would experience specially designed activities. The purpose of this research is to testifywhether the MI-based English teaching can enhance children’s interests in English learningand whether the MI-based teaching can improve children’s English learning proficiency andto what extent children’s multiple intelligences are developed.The results of this research showed that children in the experimental class became moreinterested in English learning and they acted more creatively in activities than children in thecontrol class. Furthermore, children in experimental class transferred their intelligencestrengths to other fields more naturally and frequently. This research proved that MI theoryplayed a significant role in promoting children’s interests in English and improving children’sEnglish learning proficiency.This research can provide preschool teachers with a new teaching model, help teachersunderstand the MI-based preschool English education, and enrich the practical applicationexperience of MI theory in China.