A Correlational Study Of Multiple Intelligences,Learning Styles And English Achievement Among Junior High School Students

Since the 1970 s,the focus of research about language learning has been shifted to learners themselves,and many scholars paid more attention to students' individual differences.The multiple intelligences and learning styles focus on the development of students themselves.According to the research results in the past,these two theories influence the English achievement to a certain extent.Previous studies have researched on senior high school students and college students,and there are few studies on combining multiple intelligences,learning styles and English achievement of junior high school students.The participants of the study are 163 students from Grade Seven in the Fifth Junior High School of Tang County,Hebei Province.The author used Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Scale and Reid's Learning Styles Questionnaire,and conducted interview to analyze the characteristics of multiple intelligences and learning styles of junior high school students,and the correlation among multiple intelligences,learning styles and English achievement.According to the statistical analysis of the data,the following conclusions were drawn:1.Junior high school students' interpersonal and musical-rhythmic intelligences were the strongest intelligences,while logical-mathematical intelligence and naturalist intelligence were the weakest.2.Junior high school students most like to use group learning style,followed by the auditory and the tactile learning styles while the individual is the least preferred.3.Junior high school students' multiple intelligences have significant positive correlation with learning styles;multiple intelligences have significant positive correlation with English achievement except for bodily-kinesthetic intelligence and naturalist intelligence;the learning styles have significant positive correlation with English achievement.This thesis analyzes the characteristics of multiple intelligences and learning styles of junior high school students,and the correlation among multiple intelligences,learning styles and English achievement.By summarizing the influence of multiple intelligences and learning styles on English achievement,the author suggests that teachers should pay moreattention to students' individual differences in multiple intelligences and learning styles,teach students according to their characteristics and design some teaching activities by combining multiple intelligences and learning styles.The author hopes that this study will shed light on ways to promote English teaching in junior high school.