Multiple Intelligences Theory's Effect On Transforming Traditional Extensive English Reading Teaching Methods In China's Colleges

This paper, based on Gardner's theory, tries to reveal college students'intelligence preferences in reading comprehension and aims to explore MI's effect on the transformation of traditional extensive English reading teaching methods. To achieve the goal, teachers have to overcome traditional views and change teaching methods or styles to meet the needs of reading practice, for there are some disadvantages in traditional way of reading teaching. It is important because teaching affects learning styles and reading ability is a key element of one's overall qualities.To understand the MI theory, the author makes a brief description about Gardner's eight intelligences. In Gardner's definition,"Intelligence is a bio-psychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture"(Gardner, 1999a: 34). The theory maintains that human beings as a species have evolved to be able to carry out eight relatively independent forms of information processing, each gauged to a particular environmental content. Any normal individual possesses all intelligences, however, individuals vary greatly in the ways they learn a foreign language. Gardner's discovery of Multiple Intelligences is a dynamic one and the list is not to be final or exhaustive.Before carrying out the experiment, the researcher investigates the feasibility and synthesized methods of EFL reading teaching on theoretical phase. With the help of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the experiment collects the reliable data to smooth the way of the study.The paper points out that MI theory's influence on the transformation of EFL extensive reading-teaching methods proves to be positive. It also holds that to reform...