Multiple Intelligences Theory Applied To Foreign Language Instruction In Primary School Of Minority Area

People have studied the meaning of intelligence for many years. But Howard Gardner proposed the theory of multiple intelligences including nine aspects (linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonally intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence and naturalist intelligence), which have greatly changed the traditional views of intelligence in 1983. In recent years, a number of educators have discovered that Gardner's theory is very useful to the English language teaching profession. It helps us understand the diversity we observe in our students and provide a framework for finding different ways in our teaching. Based on Gardner's theory, the author of the thesis will give a general introduction and interpretation of the Multiple Intelligences Theory in the first place, and in the second, in the light of the second language acquisition research, apply this theory to the foreign language instruction in primary schools,particularly in the minority area.By conducting an empirical research into the application of MI theory to the primary EFL class, in which two classes in a primary school were chosen as samples, the author found that Multiple Intelligences Theory contributed significantly to language learning in at least two aspects: 1) The Multiple Intelligences Theory can improve students interest in learning English. 2)The Multiple Intelligences Theory can improve students English scores.Meanwhile, the author believed the theory gives educators a multitude of approaches with which a student can reach, in addition to giving students a number of ways in which they might possibly best learn with the given curriculum material.