The Application Of Multiple Intelligences Theory In English Teaching In Secondary Vocational Schools

Since the mid1990s, English teaching and learning in secondary vocational schools has encountered more obstacles, including that average students don’t have a sound foundation for English study, they are not interested or lack confidence in English learning, etc., all of which result to some extent in a failure of English teaching in these schools. Many teachers have done researches to deal with the problems. This research is among these efforts through studying the application of the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) into English teaching and learning of vocational school students.MI theory, developed in the1980s by Dr. Howard Gardner, suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. Instead, there are eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults. The theory was introduced into China and popularized among kindergartens, primary and high schools gradually. Then it has been valued among vocational schools because of the particular situation of these schools in China. It is against such a background that this research is proposed and planned in the purpose of overcoming those obstacles facing education and especially English teaching in vocational schools.In the research, a two year teaching experiment is carried out by integrating MI theory into teaching plans, classroom activities and teachers’attitudes toward students, etc., in the experimental class, to investigate the contributions of the theory to English teaching for vocational school students. Through a comparative study of effects of teaching between the experimental and controlled classes (in the controlled class teaching plans and activities are more traditionally focused on language points), it is found that the effective use of teaching and learning methods guided by MI theory can greatly promote students’interest and confidence in English study, which improve classroom English teaching efficiency in terms of the distinguishing improvement in students’reading and writing competence as shown in a comparison of results from the two classes of an English speaking and writing test when the teaching experiment ends. In addition, students’individual sets of multiple intelligences are noticeably enhanced in the experimental class, which in turn benefit students’ performance in English learning.