Cultivating Preschool Children’s Interest In English Learning By Applying Multiple Intelligence Model With Games

American psychologist Howard Gardner originally put forward MultipleIntelligence Theory (MI theory) in his work Frame of Mind in1983. MI theorybelieves that except Logical-mathematical Intelligence which can be tested intraditional IQ test, each individual possesses the other seven kinds of intelligences andthey are Linguistic Intelligence, Spatial Intelligence, Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence,Musical Intelligence, Intrapersonal Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence, andNaturalist Intelligence. These intelligences exist in human mind independentlymeanwhile they interact and cooperate with each other to form unique intelligenceprofile of the individual. MI theory emphasizes the individual differences of peopleand holds the view that education should respect each individual’s unique intelligenceprofile and to conduct teaching activities in this regard. Contrast to traditionaleducation focusing on students’ inadequate point, MI model pays more attention totheir strong intelligences and to design teaching activities based on it. In this way, MImodel helps learners to understand and analysis problems in views of their strongintelligences so as to achieve the teaching aim with less effort.Based on children’s strong intelligences, this research discusses how to cultivateyoung learner’s interest in English learning through MI model. The writer has done asemester’s empirical research in Rong Xing kindergarten. Subjects of the research arestudents from two top classes, one of which is as control class and the other works asexperimental class. And they are conducted by the same teacher. In experimental class,students are divided into different groups according to the results of their multipleintelligences questionnaire and are conducted differently by MI model. While incontrol class the traditional teaching method is conducted. During the research thewriter applies methods like class observation, questionnaires, interview and test tocollect data and make analyze.Result of the study indicates that children in experimental class show moreinterest in English learning, besides their learning conditions have also been improved.Over majority of the students in experimental class can actively cooperate with theirteacher to achieve the teaching aims. Thus, this study has verified that MI canenhance children’s interest in English learning as well as improve their English abilityso as to lay a positive fundamental for their further studies.This research offers a new teaching model for young children English teaching,and help teachers to make deep understanding about young children English teachingby MI model. What’s more, the research enriches the application of MI model inchildren English teaching and offers some references for its empirical teaching.