Senior High School English Reading Activities Design Based on Multiple Intelligences

Xie+Duodu

【Abstract】This thesis has first made a brief review about previous research on MI theory in China， discussed the problems existing in the traditional English reading teaching in senior high school and then designed MI-based English reading activities. The main purpose of this thesis is to help teachers to get a better understanding of the application of MI theory to English reading teaching so that they can upgrade their own traditional teaching methods to help students arouse their learning interest and improve their reading proficiency.

【Key words】Multiple Intelligences theory； English reading teaching； English reading proficiency； learning interest

I. Introduction

1.1 Background Information

All the countries around the world have focused more attention on foreign language learning， especially English. China is without exception. In their efforts to improve all Chinese peoples English level， the government makes a lot of contributions.

The new curriculum is aimed to promote students“overall language ability”. The National English Curriculum sets the final goals for senior high schools.

For senior high school reading， the National English Curriculum has clear requirements. But now， English reading has not been modified to meet the requirements of the National English Curriculum in many senior high schools.

1.2 Significance of the Study

English reading teaching in senior high school can be influenced in many ways under the guidance of Multiple Intelligences theory：

Firstly， senior high school teachers will form new teaching concepts and adopt new methods to teach English reading. Secondly， students will be given the chances and choices to participate in the reading activities designed for different intelligences. Thirdly， students will know better about their own weaknesses and make the full use of their strong intelligences. Thus they will have an overall development.

II. Literature Review and Theoretic Foundation

2.1 Previous Studies on MI Theory in China

In the past two decades， MI theory has become a well developed and systemic theory in America. However， until the 1990s， MI theory was introduced into China. Lan Jinren translated Frames of Mind into Chinese and got it published， which symbolized that MI theory was officially introduced into China. In 1999， with the help of Zhang Houcan and Gardner， Shen Zhilong finished the translation of Multiple intelligences： The theory in practice. After that， studies on MI theory and its applications in ELT got started.

A lot of scholars have applied MI theory to facilitate teaching and published their findings in articles and books.

The explorations on how to put MI theory into effect in the field of English education are not enough， especially researches of its application to senior high school English reading teaching.

2.2 An Overview of MI Theory

In 1983， Howard Gardner， an American developmental psychologist working at Harvard Graduate School of Education at Harvard university proposed the theory of multiple intelligence in his book Frames of Mind ：The Theory of Multiple Intelligences （1983）. At that time he proposed seven kinds of intelligences. MI theory has challenged and changed traditional views on intelligence. Gardner （1999） suggests that normal human beings intelligences can be classified into at least eight forms.Initially， Howard Gardner proposed seven intelligences in his book Frames of Mind： Theory of Multiple Intelligences （Gardner，1983）， the seven intelligences are： verbal/linguistic intelligence， spatial intelligence logical-mathematical intelligence， musical intelligence， bodily-kinesthetic intelligence， interpersonal intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence. In 1999， he added the eighth intelligence—naturalist intelligence to the list.

2.3 Implications of MI Theory for English Reading Teaching in Senior High School

According to MI theory， English reading teaching design should include at least three categories as follows：

（1） Teaching for multiple intelligences， which aims to take multiple intelligences as an educational purpose；

（2） Teaching with multiple intelligences， which means making multiple intelligences as a way of obtaining knowledge；

（3） Teaching about multiple intelligences， which means making students know their own multiple intelligences.

The implications of MI theory discussed above are of great value in senior high school English reading teaching. Just as Gardener （1993） states that it is important for teachers to recognize various intelligences and cultivate all of the combinations of intelligences.