Use of Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences in teaching foreign languages

According to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, people have different abilities and talents, therefore they cannot all work or study in the same way. In this aspect, the traditional school is quite limited. According to Gardner, in addition to providing students with knowledge, the school should also train them to learn, help them reveal their possibilities, and let them choose the most suitable individual way. Our experience in teaching foreign languages has shown that students may find it difficult to communicate simple ideas in a foreign language correctly even after a few-hundred-hour language course. What conclusions could be drawn? Are students not intelligent enough? Is it a problem of teachers? Is it a matter of wrong teaching methods? Over twenty years ago, Howard Gardner expressed criticism of IQ tests as lacking sufficient criteria to measure intelligence. He thought that IQ tests revealed a level of education or knowledge rather than mental abilities. IQ tests are mainly based on only two types of intelligence: logical-mathematical and linguistic. According to Gardner, a surgeon needs different abilities as compared to those needed by a cleaner or a shop-keeper, but that does not prove who is more intelligent. Intelligence is a far more complicated phenomenon composed of multiple components. After an extensive study of people from different social groups, Howard Gardner formulated a list of seven intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, bodily-kinaesthetic, and musical.[...]Užsienio kalbų institutasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta