MI BASED TEACHING AND ITS EFFECT ON EFL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ AUTONOMY

This study aims to look at the application of Multiple Intelligences MI Theory in teaching EFL to high school students in order to examine the relationshipbetween MI-based teaching and E

MI-BASED TEACHING AND ITS EFFECT ON EFL HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS’ AUTONOMY

BY DUONG THI THANH

A thesis submitted to Vinh University in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Art

Vinh University, 2017

This study aims to look at the application of Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory

in teaching EFL to high school students in order to examine the relationshipbetween MI-based teaching and EFL high school students’ English proficiencyand learning autonomy An experiment was carried out among sixty high schoolstudents, who were divided into two groups (control and treatment) Both of thegroups did a general English test and the pre-treatment autonomy test before theexperiment and a general English test and post-treatment autonomy test after theexperiment The tests were designed to assess the participants’ Englishproficiency and learning autonomy During the experiment, only the treatmentgroup was taught with the MI-based approach The data indicated that thetreatment group obtained better results in English proficiency and learningautonomy than the control group Based on the research findings, implicationsfor English language teachers and students were also proposed

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I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Tran Thi Ngoc Yen, who I believe is the most wonderful supervisor, for her valuable directions, precious orientation, warm stimulation, and continuous support throughout this project Her enthusiasm and positive attitudes were sparkling in such a way that it helped to make my research a serious yet fun task to fulfil

I am grateful to Nguyen Thi Nga, an English teacher at Thanh Chuong 3 high school in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, for helping me teach MI-based lessons at her classes as well as gather the data for the research; and Phan Thi Hoa, for copying the documents, materials for my experiments quickly

I would also like to thank the administrators, teachers, and students at Thanh Chuong 3 high school in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province for their cooperation and support

Finally, I would like to delicate this work to my parents and family, particularly

my husband, all of whom have been always supporting me with love and sympathy

ABSTRACT i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

TABLE CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF CHARTS vi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims of the study 2

1.3 Research questions 2

1.4 Scope of the study 2

1.5 Thesis design 3

1.6 Methodology 3

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 4

TABLE CONTENTS

2.1 Multiple Intelligences 4

2.1.1 Definitions 8

2.1.2 MI quizzes 9

2.1.3 MI in education 13

2.1.4 MI in teaching and learning English 15

2.2 Autonomy 18

2.2.1 Definitions 20

2.2.2 The role of autonomy in learning 22

2.2.3 Principles of autonomy 24

2.2.4 Accessing autonomy 27

2.2.5 Developing learner autonomy 28

2.3 MI and learner autonomy 35

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 37

3.1 Research questions 37

3.2 Participants 37

3.3 Instruments 38

3.4 Procedures 40

CHAPTER 4 FINDING AND DISCUSSION 43

iii 4.1 Re sults 43

4.1.1 Pre-test 43

4.1.2 Pre-treatment autonomy test 48

4.1.3 Post-test 52

4.1.4 Post-treatment autonomy test 57

4.2 Discussions 62

4.3 Summary 63

CHAPTER 5 IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION 65

5.1 Conclusions 65

5.2 Implications 66

5.3 Limitations of the study 67

5.4 Suggestions for the study 67

TABLE CONTENTS

REFERENCES 69

APPENDIX A 72

APPENDIX B 80

APPENDIX C 88

APPENDIX D 92

APPENDIX E 96

APPENDIX F 101

APPENDIX G 106

APPENDIX H 111

APPENDIX 1 112

APPENDIX J 113

APPENDIX K 114

APPENDIX L 115

APPENDIX M 116

Table 3.1 The list of lesson plans 40Table 3.2 The lesson plan’s time division 41Table 4.1 The control and experimental group’s score in the pre-test 44Table 4.2 The average total scores and standard deviations for both

groups 44Table 4.3 The experimental and control group’s score in the pre-treatment

autonomy 48Table 4.4 The average total scores and standard deviations of the pre-treatmentautonomy test for both groups 49Table 4.5 The experimental and control group’s score in the post-test (See

Appendix J) 113Table 4.6 The average total scores and standard deviations of the post-test in

the control group and experimental group 53Table 4.7 Initial scores (IS), final scores (FS) and increases (I) in the pre-test

and post-test of two groups 56Table 4.8 The experimental and control group’s score in the post-treatment

autonomy test (see appendix K) 114Table 4.9 The average total scores and standard deviations of the posttreatmentautonomy test in the control group and experimental group 51Table 4.10 Initial scores (IS), final scores (FS) and increases (I) in the pretreatmentautonomy test and post-treatment autonomy test of two groups 55Chart 4.1 The percentage of different scores on the pre-test in the control

group 45Chart 4.2 The percentage of different scores on the pre-test in the treatment

group 46Chart 4.3 The mark distribution on the pre-test in both groups 47Chart 4.4 The percentage ofdifferentscores on thepre-test in the control

group 50Chart 4.5 The percentage of different scores on the pre-test in the treatment

group 51Chart 4.6 The mark distribution on the pre-treatment autonomy test in both

groups 52Chart 4.7 The percentage ofdifferent scores onthe post-test in the control

group 54Chart 4.8 The percentage of different scores on the post-test in the treatment

group 54Chart 4.9 The mark distribution on the post-test in both groups 55Chart 4.10 The percentage of different scores on the post-treatment autonomy test

in the control group 58Chart 4.11 The percentage of different scores on the post-treatment autonomy test

in the treatment group 59Chart 4.12 The mark distribution on the post-treatment autonomy test in bothgroups 60

of teaching to help students reach their potential However, there has not anyresearch in using MI in order to stimulate the learner’s autonomy MI is stillrelatively new in Vietnam although this concept has been studied since 1983 in

Frame of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Because of its newborn

appearance even though it shows striking compatibility with traditionalVietnamese education models The application of this model in Englishlanguage teaching to develop students’ autonomy has been studied Thisresearch was written with the purpose of determine whether MI-based teachinghas any effects on learner autonomy and students’ English proficiency

There have been many researchers who notice the importance of MI-based teaching in stimulating students to learn better as well as fostering learner autonomy Richard and Rodgers (2001: 120) stated “The MI classroom is one designed to support development of the „whole person’, and the environment and its activities are intended to enable students to become more well-rounded individuals and more successful learners in general Learners are encouraged

to see their goals in these broader terms.” In addition, Christison (1997:9) also emphasized MI’s vital role to learner autonomy, he claimed “The more awareness students have of their own intelligences and how they work, the more they will know how to use that intelligence to access the necessary information and knowledge for a lesson”

There is much evidence that influence schools influenced by MI theory areeffective (Gardner, 2006: 83) and with understanding of theory teachers canbetter understand learners They can allow students to safely discover theirstrengths, learn in many ways and they can help their students to be in control

of their own learning (Guignon, 1998, March 12) Nevertheless, nowadays,students have not almost had full awareness about the importance of autonomy.Most of them learn because they are forced to learn Besides, the traditionalteaching method always focuses on grammar, vocabulary, reading and ignoresimportant parts such as listening, speaking and pronunciations As a result, thelesson is really boring Particularly, this teaching method focuses on teachers orcentered-teacher teaching, or other words, teachers are the center of teachingand learning process, students only listen so students are extremely passive inlearning From these above reasons, I wonder whether IM-based teaching canhelp students develop learner autonomy and English proficiency This is thereason why I choose this major to study and make experiments In this study, Ireally hope to make a minor contribution to improve the students’ autonomy

1.2 Aims of the study

The aim of this study was explore different perspectives of MI-based teachingmethod on high school students’ learner autonomy It was set out to examinethe impacts of MI teaching on learners’ autonomy and EFL high schoolstudents’ English proficiency

1.3 Research questions

The study was conducted to seek the answers for the following questions

- Will MI-based teaching help to develop EFL high school students' autonomy?

- How does MI-based teaching affect EFL high school students’ Englishproficiency?

1.4 Scope of the study

With the aim of discovering the effect of MI-based teaching on EFL learners’autonomy, a survey was conducted to collect the needed data from the learners.Sixty students of a high school in Nghe An province were involved in this study

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1.5 Thesis design

The thesis consists of five chapters

Chapter 1 is the introduction, which provides a brief introduction, rationaleand an overview of the thesis

Chapter 2 is the literature review, in which previous research about MIquizzes, MI in education, MI in teaching and learning was presented Inaddition, autonomy’s role and principles as well as accessing and developingautonomy will be discussed carefully

Chapter 3 introduces the research methodology of the study It providesinformation about the materials, participants, instrument for data collection,research procedures and data analysis

Chapter 4 presents the detailed results and discussions developed after theimpacts analyzed

Chapter 5 contains the implications and conclusions This chapter summarizesthe main issues touched upon in the research, the limitations of the research andsome suggestions for further studies Following the chapters are the referencesand appendices

1.6 Methodology

The main methodology used in the project was experimental Groups of highschool students, the control group and the treatment group in Thanh Chuongwere involved in the study

The study is intended to measure students’ autonomy as well as to see benefits

of MI-based lessons with learners’ autonomy Using MI-based lessons toimprove learners’ autonomy is effective or not

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

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This chapter presents a brief review of the literature on the topics that aregenerally related to the research in this thesis Previous studies on the MIquizzes, MI in education, MI in teaching and learning In addition, autonomy’srole and principles as well as accessing and developing autonomy will bediscussed

2.1 Multiple Intelligences

Gardner and Armstrong set the stage for exploring the many ways MI theorywhich is applied in educational settings around the world Numerous greatpeople, researchers, educators, and teachers around the world are workingseriously to apply MI theory, MI-based activities in the lessons as well aseducational activities in order to improve the education and make the learningperiods become more interesting, particularly make learners more interested inthe lessons

The theory about MI has important implications for teaching in general and forlanguage learning in particular (Armstrong 2007; Azar 2006; Buchen 2006;Campbell & Dickinson 2004; Christian 2004; Fogarty & Stoehr 2007; Tracy &Richery 2007; Viens & Kallenback 2004; Barrington 2004; Chan 2006;Christion & Kennedy 2004; Hall 2004)

Gardner defines intelligence as “the ability to process information that is

activated in a cultural contest for problem solving or creating products which are worthy in a culture” (Gardner 1999, p 33) According to him, MI has

been influential in language teaching circles Teachers who recognize themultiple intelligences of their students acknowledge that students bring withthem specific and unique strengths, which are often taken into account inclassroom situations

Gardner claims that all human beings have multiple intelligences in varying

amounts Each person has a different intellectual profile These intelligencesare located in different parts of the brain and can either work independently ortogether These intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored andweakened According to Gardner, we can improve education by addressing themultiple intelligences of our students Gardner (1999) identifies not two, butnine different intelligences: linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential.Gardner defined the first seven intelligences in Frames of Mind (1983) Headded the last two in Intelligence Reframed (1999).

The nine Kinds of Intelligences proposed by Gardner are as follows

1) Linguistics (called Word Smart): The capacity of using a word effectivelywhether orally or in writing and language to express and appreciate complexmeanings This intelligence includes the ability to manipulate the syntax orstructure of a language, the semantic or meaning of a language, and thepragmatic or practical use of a language There are some characteristics aboutthis intelligence for example the ability of learning other languages; enjoyingreading, writing and discussing; remembering what have been said or read;speaking and writing effectively Linguistic intelligence is the most widelyshared human competence and is evident in poets, novelists, journalists, andeffective public speakers Young adults with this kind of intelligence enjoywriting, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles Their suitableoccupations are poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers,lawyers, linguistics, PR and media consultants, teachers, translators TV andradio presenters, voice-over artists, writer

2) Logical-Mathematical (called Number/Reasoning Smart): The capacity ofusing numbers effectively as well as calculating, quantifying, consideringpropositions and hypothesizing, and carrying out complete mathematicaloperations This intelligence includes sensitivity to logic patterns andrelationship Logical-Mathematical intelligence is usually well developed inmathematicians, scientists, and detectives It is familiar with the concepts of

quantity, time, and cause and effect Abstract symbols are used to representconcrete objects and concepts Liking math and using technology to solvecomplex problems The people whose logical intelligence are interested inpatterns, categories, and relationships and their favorite careers are analysts,arbitrators, bankers, certified public accountants, computer programmersaccountants, engineers, insurance brokers negotiators, researchers, scientists,statistician and traders

3) Spatial (called Picture Smart): The ability to perceive the visual-spatialword accurately This intelligence involves sensitive to color, line, shape,form, space, and the relationship that exist between these elements It seems tolearn by seeing and observing such as objects, faces, details and scenes as well

as use visual images as an aid to recall information Major capacities includemental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artisticskills, and an active imagination Some careers such as sailors, pilots,sculptors, painters, and architects, architects, artists, cartographers, city-planners, engineers, graphic designers, landscape architects, photographers,sculptors all exhibit spatial intelligence People with this kind of intelligenceseem to be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend available timedrawing or daydreaming

4) Bodily-Kinesthetic (called Body Smart): Expertise in using one’s wholebody to express idea and feeling and facility in using one’s hands to produce

or transform things It is the capacity of manipulating objects and using avariety of physical skills such as being good at concrete learning experiencessuch as field trips, model building, or participating in role play, games,assembling objects, or physical exercise as well as the ability of demonstratingskills in acting, athletics, dancing, sewing, carving or keyboarding Somecareers such as athletes, biologists, dancers, geologists, instrumentalists,nurses, physical education teachers, physical therapists, physicians, actors,sign-language interpreters exhibit this kind of intelligence

5) Musical (called Musical Smart): The capacity to perceive, transform, andexpress musical forms Expressing interest to a variety of sounds including thehuman voice, environmental sounds, and music, and organizes such soundsinto meaningful patterns Being eager to be around and learn from music andmusicians Learners seem to learn most effectively when they use sounds ormusic to do the exercises or homework Moreover, they have the specialability of music such as composing the songs, singing the songs On the otherwords, musical intelligence is the special capacity to discern pitch, rhythm,timbre, and tone This intelligence enables us to understand, recognize, create,reproduce, and reflect on music and rhythm The appropriate occupations forthe young adults whose musical intelligences are composers, conductors,musicians, vocalist, judges’ musical competitions and sensitive listeners, DJs,entertainers, environment and noise analysts, music producers, musicalinstrument repair specialists, musical performers, singers, voice coaches.

6) Interpersonal (called People Smart): The ability to perceive and makedistinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations, and feeling of other people Italso is the capacity of understanding, communicating and interacting effectivelywith other Working and cooperating with other partners effectively are the greatstrengths from the interpersonal intelligences and they seem to be easy tobecome leaders among their peers, are good at communicating, and seem tounderstand others’ feelings and motives The people whose interpersonalintelligence would like to work with various people in groups, teams or pairs.Expressing an interest in interpersonally-oriented careers such as teachers,social workers, consultant, managers or politicians, advertising professionals ,care givers, coaches and mentors, counselors, educators, health providers, HRprofessional mediators, psychologists, sales-people, therapists, trainers

7) Intrapersonal (called Self Smart): Self-knowledge and the ability to actadaptively on the basic of that knowledge This intelligence includes having anaccurate picture of oneself, awareness of inner mood, intentions,

motivations, temperament and desires as well as use this knowledge inplanning one’s life The people whose interpersonal intelligences seem to work

on their own rather than with others and obviously, they are easy to get betterresults when doing individually in comparison with cooperating with otherpartners Psychologist, spiritual leaders, and philosophers may be reallyappropriate for the people’s intrapersonal intelligence

8) Naturalist (called Nature Smart): having ability of recognizing and classify

of the numerous species of an individual’s environment (Armstrong, 2008, pp.6-7) as well as having an interest in and good knowledge of how the bodyworks and keeps abreast of health issues The more special thing is the ability

of “read” weather signs Moreover, having an understanding of, and interest inare the main global environmental issues It is the human ability todiscriminate among living things such as plants and animals as well assensitivity to other natural features of the natural world for example clouds androck configurations

9) Existential Intelligence

Existential intelligence is sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions abouthuman existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did weget here

2.1.1 The definitions

Up to now, there have been various definitions about MI, for learners MI areabilities to do something effectively, especially in learning English as second

language Discussing about the vital role of MI, Gardner (1983) states as “the

ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings

MI-based teaching usually concentrates on students’ unique abilities, which isreported by Richard & Rodgers (2001: 123) that MI approach has been grown

in the increasing popularity to characterizing the ways which learners are

unique and to developing instruction to respond to this uniqueness Moreover

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MI is considered one of a set of such perspectives dealing with learnerdifferences and borrows heavily form these in its recommendations and designsfor lesson planning.

Having discussions about MI theory Barrington (2004); Kornhaber, Fierros, andVeenema (2004); Cohen & Weaver (2004); Curtin (2005); Mitchel & Myles(2006); Oxford, Cho, Leung, & Kim (2004); Oxford & lee (2008) stated that

MI theory can be a new and effective method for presenting different strategies

of teaching and can help students achievements ameliorated

Gardner describes intelligence as “the ability to process information that is

activated in a cultural contest for problem solving or creating products which are worthy in a culture” (Gardner 1999, p 33) Richard and Rodgers (2001)

define MI theory as a way that not only has been attended to in publicinstruction but also in teaching English and its application in teaching English

is recent and new (p 117)

According to Gardner (1999a), intelligence is the ability to create an effectiveproduct or offer a service that is valued in a culture, is a set of skills that make itpossible for a person to solve problems in life, and is the potential for finding orcreating solutions for problems, which involves gathering new knowledge

MI theory can be a new and effective method for presenting different strategies

of teaching and learning as well as can help students get achievements.(Barrington 2004; Kornhaber, Fierros, and Veenema 2004; Cohen & Weaver2004; Curtin 2005; Mitchel & Myles 2006; Oxford, Cho, Leung, & Kim 2004;Oxford & lee 2008)

2.1.2 MI quizzes

The Multiple Intelligence quizzes’ aim is to measure the learners’ intelligencesincluding verbal (linguistic), visual logical, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal,intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligences With each intelligence, there aredifferent activities and quizzes to measure learners’ intelligences

According to Gardner (1983), Logical-Mathematical Intelligence provides usthe ability to use the numbers as well as to understand the principles of a logicalsystem This intelligence is presented in performing a mental arithmeticcalculation; creating a process to measure something difficult; analyzing how amachine works; devising a strategy to achieve an aim; assessing the value of abusiness or a proposition; expressing in careers such as accounting, computer,technology and law as well as using abstract symbols to represent concretesubjects and concept Armstrong (1999: 99) recommends several tactics used in

solving problem “find analogies; separate various part of a problem; propose

the possible solution and then work backward".

Musical Intelligence is the ability perceives and appreciates the rhythm, pitchand melody This intelligence is shown in listening and responding with theinterest to a variety of sounds including the human voice, environmentalsounds, and music, and organizes such sounds into meaningful patterns;performing a musical piece; singing a song; reviewing a musical work;developing the ability to sing or play the musical instruments; specifying moodmusic for telephone systems and receptions Up to now several researchershave studied about the effects of music in classroom such as Rauscher, Shawand Ky (1997), Benenzon (1995) It can be seen that development of musicalintelligence in the classroom can help students concentrate more, stimulate thecreative process and foster the relaxation

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence refers to the ability to use the body to expressyourself for example; gestures are movements of to communicate an idea,

intention or feeling Other activities are involved including role plays, drama,games, project work, model building or physical exercises This intelligence isperformed in demonstrating skill in acting, athletics, dancing, and sewing,carving or keyboarding Phenix (1964:165) explains about the importance of

movement in every human activity “To be alive is able to respond to be moved

and to move All perceptions of surrounding world are accompanied by motor reactions No instrument is as elaborative, sensitive and responsive as the human body” Kellerrnan (1992) proposed the use of video-recorded

interactions in order to improve listening comprehension skill

The Spatial-Visual Intelligence is the ability to perceive all of the elementsincluding shape, size, form, color, line and space which are very necessary tocreate metal images of something This ability is learned through seeing andobserving as well as visual images are used to a aid in recalling information.Many activities are proposed for the Spatial-Visual Intelligence, for instancedesigning a costume; interpreting a painting; creating a room layout , acorporate logo; designing a building; packing a suitcase or the boot of a car andreproducing objects in visual form The view of Tomlinson (1998) about therelationship between reading comprehension and metal images was that whenmetal images are used systematically they will become a remarkably usefulstrategy, because the visualizing while trying to understand a context is reallyimportant for meaning making

Interpersonal Intelligence is the ability to understand other people’sperspectives, to harmonize with others, to work cooperatively and communicateeffectively as well as to convince others in order to achieve personal purposes.Hymes (1971) and Canale and Swain (1980) supposed that language learning is

a social process which has a main goal of development communicativecompetence Vygotsky (1978) emphasized that learning is shaped andinfluenced by social interactions Casal (2002), who had a total agreementabout application in the classroom, proposed that cooperative learning is a goodmethod which helps to develop this intelligence in language classroom Some

activities are used to examine this intelligence such as interpreting moods fromfacial expressions; demonstrating feelings through body language; affecting thefeelings of others in a planned way; coaching or counseling another person;forming and maintaining the social relationship Besides it is the ability of co-operate and co-work with other people with several other activities for instanceworking in groups, teams or pairs

Intrapersonal Intelligence gives us the capacity to understand the internalaspects of the self and to practice the self-discipline Understanding yourcapacity and limitation to optimize personal performance is one of tremendousopportunities of learning style research applied to language learning(Christison, 1999; Reid, 1995, 1998) Language learning tasks for this abilityincluding asking learners to think the color, size and texture which express theirfeeling or reading activities where students to develop their attitude towards aproblem (Robles, 2002) There are numerous activities relating to IntrapersonalIntelligence, for instance, considering and deciding one's own aims andpersonal changes required to achieve them (not necessarily reveal this toothers); and deciding options for development; considering and decide one'sown position in relation to the Emotional Intelligence model (being aware of awide range of emotion); identifying and pursuing one’s goals

Naturalist Intelligence is the ability to discriminate among a variety flora andfauna, enjoyment the natural world and ecological sensitivity (Arnold andFonseca: 2004) Several activities are used to measure this ability such asrecognizing and name many kinds of the trees, flowers and animals; describingthe process of recycling or tasks involving direct field observation andclassification of vegetables and animals; having an interest in and goodknowledge of how the body works and keeps health issues; being conscious oftracks, nests, and wildlife even on a walk and can “read” weather signs; having

an interest in the main global environmental issues

2.1.3 MI in education

Obviously, MIs play a crucial part in education, for all of the subjects,especially in learning English as the second language Recently MI theory hasbeen considered in language teaching Teachers started recognizing theremarkable benefits of using MI theory to enhance learner’s abilities individualneeds According to Snider (2001) MI theory-related materials have the strongpotential to improve foreign language (FL) instruction because theory engagelearner’s innate abilities (p 6)

As Armstrong clarifies (2009), each person has different capacities in variousintelligences which are outlined above (2.1); however, they function together indifferent ways that are unique to each It is really interesting to define thatintelligences can be associated and related to the key competences in a ratherdirect way As an example, mathematical competence has the relationship to theuse of logical-mathematical intelligence, knowledge of interaction with thephysical world can be linked to visual spatial and also naturalistic intelligences,competence in social skills and citizenship is associated with interpersonalintelligence, autonomy and personal initiative in addition to learning to learncompetence can be related to the use of intrapersonal intelligence, and culturaland artistic competence-to musical intelligence (Curso, 2012) Varied taskswhich require different intelligences an actually trigger the enhancement of thekey competences As a result, MI-based activities, in theory, could actuallybring to EFL classroom double advantage, both allowing students to use theirpersonal strengths and private intelligences and also develop new ones,alongside improving their proficiency in English As Rubado (2002) proposes,

if using of strong points in the process of learning would be made, studentscould more easily realize that they are all smart and intelligent in many ways aswell as they explore their own potentials, which would also help them tobecome more motivated and enjoy themselves in classes

According to Sam and Lunenburg (2004), by using the multiple intelligencesapproach in your classroom, the teacher will provide opportunities for authenticlearning based on his/her students’ needs, interests, and talents The multiple

intelligences classroom acts like the “real” world For example, the author andthe illustrator of a book or the actor and the set builder in a play are equallyvaluable creators Students become more active, involved learners Teachersand students come to view intellectual ability more broadly Drawing a picture,composing or listening to music, sculpting an object, watching a performance,writing a poem, passage about the lesson, participating role play-these activitiescan be vital learning experiences These activities will provide students withopportunities to show all of their strengths as well as their full potentials.Moreover, the lessons seem to be more fascinating, interesting and exciting,avoid boredom There are many ways to apply multiple intelligences theory inthe classroom

Silver, Strong and Perini (1997: 24) insist that exploiting MI in classroomminimizes potential limitations and stimulate students’ abilities, therefore,enhance productivity as a result of increasing motivation Pokey (2003),suggest that using MI stands for a positive change not only as far as students areconcerned, but also for teachers

Discussing about applying MI theory in education, Armstrong (2009) states that

MI theory opens the door to a wide range of teaching strategies that can beeasily implemented in the classroom In many cases, they are strategies thathave been used for decades by good teachers In other cases, the theory ofmultiple intelligences offers teachers an opportunity to develop innovativeteaching strategies that are relatively new to the educational scene MI theorysuggests that no one set of teaching strategies will work best for all students atall times All children have different proclivities in the eight intelligences, soany particular strategy is likely to be highly successful with one group ofstudents and less successful with other groups For example, teachers who usethe Rhythms, Songs, Raps, and Chants strategy discussed in this chapter as apedagogical tool will probably find that musically inclined students respondwhile nonmusical students remain unmoved Similarly, the use of pictures andimages in teaching will reach students who are more spatially oriented but

perhaps have a different effect on those who are more physically or verballyinclined.

There have been numerous previous researchers who have investigated theeffect of MI on learning language with more studies for explaining theapplication of MI theory in improving language learning particularly in highereducation According to Armstrong, Fugarti & Stoehr (2007), usage of MItheory as an instructional plan is one of the most effective solutions to eliminatedecrease of language learning (Chan, 2008) as well as being lack of interest andmotivation and difficulty of students

Sam and Lunenburg (2004) claim that at all levels of education, teachersexplore more effective methods of assessment which encourage their students

to demonstrate understanding through multiple intelligences Elementarystudents compose and perform songs about grammar concepts Middle schoolstudents create multimedia presentations combining animations, compositions,and writing to accommodate interdisciplinary units High school studentsdemonstrate mastery of self-developed research questions through art, writingportfolios, and delivering presentations to education stakeholders During awriting unit, cooperative learning groups help edit other students’ essays

2.1.4 MI in teaching and learning English

There is numerous evidence that students and schools that are influenced byMultiple Intelligence theory effectively (Garner 2006:83) If teachers have goodunderstanding of the theory, they, of course, understand better about theirlearners Therefore, they can allow the learners to safely explore their ownstrengths and teachers can help their learners to be in control of their ownlearning (Guignon, 1998)

The main goal of MI in teaching is to encourage students to deeply understandthe matter and strengthen solving-problem ability Classroom activities oftenactivate more than one of the Multiple Intelligences For example, consider thefollowing classroom activities:

Writing passage, report, journal or essay is one of the best ways to activatesLinguistic Intelligence Armstrong (2009) suggested writing a poem about thenext summer holiday which is contributed by a group and each person writes aline Moreover, reading passages or stories and discussing about any problems

to find out the solutions relate to the Linguistic Intelligence In these exercises,students can express their use of language and knowledge of linguistics

Different studies carried out by Simeon (1995) and Mettetal, Jordan & Harper(1997) prove that students, teachers and parents tend to show a very positiveattitude towards the idea of implementing MI-based activities in classroom withthe aim of improving students’ English proficiency Broderick and Allen (2000)offer a model for practical application of MI-based tasks to teaching in general

Composing a song is an active activity to not only promote Musical but alsoLinguistic Intelligences This activity makes a great contribution for students tocreate most effectively In addition, musical melodies will definitely bringslearners lessons more interesting and fully exciting A suggestion forArmstrong (2009) is that making a rap or a song about summer

Group discussion has been growing in the enormous popularity in order to

activate linguistic and interpersonal intelligences “Having a group discussion

about what you think make a great summer and collect a spokesperson to summarize your conclusion in font of class”, another suggestion from

Armstrong (2009)

Making a video is combination many Intelligences such as Mathematical, Musical, Linguistic, Interpersonal, and Spatial Intelligences.Putting on a play also enhances several Intelligences including Musical,Linguistic, Interpersonal and Spatial Role play is another activity whichrequires numerous Intelligences such as Kinesthetic, Linguistic, interpersonal.Within language teaching, it is fair to say that role play is used to relativelylittle and where it is used it is essentially considered for a fun activity which

Logical-brings psychological and tactical benefits (Skelton, Hammond, Wiskin,Fritzmaurice).

Making graphs, constructing timelines and designing poster activates mathematical and spatial intelligences Stating about the importance of posters,Osa and Musser (2004) believe that posters are colorful, attractive learningmedia which can enhance the learning environment, create a active andeffective learning atmosphere for students This paper describes the value ofposters in the educational setting, offers suggestions on selecting posters forlearning, and includes examples of various types of learning posters Moreover,posters give students opportunity to interact information to be learned in diverseways as well as encourage active engagement in learning and selfmotivation

logical-There is much evidence that schools influenced by Multiple Intelligence theoryare effective (Gardner 2006:83) and with an understanding of theory teacherscan better understand the learner They can allow students to safely discovertheir strengths and their full potentials as well as learn in many ways and theycan help their students to be in control of their own learning (Guignon 1998,March 12)

It is very common that schools have been emphasizing the reading skill, writingskill and grammar in learning teaching Multiple Intelligence theory opens thedoor to the variety of teaching strategies which can easily be applied in thelanguage classroom It gives teachers opportunities to wide modern teachingstrategies by using various assignments and activities (Armstrong 2000:51).These new strategies brought students many ways to acquire knowledgesubconsciously and effectively It means students were not aware that they werelearning, their learning lessons seemed to have been relaxing and less stressful

Teachers have to use many different strategies and activities to meet all needs

of students and stimulate their full potentials The theory can be used indifferent ways in entire school systems This method offers opportunities forstudents to use and to develop all of the intelligences It also offers different

learning styles and methods as well as various activities Each of intelligence isprospective in every learner and it is the part of the teacher’s job to look afterand help children to develop their own intelligences (Nolan 2003: 119)

Armstrong (2000:51) states that as long as teachers use a range of differentintelligences There are 8 Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom a number ofways of introducing the model or of following up your five minute introductionwith reinforcing activities and supplementary experiences

It is interesting to find that many different methods have the close therelationship with Multiple Intelligences such as Silent Way, Total PhysicalResponse or The Communicative Approach For example the Silent Wayemphasizes the development of students’ inner thinking (IntrapersonalIntelligence) Total Physical Response improves learning through physicalactions (Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence) The Communicative Approach andcooperative stress the the necessarily relationships among people (InterpersonalIntelligence) (Lin 2005 March 12)

2.2 Autonomy

In theory, we may define autonomy as the freedom and ability to manage one’sown affairs, which entails the right to make decisions as well (Scharle andSzabo: 2000) To get any achievements, the autonomy plays an important role

in successful progress Having discussed about this issue, Scharle and Szabo(2000) state that some degree of autonomy is also essential to successfullanguage learning No matter how much students learn through the lessons,there is always plenty more they will need to learn by practice, on their own.Also the changing needs of learners will require them to go back to learningseveral times in their lives: then again, they will need to be able to study ontheir own The best way for them to prepare this task is to help them becomemore autonomous

There have existed a large literature on autonomy in language learning until tonow, with Holec (1981) commonly cited as a seminal contribution to the field.Benson (2011) provides a comprehensive analysis of key issues in learnerautonomy, while there have also been a number of edited collections dedicated

to the topic (Barfield & Brown, 2007; Benson, 2007b; Benson & Voller, 1997;Lamb & Reinders, 2008; Little, Ridley, & Ushioda, 2003; Palfreyman & Smith,2003; Pemberton, Li, Or, & Pierson, 1996; Pemberton, Toogood, & Barfield,2009; Sinclair, McGrath, & Lamb, 2000; Vieira, 2009)

Learner autonomy was first defined by Holec (1979) He describes anautonomous learner in various aspects An autonomous learner is capable ofdetermining the objectives; defining the contents and progressions; selectingmethods and techniques to be used; monitoring the procedure of acquisitionproperly speaking (rhythm, time place, etc) and evaluating what has beenacquired (p 3)

Studying about this issue but Sinclair (2000) suggests 13 other characteristics oflearner autonomy which appear to have been recognized and broadly accepted

by the language teaching profession including autonomy is a construct ofcapacity; autonomy involves a willingness on the part of the learner to takeresponsibility for their own learning; the capacity and willingness of learners totake such responsibility is not necessarily innate; complete autonomy is anidealistic goal; there are degrees of autonomy; the degrees of autonomy areunstable and variable; autonomy is not simply a matter of placing learners insituations where they have to be independent; developing autonomy requiresconscious awareness of the learning process for instance, conscious reflectionand decision-making; promoting autonomy is not simply a matter of teachingstrategies; autonomy can take place both inside and outside the classroom;autonomy has a social as well as an individual dimension; the promotion ofautonomy has a political as well as psychological dimension; autonomy isinterpreted differently by different cultures

2.2.1 Definitions

One of the earliest definitions by Holec (1981) characterizes autonomy as “the

ability to take charge of one’s own learning” (p.3) As Benson (2006) notes,

variants on this definition appear in the literature, with ‘ability’ sometimesreplaced with ‘capacity’ (for example, in Little, 1991) and ‘take responsibilityfor’ or ‘take control of substituting for ‘take charge of Some definitions (e.g.Dam, 1995) also include the notion of ‘willingness’ to stress the point thatirrespective of their capacity, learners will not develop autonomy unless theyare willing to take responsibility for their learning These broad understandings

of what learner autonomy is, then, seem to be well-established in the literature(but see also Benson, 1996 for an analysis of the complexities involved indefining what learner autonomy means); additionally, following Little (1991)some accounts of learner autonomy start by defining what it is not

Learner autonomy has been a central topic of many discussions for a long time.Therefore, definitions of learner autonomy have of course varied The authorwill give a summary of typical definitions

Thansoulas (2000) cited from Holec (1982) about the autonomy’s qualificationthat someone qualifies as an autonomous learner when he independentlychooses aims and purposes and sets goals; chooses materials, methods andtasks; exercises choice and purpose in organizing and carrying out the chosentasks; and chooses criteria for evaluation In general, autonomous learners areregularly active in choosing their own appropriate strategies and scheduling thedetailed learning plan

Having discussed about typical characteristics of autonomy, Little (1991)claims that autonomous learners have the capacity to determine realistic andreachable goals, select appropriate methods and techniques to be used, monitortheir own learning process, and evaluate the progress of their own learning

(Deci & Ryan, 1985; Bandura, 1989; Doyal & Gough, 1991) give out theirperspectives about autonomous learners is that autonomous people areintrinsically motivated, perceived themselves to be in control of theirdecisionmaking, take responsibility for the outcomes of their actions and haveconfidence in themselves Autonomous learners seems to be interested in theirown learning process, in improving their knowledge as well as they regularlyinspire themselves to learn better.

One of the most well-known definitions of autonomy was reported by Holec(1981:3), who considers autonomy to be “the ability to take charge of one’sown learning” Another key contribution to autonomy, inspired by the work of

Holec (1981), was reported by Little (1991), who claims that “autonomy is a

capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making, and independent action.” For Little (1991), this capacity includes the planning, monitoring, and

evaluating of learning activities and involves both the content and process oflearning

Several other works, for instance, those from Dickinson (1987), Little (1991),Pennycook (1997), Benson & Voller (1997), Benson (2001), Nicolaides &Fernandes (2002), and Littlewood (1996) have also contributed to thediscussions about autonomy Dickinson’s work (1987: 27), for example

approaches autonomy as “a mode of learning- one in which the individual is

responsible for all the decisions connected with her learning, and undertakes the implementation of these decisions”.

The assumptions presented by Holec (1981), Little (1991), and Dickinson(1987) represent the highest degree of autonomy, which enables the learner tochoose what, how, and when to learn, with no external constraints, such asthose of formal education This idea is discussed by Crabbe’s (1993)ideological argument:

“The individual has the right to be free to exercise his or her own choices as in other areas, and not become a

victim (even if an unwitting one) of choices made by social institutions” (p 443).

This definition matches explanation of autonomy with expression - “the ability

to act and make decisions without being controlled by anyone else” printed in

the Oxford advanced learner’s Dictionary (AS Horn by 8th edition)

Freire (1997) considers autonomy as the learner’s capacity and freedom toconstruct and reconstruct the knowledge taught Although the concept offreedom remains as a core issue, Freire does not disregard the importance of theteachers whose role, in his view, is not to transmit knowledge, but to create newrealms of possibility for students to produce and construct knowledge

2.2.2 The role of autonomy in learning

Obviously, autonomy has had a great contribution to learning process,therefore, it there have been a variety of educators and researchers who studiesabout the relationship between autonomy and learning

Some degree of autonomy is also essential to successful language learning Nomatter how much students learn through the lessons, there is always plentymore they will need to learn by practice, on their own Also the changing needs

of learners will require them to go back to learning several times in their lives:then again, they will need to be able to study on their own The best way forthem to prepare this task is to help them become more autonomous.(Scharle &Szabo : 2000)

In Borg and Al-Busaidi’ ELT Reearch Paper about Learner Autonomy: EnglishLanguage Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices, the result of the questionnaire, 93.4per cent of the teachers agreed that learner autonomy has a positive effect onsuccess as a language learner, while 85.2 per cent agreed that learner autonomyallows language learners to learn more effectively than they otherwise would.Overall, then, the teachers expressed strong positive views about the

contribution of learner autonomy to language learning In the interviews somepeople asked the teachers to elaborate on these positive views and theysuggested a number of relationships between learner autonomy and successfullanguage learning These are listed below with a supporting quote after each.

First of all, autonomous learners are more motivated effectively It not only isvery important but also has a huge effect on motivation Moreover, the moreautonomous the learners are, the more motivated they are More particularly,learner autonomy affects their ability to learn the language as well as to learnnumerous other things in their life

Secondly, normally autonomous learners are more committed In traditionallessons, teachers give students the information and necessary explanations,which are useful for learning process However, involving the students into thelessons meant that they are more committed to it when they could identify withwhat they are doing because they have decided it Instead of listeningnegatively, participating the lesson actively makes students be more responsiblefor their learning process as well as the autonomy is remarkable stimulated It isthe actively learning participation that helps students learn more effectively andstimulate the autonomy more

In addition, autonomous learners are happier When the learners are in chargethey know what they are doing and on a day-to-day basis, or task-by-task basisunderstand why they are doing something, why it is important to them, thenthey are going to be happier learners and they’re going to be more motivated,and more willing to do what is necessary to reach their goals

Moreover, autonomous learners benefit from learning opportunities outside theclassroom It is commonly known that classroom time is not enough, therefore,using some additional opportunities outside the classroom like watching TV,reading books, reading the website, and just communicating with people, justinvolving themselves in different activities, so just working autonomously, it

will have more positive effects on them as a language learner, so definitely itwill bring students to a successful career as a language learner

Last but not least, autonomous learners take more risks Students would decide

to do things that maybe the teacher would never dream that they could do,maybe it is not perfect; however, it shows that in the long run they seem todevelop a much more sophisticated use of the language

A number of the benefits of learner autonomy noted here have been discussed

in the literature; the link between learner autonomy and motivation is one inparticular that has been the focus of much discussion Benson’s (2001: 86)

review of this issue concludes that “the link between autonomy and motivation

is well-established at a theoretical level ”, although the precise nature of this

link is a focus of continuing empirical activity (see Ushioda, 2011 for a morerecent discussion)

2.2.3 Principles of autonomy

According to Little (1991), principles may be suggested to express thecharacterization of an autonomous learner in language classroom 1 learnerempowerment, 2 reflectivity, and 3 appropriate target language use

The first principle Little (1991) defined is principle of learner empowerment Itentails that teachers bring their learners to accept responsibility for their ownlearning A truly dialogic process entails joint exploration: teacher’sunderstanding should grow along with that of their learners If it does not, that

is a sure sign that teachers are standing outside the process, going through themotions rather than engaging with their teaching in the way that they demandtheir learners should engage with their learning Teacher should guide or givethe instruction if students get stuck in challenging situations and then givestudents time to complete, never correct immediately when students cannot dothe tasks