Howard Gardner is a well known researcher that contends that there are multiple intelligences. This means that no two individuals have the same type of learning style. A teacher must understand what the different intelligences are and deliberately target multiple learning styles in every lesson. All children can learn and be successful; it is just a matter of finding the right method to present the information to each student. Take a moment and consider what ways you like to learn. It will most likely not be the same as my preferred method of learning. I am a social/interpersonal learner. Starting as early as I can remember I always needed to be able to ask lots of questions and receive reassurances from my teachers about what I was learning. Before I felt really comfortable with a new concept, I would like to do lots of practice problems and ask my teacher out loud questions as I was doing the work. Not surprisingly, doing ‘think alouds’ in class are something that come naturally to me. The following are the seven different intelligences according to
Visual-Spatial - think in terms of physical space, as do architects and sailors. Very aware of their environments. They like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, read maps, daydream. They can be taught through drawings, verbal and physical imagery. Tools include models, graphics, charts, photographs, drawings, 3-D modeling, video, videoconferencing, television, multimedia, texts with pictures/charts/graphs.
Bodily-kinesthetic - use the body effectively, like a dancer or a surgeon. Keen sense of body awareness. They like movement, making things, touching. They communicate well through body language and be taught through physical activity, hands-on learning, acting out, role playing. Tools include equipment and real objects.
Musical - show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They love music, but they are also sensitive to sounds in their environments. They may study better with music in the background. They can be taught by turning lessons into lyrics, speaking rhythmically, tapping out time. Tools include musical instruments, music, radio, stereo, CD-ROM, multimedia.
Interpersonal - understanding, interacting with others. These students learn through interaction. They have many friends, empathy for others, street smarts. They can be taught through group activities, seminars, dialogues. Tools include the telephone, audio conferencing, time and attention from the instructor, video conferencing, writing, computer conferencing, E-mail.
Intrapersonal - understanding one's own interests, goals. These learners tend to shy away from others. They're in tune with their inner feelings; they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well as a strong will, confidence and opinions. They can be taught through independent study and introspection. Tools include books, creative materials, diaries, privacy and time. They are the most independent of the learners.
Linguistic - using words effectively. These learners have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words. They like reading, playing word games, making up poetry or stories. They can be taught by encouraging them to say and see words, read books together. Tools include computers, games, multimedia, books, tape recorders, and lecture.
Logical -Mathematical - reasoning, calculating. Think conceptually, abstractly and are able to see and explore patterns and relationships. They like to experiment, solve puzzles, ask cosmic questions. They can be taught through logic games, investigations, mysteries. They need to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details.
Allow me to offer some tips to reach multiple learning styles in every foreign language lesson. These are some of the things that have worked for me in my first year of teaching. If you make an overhead transparency or write the material on the board before class you will have visual learners taken care of. By explaining the material in a clear auditory manner you can also reach the linguistic/auditory learners. It is also a good idea to say new vocabulary words out loud for your students and have them repeat after you chorally. Another thing I like to do to reach the social/interpersonal learners (like myself) is find a way to let the students engage in a ‘think-pair-share’ activity in every lesson. If the lesson consisted of learning new vocabulary words, you could have the students work with their ‘elbow partner’ to try and think of a clever or creative way to remember some of the new words. If the lesson consisted of learning how to conjugate an irregular verb, you could allow the students to pair up and take turns teaching each other the steps to conjugate the verb. It is easy but very worthwhile to let students work in small groups or with a partner to clarify any doubts or confusion they might have. Often times students can teach things to each other in their own words and it can stick with them better than when a teacher does it! These are the things I do in every lesson to make sure I cover at least these three learning styles. They are like a set routine for me at this point. There are several other learning styles that you can reach through specialized activities and independent practice activities. The more learning styles you can reach, the better!
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