Term
Summer 2022
Capstone
Capstone Project
Degree Name
MAT
Facilitator(s)
Kari Ross
Content Expert
Shariat Taheri Mogahddam
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to create a unit on activities that were inspired by multiple intelligences theory to help English Learners (ELs) develop their language proficiency. The questions explored in this capstone project were: How can language learners develop their multiple intelligences to become proficient language learners through classroom activities? What are ways to create a curriculum that includes both the traditional foundations of language teaching and multiple intelligences theory? I learned English as a foreign language through rote learning. During my teaching experience, I realized that not all ELs learn English the same way and they have different preferences when it comes to learning a new language. Therefore, I chose this topic to investigate more creative and engaging ways of teaching English. Some ELs are artistic, some are verbal, and the others are more visual. The setting is a sheltered English language classroom, where the focus is on English for intermediate level learners. The project was influenced by literature on EL’s instructional program models, EL’s language skills development, and multiple intelligences in education. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory was the framework that was used to design unit activities of this project. The unit’s four lessons are based on a short story called “Brother in Hope” with a theme of war and immigration that lines with social studies standards. The main objective of the lessons is the understanding and using of different language features of the past tense verbs, cause-and-effect, adverbial clauses of time, and compare-and-contrast through multiple intelligences inspired activities which would expand their various intelligences in the process as well as expanding the four domains of language learning skills. Reviewing literature on ELs’ learning and their challenges helped me in developing four engaging lessons that will support their needs in a creative way. My research on multiple intelligence theory and its implications in education broaden my view on a new way of creating lessons that go beyond the traditional ways of teaching a new language. Creating this unit helped me understand how to support ELs in developing their language skills through a new framework.
Project Type
Curriculum
Keywords
ESL/ ELLs
Recommended Citation
Soltani, Shirin, "Applying Multiple Intelligences Theory in ESL/EFL Classrooms" (2022). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 860.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/860
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Projects