MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HUE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

CHÂU VĂN ĐÔN

INTEGRATING MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES-BASED
ACTIVITIES INTO TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS
TO EFL LEARNERS

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THESIS IN THEORY AND
METHODOLOGY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

HUE, 2019


ABSTRACT

With the philosophy “Every learner is unique and intelligent”, the Theory of
Multiple Intelligences (MIT) has proved to be a humanitarian and favorable premise
to foster and promote learners’ language skills. Armstrong (2017) remarked while
traditional language teaching and learning programs mainly focus on developing
learners’ linguistic and reasoning skills, MIT proposes there are many other ways in
which learners’ language skills can be developed better. As the major aim of
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is to enable students to promote their
speaking skills to achieve progress in communicative competence, EFL instructors
should create favorable conditions for students to develop their speaking skills.
This study was an attempt to investigate the possible effects of integrating
MI-based activities into developing the EFL students’ speaking skills, and then to
find out the students’ evaluation of such an integration of MI-based activities.
Therefore, to attain those two main objectives, the mixed research method was

developing EFL students’ speaking skills, and the feasibility of promoting EFL
students’ oral performances by integrating MI-based activities into EFL speaking
training programs.

iii


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CEFR

European Framework of Reference for Languages

CLT

Communicative Language Teaching

EFL

English as a Foreign Language

ESL

English as a Second Language

IC

Intelligence Center

IQ


PBL

Project-based Learning

EF

Evaluation Form

SLA

Second Language Acquisition

SPSS

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

TEFL

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TPR

Total Physical Response

ZPD

Zone of Proximal Development

v

Residuals Statisticsa ………………………………………….….

71

Table 4.3

Case Processing Summary ……………………………………...

72

Table 4.4

Test of Homogeneity of Variances ……………………………...

72

Table 4.5

Difference between means of pre-test and post-test …………….

72

Table 4.6

Mean score of pre-test in comparison with the accepted mean .....

73

Table 4.7



The mean scores of the pre-questionnaire ......................................

87

Table 4.13

Comparing mean score of Pre-questionnaire and Scale 3 (NS)......

88

Table 4.14

Grouped data for 6 clusters in post-questionnaire .........................

89

Table 4.15

Mean scores of post-questionnaire..................................................

89

Table 4.16

Comparing mean score of Post-questionnaire and Scale 4 (“A”) .......

90

Table 4.17


75


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ....................................................................

i

ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................

iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................

v

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ..................................................................

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................

viii


7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................

9

2.1. Multiple Intelligences Theory ......................................................................

9

2.2. Individual differences in an English speaking class.....................................

13

2.3. Social Interaction, Learning Styles and Individual Differences ..................

14

2.3.1. Relationship between Multiple Intelligences, Learning Styles, LearnerCenteredness, and Communicative Approach ....................................................

17

2.3.1.1. Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles ...........................................

17

2.3.1.2. Learner-centeredness approach ..............................................................

18

24

2.4.3.3. Common features between project-based and poster-making activities

25

2.5. Implementing MI-based activities in EFL classrooms ...............................

26

2.6. Previous studies relating to the application of MIT .....................................

27

2.6.1. Previous studies on integrating MI-based activities in teaching speaking

27

2.6.2. Some viewpoints on integrating MI-based activities into speaking
instruction ................................................................................................................

32

2.7. Chapter summary .........................................................................................

35

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................

36


44

3.5.4. Evaluation form .........................................................................................

45

3.5.5. Interview ...................................................................................................

46

3.6. Research context ..........................................................................................

48

3.7. Roles of the researcher .................................................................................

49

3.8. Ethical issues ................................................................................................

49

3.9. Research implementation .............................................................................

50

3.9.1. The pilot study...........................................................................................

50

62

3.9.6. Administering interviews and evaluation form .........................................

62

3.10. Data analysis ..............................................................................................

63

3.11. Research reliability and validity ................................................................

65

3.12. Chapter summary .......................................................................................

66

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .............................................

67

4.1. Effects of integrating MI-based activities ....................................................

67

4.1.1. Participants’ MI profiles ...........................................................................

68


4.3.1. Participants’ responses in the questionnaires ............................................

84

4.3.1.1. Findings from pre-questionnaire ............................................................

86

4.3.1.2. Findings from post-questionnaire ..........................................................

89

4.3.2. Participants’ responses in the evaluation form .........................................

99

4.3.3. Participants’ responses in the interviews ..................................................

104

4.3.4. Impacts of the extra-curricular speaking-training activities .....................

117

4.4. Discussion of findings on participants’ evaluation of integrating MIbased activities ...................................................................................................

121

4.4.1. Participants’ perceptions of integrating MI-based activities ……………



134

5.1. Summary of the key findings .......................................................................

134

5.2. Pedagogical implications .............................................................................

137

5.3. Limitations of the study ...............................................................................

140

5.4. Recommendations for further study .............................................................

140

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................

142

AUTHOR’S WORKS

150

LIST OF APPENDICES .....................................................................................

151

(1991), Savignon (2000), Larsen-Freeman (2000), and Brown (2001), first of all,
are generally based on sentence patterns and models of teaching procedures for
practicing how to use the language applied and built from such fixed grammatical
points. Therefore, such a classroom use of the language might likely be entirely
1


isolated from its authentic socio-cultural contexts and functions. Also, the four
language skills are often trained and developed through separated classroom
activities generally implemented in a teacher-controlled atmosphere, and the
students have limited chances for participation. Most important of all, the speaking
skills, in such traditional teaching and learning methods, are trained and practiced
based on the teacher’s models of drills and much attention is paid to error
correction, not to highlight and promote the students’ communicative competences.
It can be seen that not much importance is attached to the individual distinction
among the different learners regarding their preferences or styles of acquiring and
producing the target language that they have learned. Thereof, it is indicated by
Johnson (2013) that in traditional classrooms, the students with highly developed
analytical and reasoning skills are the ones who are more likely to be considered
successful learners according to the instructors’ assessment.
Dorgham (2011) proposed that most learners own various types and levels of
intelligences and utilize them following their own ways. Therefore, teachers should
always be aware that learners have differential learning styles, levels of
intelligences in participating and performing classroom activities. Nunan and Baily
(2009), Oxford (2001), and Ezarik (2001) also shared their common viewpoint that
teachers could find their proper ways of teaching through focusing on the students’
learning styles and thinking strategies:
Teachers are in a bad need to find the right strategies to fit the diverse learning
styles of each individual within the classroom context. In order to achieve the
required skills, the eight MIs need incorporating into everyday classroom learning

verbal-linguistic;

visual-spatial;

logical-

mathematical; intrapersonal and naturalistic. Recently, two more types of
intelligences named spiritual and existential were added by Gardner (1996).
1.2. Statement of the problem
In general, there have been quite a lot of research to investigate the effects of
MIT application aiming at developing learners’ linguistic knowledge and
communicative competence (e.g., Campbell, 1994; Armstrong, 1993; Christison,
1996 & 1999; Younas & Subhani, 2015; among the others). However, in the field of
applying MI-based activities to promote language learners’ speaking skills, the
number of such studies is minimal (Orhan & Hasan, 2015).
Speaking in the target language has taken up a significant place throughout
the history of language teaching and learning (Brown, 2001 and Nunan, 1991).
Nowadays, speaking skills have themselves manifested to be a separate field of
teaching, learning, and assessment. Nevertheless, Nunan (1991) and Samira (2014)
commented that little attention has still been paid to spoken discourse production.
Due to the difficulties in learning how to speak in the target language, it is,
3


therefore, more facile for many teachers and students to concentrate on the written
form and use of the language instead of developing the speaking skills.
Vietnamese EFL students are in the same situation and always confront with
many difficulties in learning English as a foreign language, particularly how to
develop their EFL speaking skills. This reality is reflected in the results of their
language tests and examinations, from the high-school graduation exams in general

Research question 2. How do EFL students evaluate the effects of such an
integration of MI-based activities on developing their speaking skills?
1.5. Research scope
The current study focused on the two following main aspects: the possible
effects of integrating MI-based activities on developing the EFL students’ speaking
skills and the EFL students’ evaluation of such an integration of MI-based activities
into the English speaking training program conducted at an EFL class in Central
Region in Vietnam. In this study, the concept of “evaluation” was defined by
Bryman (2008) as a process of providing feedback from participating in an
experiment. In this research, by using the term “evaluation” the researcher would
like to collect and analyze the data on the participants’ feedback regarding their
reaction, concerning attitude as well as their possible motivation in participating in
the MI-based activities for developing their speaking skills. This study also adopted
Gardner’s (1983, 1996) Multiple Intelligences Theory, Shearer’s (2001) Multiple
Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales for Adolescents, and Armstrong’s
(1993) guidance on implementing MI-based activities in the language classroom as
its conceptual frameworks.
1.6. Significance of the study
The current study is significant regarding the following contributions:
Theoretically, this study aims to make some contributions to the knowledge
of teaching and learning speaking skills based on the integration of MI-based
activities. The adoption of the mixed research approaches in the current study
provides an overview of implementing MI-based activities for developing speaking
skills for the EFL students by organizing the discussion and interaction activities
like group work in intelligence centers according to their similar MI profiles. As
5


there were such a limited number of related studies on integrating MI-based
activities into the speaking-training programs, the current study can be considered

speaking skills for the students by adopting the MI-based approach instead of the
conventional speaking-training method commonly applied for training speaking
skills for the EFL students at the research site. If this MI-based approach for
training speaking skills proves to work better for the participants, this experience of
learning speaking might be adopted on a broader scale into their future learning
experience at higher levels and also in their future of English-speaking teaching
career. Besides, the current study also attempts to establish some theoretical
contribution in terms of proposing the MI-based approach for developing students’
speaking skills.
1.7. Organization of the thesis
This thesis comprises five main parts as follows:
Chapter 1, the introduction to the study, briefly presents the statement of the
problem, the research aims, the scope and significance of the study. This chapter
provides information about the context of the study regarding the contemporary
context of EFL teaching and learning in Vietnam in which this study is conducted.
Chapter 2 reviews relevant literature to this study including the correlations
between MIs and learning styles, learner-centeredness, and communicative
approach. In this chapter, previous studies on integrating MIT into English language
teaching are extensively reviewed in order to identify the research gaps which this
study aims to fulfill.
Chapter 3, then, demonstrates in detail the research methodology of the study
from the selection of the research philosophy, research approach to the description
of data collection and data analysis procedures as well as the criteria for ensuring
that the study was conducted in the stable and ethical conditions.
Chapter 4 is the presentation of the two findings in lines with the two
established research questions regarding the possible effects of integrating MI-based
activities into the speaking training program for EFL students majored in English
Education and their evaluation of such an integration of MI-based activities.

7

theory developed and refined gradually by Gardner (1983), in which this author
proposes that different kinds of "intelligence," instead of only two traditional verbal
and logical types of intelligences, simultaneously exist in each person. Gardner
(1983) suggests that each person possesses different levels of these different
intelligences, and hence, each person has a unique "cognitive MI profile."
In other words, MIT proposes that the definition of intelligence as
traditionally measured and stipulated in intelligent quotients (IQ) tests cannot cover
sufficiently all types of competencies an individual possesses. According to MIT, a
student who can perform calculations quite well should not be regarded as smarter
in an all-round manner than another student who has some difficulties in solving
such math problems. The second student may prove to be smarter in using different
types of intelligence, and can perform the same calculations better through a
different learning style or method of solving such math problems or even be better
in another area apart from logical reasoning.
Regarding the nature of the afore-mentioned concept of students’ similar
types of intelligence, Campbell (2003) also noted that although every individual
9


learner may have all or most of the eight types of intelligence, the levels of each
type of intelligence in their MI profiles are different among different individuals.
Such an argument results in various cases in the combination of all the learners’
intelligence types. This view-point was backed up with the nature of Gardner
(1983)’s MIT proposing that every student is intelligent with their unique structure
of MI profiles.
According to Campbell (2003, p. 161), MIT was first published in 1983 in
Gardner’s book, Frames of Mind: the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, and has been
refined up to now. Following are the definitions and supportive speaking activities
for each of the eight types of intelligence in MIT:
Verbal-Linguistic

10


real objects. Students who demonstrate this intelligence tend to show great interest
in working with visual aids or prefer using real objects to support oral expressions.
Relevant classroom activities: describing pictures; telling stories from
pictures; making posters; illustrating 3-D models; drawing things to prepare for oral
reports; creating a pictorial report; establishing diagrams to explain information to
others, etc.
Musical-Rhythmic Intelligence: the ability to perceive the melodies, tunes
and rhythms, which allows a student to identify, create and modify the music. This
intelligence enables students to create songs, appreciate music, or use musical
instruments. They can easily imitate tunes and melodies, identify sounds, and learn
quickly by heart the lyrics of the songs. Musical intelligent students usually like
listening to or reproducing words aloud instead of working silently with them. The
background music also keeps them more motivated while they are practicing or
doing their oral language tasks. It is not necessary that the student must be able to
play a musical instrument or sing a song well, but he should be sensitive to music,
tunes, rhythms, or beats.
Relevant activities: performing musical instruments as illustration for an oral
presentation; creating songs containing topics of vocabulary; performing short “rap”
songs to express orally the viewpoints or to summarize information; etc.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: The skills to use the body in various
manners such as gestures or facial expressions to convey meanings for
communicative purposes. This intelligence exists and actively develops among the
students keen on playing sports, dancing, or acting. It is a combination of body and
mind to perform the activities and express ideas for interaction and communication.
These students learn best through direct feeling or touching the objects.
Relevant classroom activities: role-play; drama; using gestures and miming
to tell stories or illustrating the details of an oral presentation or description;

Later on, Gardner added the ninth type of intelligence, named existential
intelligence or spiritual intelligence or even cosmic intelligence. However, as this
12


type of intelligence has still been regarded by many contemporary psychologists as
a controversial issue and further adequate evidence should be needed to bring about
its demonstration and recognition, in this study, only the original eight types of
Gardner’s multiple intelligences are mentioned and discussed. In this research, with
an attempt to integrate MI-based activities into the English speaking program on the
principle that each MI-based activity will be used to promote as many types of
students’ intelligences as possible, priority is given to the use of the following two
types of MI-based activities: project-based and poster-making activities.
2.2. Individual differences in an English speaking class
Gardner (1983) proposed the fact that “within one classroom, each student is
unique and has their own different features” (p. 114). The differences between
students may originate from the environment in which they live or personal
characteristics they are born with (Shahila, 2012, p. 639) who supposes that “the
social environment of a learner has a great influence on learning a foreign language
and the environment from which the student originates has a strong influence on the
level of students’ language acquisition.”
Shahila (2012) argued that environmental differences do not determine
success or failure of learning a foreign language, but this author indicates that it is
much easier for the students to achieve their progress in language learning when
they are supported by the teaching and learning environment. “This is, however, in
contrast with the individual differences, which cannot be modified by the teacher or
external impact of the environment” (Shahila, 2012, p. 640).
Shahila (2012) also proposed that “only motivation or attitudes can be
modified to some extent by the teacher, and after the initial effort put into
recognizing individual differences of learners, the process of learning will be much

and teaching practices. The theory advocates learning, including L2 acquisition, in
which emphasis is placed on learners’ participation in social interaction. Instruction
is considered crucial to the development of the target language and within the Zone
of Proximal Development (ZPD), which is supposed to be higher than the existing
development ability of the learner. It is believed that learning in an EFL
environment should be the result of interactive and collective academic tasks and
not a separated learning activity of an individual who works independently and in
an isolated way away from the others.
14


Vygotsky (1978) put a strong emphasis on the viewpoint that “every child is
an active learner” (p. 106). He paid particular attention to the social and cultural
environment and considered it the key factor in the development of the child. These
days, more and more attention has been paid to the fact that there are a diversity of
ways in which intelligence is accepted and recognized, as suggested by Gardner
(1983), whose MIT has proposed various applications for implementing effective
instructional strategies. Gardner’s concept of intelligence reflects in a definition that
intelligence is not something inborn and unchanged throughout a person’s life as it
has been traditionally understood. Gardner argued, “an intelligence is defined as the
ability to solve problems or bring about solutions that are considered effective and
with good results in a particular cultural or social context” (1996, p. 42). On this
foundation, different individuals, according to MIT, are supposed to have some
biological skills to deal with problems with their own specific and unique strategies.
The viewpoint mentioned above strongly backs up the theory of sociocultural learning proposed by Vygotsky, whose ZPD theory emphasized the impact
of the social and cultural aspects on the development of an individual. ZPD, in
Vygotsky’s ZPD is defined as “the distance between the actual developmental level
and the level of potential development as identified through problem-solving in
collaboration with more capable peers” (Lui, 2012). Therefore, the idea of
extending Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development may become real with the