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Task-based learning worksheets in the development of multiple intelligences
Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557
TASK-BASED LEARNING WORKSHEETS IN THE
DEVELOPMENTOF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
HOJAS DE TRABAJO DE APRENDIZAJE BASADO EN TAREAS
PARA EL DESARROLLODE INTELIGENCIAS MÚLTIPLES
Ximena Orellana-Mora / Universidad de Cuenca / ximena.orellanam@ucuenca.edu.ec
ABSTRACT
T
his project proposes the use of Task-Based Learning worksheets which have been developed as a supplementary material based on the Our
World through English 1 in order to improve students’ language skills by accessing multiple intelligences learners. Nineteen students in their
eighth year of Basic Education at Cornelio Crespo Toral School participated in this study for fifteen months. Data is collected from a pre-test,
a post-test, and a questionnaire. The results show the improvement of students’ language learning skills by 24.04%. At the end of the study,
the participants developed a sense of motivation, awareness, and increased their language learning skills through the application of the Task-
Based Learning worksheets. Teachers recognized the effectiveness of new strategies and techniques implemented in their classes by applying
appropriate materials to improve learning skills based on dominant intelligences.
Keywords:
Intelligence, Learning, Multiple Intelligences, Task-Based Learning,
Worksheets.
RESUMEN
E
ste proyecto propone el uso de hojas de trabajo de aprendizaje basado en tareas, desarrolladas como material complementario para el Libro
Our World through English 1 con el fin de mejorar las destrezas del idioma de los estudiantes accediendo a las inteligencias múltiples que
los estudiantes poseen. Diecinueve estudiantes en su octavo año de Educación Básica en la Escuela Cornelio Crespo Toral participaron en este
estudio durante quince meses. Los datos se han recopilado de una prueba previa, una prueba posterior y un cuestionario. Los resultados muestran
una mejora en las habilidades de aprendizaje de idiomas de los estudiantes en un 24,04%. Al final del estudio, los participantes desarrollaron un
sentido de motivación, conciencia e incrementaron sus habilidades de aprendizaje de idiomas mediante la aplicación de las hojas de trabajo de
aprendizaje basado de tareas. Los docentes notaron la efectividad de la implementación de nuevas estrategias y técnicas en la clase por medio
del uso de material apropiado para mejorar las destrezas del idioma basado en inteligencias múltiples.
Palabras clave:
Inteligencia, Aprendizaje, Inteligencias Múltiples, Aprendizaje basado en
tareas, Hojas de trabajo.
ARTÍCULO RECIBIDO: 21/11/16
ARTÍCULO ACEPTADO: 30/11/18
Investigación y Desarrollo • Revista de Divulgación Científica y Cultural • Volumen 11
Diciembre 2016 • PP 17 -26 • Dirección de Investigación y Desarrollo • U.T.A. • Ambato - Ecuador
ISSN: 1390 - 5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557
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Ximena Orellana-Mora
Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557
N
ew ideas about teaching a foreign language have been
brought to the forefront in recent decades, the most important
being the use of a variety of activities inside the language
classroom to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
With the emergence of the technological era, teachers have been
given the opportunity to broaden students’ learning opportunities.
However, this is not case in the majority of public and rural
schools in Ecuador due to the fact that the necessary resources
to implement fresh and innovative programs are difficult to
obtain. Consequently, a large number of English teachers are
forced to continue teaching their classes strictly based on the
textbooks students use. The only available resources for teachers
in such context are white boards and markers. these resources,
by themselves, do not motivate students to actively participate
in the learning process, nor do they require teachers to consider
students’ differences. Gardner (1993) claims “It is of the utmost
importance that we recognize and nurture all of the varied human
intelligences and all of the combinations of intelligences. We are
all so different largely because we have different combinations of
intelligences” (p.15).
Therefore, the main objective of this study is to increase students’
performance in listening, reading, speaking, writing, grammar
and vocabulary with a focus on the seven multiple intelligences
through the design and implementation of Task-Based Learning
worksheets as supplementary material with the Our World
through English Student’s Book 1 (OWTE SB 1) (2005a).
The OWTE SB 1 was used in all public educational institutions in
Ecuador to teach English to the eighth year of Basic Education.
It was part of the six-year textbook series OWTE. It was
conceived as a change in the Ecuadorian curriculum and as a
part of CRADLE project in order to improve the quality of English
education in Ecuador. The course components included the
Student’s Book and the Teacher’s Book and CD. The Student’s
Book had twelve units and each unit presented activities related
to grammar, functions, vocabulary, and skills development.
This study was limited to nineteen students in their eighth year
of Basic Education at the Cornelio Crespo Toral Public School in
Cuenca, Ecuador. The six female and thirteen male subjects are
thirteen-year-old on average, and the majority of them are from
families with a very low socioeconomic status. This study took
fifteen months, beginning in April 2010, and finishing in June
2011. Students had English classes five hours a week, one hour
daily.
INTRODUCTION
Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework of the worksheets designed to be used
as supplementary material for the OWTE SB 1 was based on the
Multiple Intelligences theory (Gardner, 2001) and the Task-Based
Learning Approach (TBL) (Willis, 1996).
Multiple intelligences theory
I
n 1983, Gardner first introduced the theory of Multiple
Intelligences (MI). This theory, according to Blythe and Gardner
(1990) “proposes that people use at least seven relatively
autonomous intellectual capacities -each with its own distinctive
mode of thinking- to approach problems and create products”
(p. 33). This assumption makes educators think to what extent
the activities presented in class are connected to students’
intelligences and whether or not, they have been activated.
Forty years ago, the MI theory was unthinkable due to the IQ
paradigm. Hammond (2008) clearly stated that: “challenging the
largely linguistic and logical bias of the IQ paradigm, Gardner
proposed the existence of additional intelligences, each of which
students possess in varying amounts due to both innate and
environmental causes” (p.1). The seven multiple intelligences are
described as follows: Verbal-Linguistic: having the ability to see
patterns in language; Logical-Mathematical: having the ability to
problem solve and establish connections; Spatial: being able to
describe space and time; Bodily-Kinesthetic: knowing how to use
one’s body in a skilled manner; Musical: being able to identify
rhythm and directionality of sound; Interpersonal: possessing an
awareness of others; and, Intrapersonal: self-knowledge.
According to Acosta (2015), “the exact combination of intelligences
varies from person to person”. In other words, a learner who is
strong in the Verbal-Linguistic and Interpersonal intelligences,
have secondary strengths in the Intrapersonal, Spatial, and
Musical intelligences and weaknesses in the Logical-Mathematical
and Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligences. Another learner in the same
class may have an entirely different combination of intelligences
(Acosta, 2015). To effectively use the MI theory in the language
classroom, it is necessary for teachers to determine which types
of intelligences are predominant and which are not completely
developed in students instead of focusing on how intelligent
students are.
Indeed, it is important to clarify that MI are not learning styles.
Gardner has explicitly stated that his theory of MI differs from
¨learning styles¨, as research does not support the effectiveness
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of learning styles. Additionally, according to Strauss (2013),
Gardner defines intelligence and learning style in order to
be clear about these concepts. While people have multiple
intelligences, commonly, one of these intelligences has been
substantially developed. By intelligence, Strauss (2013), based
on Gardner’ theory, refers to an area where a person has
considerable power. For instance, a person has the ability to
master a foreign language because the linguistic intelligence
has been developed. On the other hand, learning style refers to
how a person approaches a certain topic or area. For example,
the author claims that “an individual who has a reflective style is
hypothesized to be reflective about the full range of materials”.
To illustrate this, several additional studies about the MI theory and
its implications for language teaching have been made. One such
study by Ander-Egg (2006) distinguishes various characteristics
related to the MI theory. First, the conception of the existence
of only one intelligence does not visualize students’ diversity. It
focuses only on a uniform vision that makes learning the same for
everybody. Second, the MI theory is related to the mechanisms of
the brain that are shown through each individual’s intelligences.
Furthermore, each intelligence has its own brain mechanisms
which are identifiable. In other words, every intelligence is
independent in its functioning; however, the various intelligences
work together when are applied to a field or discipline.
Multiple intelligences activities
T
he main reason for using multiple intelligences activities
in the classroom is that they offer support to learners who
probably find traditional activities ineffective in helping them to
learn the new language. Since all individuals learn in different
ways because of their individual combination of intelligences, to
be effective, activities in the language classroom need to be aimed
to each of these intelligences. Students learn better when the
language activities match their intelligence types (Gardner, 2001).
This suggests that key points in MI theory (Armstrong, 2009) are
important to be considered during the process of designing the
activities: “a) Each person possesses all eight intelligences; b)
Most people can develop each intelligence to an adequate level of
competency; c) Intelligences usually work together in complex ways;
d) There are many ways to be intelligent within each category” (p.15).
Previous language studies on Multiple
Intelligences theory in EFL classrooms
I
t is acknowledged that different studies, such as the ones
described above, have been conducted to evaluate the
effectiveness of various methods of language teaching. While
linguistic intelligence activities are frequently included in
language teaching, other studies have shown that when teaching
with a variety of activities different intelligences are addressed
having a positive impact on the learning process. The following
is a summary of those studies.
Hammond (2008) has extensively studied the role of multiple
intelligences in learners and their influence in the learning
process. He states in his study the following about MI:
Sixty percent of activities are logical or linguistic. The
personal intelligences comprise around 25%. In other
words, four of the nine intelligences make up almost 85%
of classroom activity. Where the remaining intelligences
are activated, this is usually in terms of theme rather than
actual engagement of a skill pertaining to that intelligence.
For example a unit on sport may appeal to kinesthetic
intelligence, which is one thing, but may do little to actually
activate any actual kinesthetic skills (p. 23).
Due to this fact, the activities of worksheets have to be designed
taking into account the real activation and performance of each
intelligence.
In their book, Campbell and Campbell (1999) mentioned the
educational programs that six schools have implemented using
the MI theory for five or more years. The schools included in the
study (two elementary, two middle-level, and two high schools)
have a variety of student population across the United States. The
authors addressed such questions as how the MI programs have
affected student achievement and where and how those results
were achieved (p. 45). The Campbells’ study revealed significant
academic achievement gains in the target students. These
results are described in the book. In addition, the book describes
the transformation of their teaching environments, curriculum,
assessment methods, student attitudes and achievements, and
teachers’ beliefs in the six schools studied.
Furthermore, Gardner (2009), described how the MI theory has
been introduced and implemented successfully in numerous
countries around the world. It is the first collection that reviews,
synthesizes, and reflects on this unique cross-cultural and
educational phenomenon. It contains works by various authors
that provide a fuller understanding of the MI theory, specifically
the reason why it has been accepted worldwide, how its use
intends to be appropriate in diverse cultures, and what has
supported.
Finally, Hoerr (2000) agreed with the MI theory. The author
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mentioned that “Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences
resonates so strongly for many educators because it offers a model
for acting on what we believe: all students have strengths” (p. 5).
Task-based Learning Approach (TBL)
T
he Task-Based Learning Approach, sometimes known as
Task-Based Language Learning or Task-Based Language
Teaching, was popularized by Prabhu (1987) when he noticed
that his students were able to learn a language just as easily
with non-linguistic problems as when linguistic questions were
introduced. This approach focuses on asking students to perform
meaningful tasks using the target language. In other words, as
Branden (2006) mentioned, during these meaningful tasks “the
learner takes up the central role” (p. 10).
Defining the word ‘task’
I
t is essential to be clear about what a task is. The following
authors have defined this word from different points of view. In
table 1, Branden synthesizes these concepts.
Table 1. Definitions of task as language learning goals
Source: developed by the author based on Branden (2006, p.5)
Characteristics of tasks
W
illis (2009) listed five characteristics that are required for a
task. These characteristics are the following: “a) A task is
an activity that engages learners’ interest; b) There is a primary
focus on meaning; c) The success of the activity is judged in
terms of outcome; d) Completion is a priority; d) The activity
relates to real-world activities” (p.1).
Additionally, Nunan (1989) mentioned a very important
characteristic: a task is an activity “where the learner is an
interactor and negotiator who is capable of giving as well as
taking” (p. 80). All of these characteristics are extensively
important to consider in the designing of tasks. The lack of one of
these characteristics may mean students’ failure and frustration
along the learning process. That is why in designing all of the
TBL worksheets, a careful review of these characteristics was
made.
Conditions that are present within a TBL framework
W
illis (1996) has conducted extensive research and writing
about the TBL Approach. The author defines four conditions
that are within a TBL framework: exposure to the target language;
opportunities to use the language, both spontaneously and
planned; motivation to listen, talk, read, write, study, and reflect;
and instruction focus on language form. (p. 132).
Correspondingly, Willis’ first three conditions are valid because of
the stimulation of language use by providing a range of learning
opportunities for students of all abilities, and these conditions
encourage learners to activate and use the language they already
master, both for comprehension and for speaking and writing.
However, the last condition-instruction focus on language form
goes against everything that has been said so far about the Task-
Based Learning Approach. It is important to remember that a
task focuses on meaningful language.
In summary, a task is synthesized as an activity in which students
use language to achieve a specific goal. It is important that tasks
reflect real life and focus on meaning. Thus, learners are free to
use the language they master.
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Advantages of using TBL approach
I
n one of her conference presentations, Willis (2009) gives an
explanation about the use of TBL approach when teaching a
second or foreign language: TBL provides learners with natural
exposure (input), chances to use language to express what they
want to mean (output), to focus on improving their own language
and to analyse and practise forms. TBL tends to keep learners
motivated since it builds on the language they know in a positive
way. Learners are actively engaged throughout the task cycle
and get chances to think for themselves and express themselves
in the security of a group. Learners become more independent
and feel empowered, gaining satisfaction from successfully
achieving things through English (p. 20).
Thus, these three advantages are condensed into one: Task-
Based Learning activities motivate students. In other words,
students know the outcomes to be achieved as they are able to
express their ideas in the target language. Thus, learners make
a reduced number of mistakes because they use the language
they feel comfortable with.
METHODOLOGY
I
n order to reach the proposed objectives of this study, a type of
methodology and process based on MI and TBL was applied. First
of all, the nineteen students chosen to participate in the study were
given a standardized pre-test in December 2010, at the end of
the first trimester (Ponce et al., 2005b). Parents of all the students
involved in the study signed a consent form allowing their children
to participate in the study. The students still had not used the
supplementary TBL worksheets prior to the time of the pre-test.
Then, units six through ten in the Our World through English
Student’s Book 1 were carefully reviewed to identify which
intelligences were focused on repeatedly in the various exercises.
To achieve the objective of enhancing students’ performance in
English skills, TBL worksheets with a focus on multiple intelligences
were designed in order to improve students’ language skills.
As an illustration, Figure 1 is a summary of the 132 tasks analyzed
in the five units. The pie chart clearly shows the predominance
of the three targeted intelligences throughout the five units
(Verbal-Linguistic, Interpersonal, and Spatial intelligences).
In addition, the figure shows that the Bodily-Kinesthetic and
Intrapersonal intelligences are completely missing, and the
Logical-Mathematical intelligence is targeted in a noticeable
reduced percentage of the total activities.
Figure 1. Summary of intelligences identified in units six through ten
Source: developed by the author based on OWTE (2015)
As explained above, the OWTE SB1 favors the Verbal-Linguistic,
Spatial, and Interpersonal intelligences and places a limited or
no emphasis on the Logical-Mathematical, Bodily-Kinesthetic,
Musical, and Intrapersonal intelligences. As a result, students
who have learning styles that are not addressed by the three
main intelligences, have a disadvantage in the classroom. In case
that the various tasks that are included in the OWTE SB 1 are
analyzed, it may be inferred that most of the activities designed
by the book’s authors focus on Verbal-Linguistic, Spatial, and
Interpersonal intelligences.
During the second stage of the research, the nineteen students
took the Teele Inventory of Multiple Intelligences (TIMI) (Teele,
2004) to determine their dominant intelligences. Based on the
results of the TIMI, the TBL worksheets were designed for the
students to use as supplementary material for units six through
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ten. The four dominant intelligences in the students are the Spatial,
Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, and Bodily-Kinesthetic.
Consequently, once the TBL worksheets were designed, the
students participating in the study completed the worksheets in
addition to doing the exercises in units six through ten of their
textbooks. The interplay between the TBL approach and the MI
theory is crucially apparent in the designing of the worksheets.
For instance, it is necessary for a task to have a communicative
purpose and include one of the less dominant intelligences
identified in Figure 1. Because of this essential interplay, aspects
related to the MI theory as well as the TBL approach were
carefully studied before the TBL worksheets were designed.
The main point of this study was to ensure that all the nineteen
students were given the opportunity to learn the new language,
using their dominant intelligences as well as their less dominant
ones through tasks.
Every TBL worksheet mentions the unit, the title, the lesson as well
as the lesson objective and the target intelligence/s. These target
intelligences, in fact, include the Verbal-Linguistic intelligence,
but it is not shown in the worksheets. The reason for this
omission is that every TBL worksheet demands communication,
so the Verbal-Linguistic intelligence is mandatory in every
worksheet. Subsequently, the Task-Based Learning worksheets
were designed according to the specific needs of the nineteen
students in the study to have tasks that focus on their individual
dominant intelligences.
Regarding objectives, most of the lesson objectives proposed by
the OWTE SB 1 have been changed given that these objectives do
not attempt a communicative goal. For example, lesson 5 in unit
8 has this objective: “To practice Wh-questions” (p.53). In fact,
this is not a communicative goal; this is a grammar goal which
does not help students to gain confidence in using the target
language. Therefore, a communicative goal has been changed
to: To ask information questions to get personal information.
These communicative objectives were developed in each lesson.
In the following examples of two designed worksheets (Figures 2
and 3), the unit, the lesson, and the unit title are mentioned. After
that, the lesson objective is placed as well as the intelligences
used by TIMI. Finally, the instructions are given to enable students
to work on a specific task:
Figure 2. Example of a modified unit that focuses on logical-mathematical and interpersonal intelligences
Source: List of hits by BestSongsEver.com.
Source: developed by the author based on OWTE (2015)
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Task-based learning worksheets in the development of multiple intelligences
Investigación y Desarrollo • Volumen 11 • 2016 • Diciembre • Nº 1 • ISSN: 1390-5546 / e-ISSN: 2361-2557
Figure 3. Example of a modified unit that focuses the spatial and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences
Finally, at the end of the second trimester, in March 2011,
students’ language performance was once again evaluated
when the participants were given a standardized post-test
(Ponce et al., 2005b). The post-test was given to the students
after they completed units six through ten in their textbooks
and the supplementary TBL worksheets that were designed
specifically for purposes of this study according to their dominant
intelligences. As students’ opinions are important in the learning
process, they were asked whether or not the worksheets helped
participants to develop an interest to learn vocabulary, grammar,
listening, reading, speaking and writing skills and to what extent.
In addition, the students answered whether the worksheets were
motivating to increase interest in learning English in general.
According to students’ responses, most of the them were satisfied
with the improvement they reached. In addition, it was mentioned
that the repetition of specific words helped students with the
internalization of the new words and later, their use in sentences.
Moreover, the subjects expressed that the tasks were dynamic
and motivating to do. Another opinion was that the pictures used
helped them to remember the focused vocabulary easily.
Source: developed by the author based on OWTE (2015)
RESULTS
A
t the beginning of this research work, the nineteen students
involved in the study were given the pre-test found in the Our
World through English Teacher’s Guide 1. This test was selected
because it is a standardized test which analyzes students’
performance from a neutral point of view. The test assesses
the four main language skills, listening, reading, writing, and
speaking as well as grammar and vocabulary. Each skill was
evaluated over 5 points, given that 19 subjects were assessed,
the highest mark for each skill was 95 points. The results for the
studentss who took the pre-test are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Total marks for each skill assessed
and the percentages in the pre-test
Source: developed by the author, based on pre-tests’ results
conversation flowing. The questions were answered accurately.
On the other hand, students had sentence structure problems
during the writing task. Sixteen students did not write complete
sentences or the words in the sentences were misspelled.
These observations suggest that students felt more comfortable
speaking than writing.
Figure 4. Students’ performance on the pre-test
Source: developed by the author, based on pre-tests’ results
Listening Reading Speaking Writing Grammar Vocabulary
Scores
21 56 79 8 52 64
22.10%
58.94%
83.15%
8.42%
54.73%
67.36%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Pretest
Regarding Figure 4, students performed well in speaking;
however, their performance in listening and writing was not
proficient. This disparity may have been caused by structure
mistakes. When students spoke, they were able to keep the
As a result, it is necessary to mention that the grammar and
vocabulary performance were not as expected. This is probably
another reason why students were not able to write correctly.
Grammar and vocabulary are tools that a language uses to
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communicate, but assuming that these tools are not used
correctly, communication failure occurs. In summary, the
deficiencies indicated in the pre-test were a gap that the TBL
worksheets were designed to address.
The final procedure in this study was giving the nineteen
students a post-test as a method to compare and measure the
degree of change occurring as a result of their use of the Task-
Based Learning worksheets. Similar to the pre-test, the post-
test administered to students in the study was a standardized
test included in the Our World through English Teacher’s Book
1. Each skill was evaluated over 5 points, given that 19 subjects
were assessed, the highest mark for each skill was 95 points.
The results of the post-test are presented in the following table:
Table 3. Total marks for each skill assessed
and the percentages in the post-test
Source: developed by the author, based on post-tests’ results
Thus, students’ scores increased significantly after the
application of the Task-Based Learning worksheets. The main
reason is that participants had more exposure to the language,
used it in meaningful situations. Therefore, according to
Figure 5, the TBL worksheets increase the students’ language
performance significantly.
Figure 5. Students’ performance on the post-test.
Listening Reading Speaking Writing Grammar Vocabulary
Scores
55 81 89 49 74 94
54.74%
81.05%
89.47%
49.47%
73.68%
93.68%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Posttest
Source: developed by the author, based on post-tests’ results
Figure 6. Comparison Chart
22.10%
58.94%
83.15%
8.42%
54.73%
67.36%
54.74%
81.05%
89.47%
49.47%
73.68%
93.68%
0
20
40
60
80
100
Listening Reading Speaking Writing Grammar Vocabulary
Gains
PRETEST POSTEST
Source: developed by the author, based on pre and post-tests’ results
In addition to the pre-test and post-test as data resources,
students were given a questionnaire in order to ascertain their
point of view related to the worksheets. Most of the students
were satisfied with the improvement they achieved. Students
mentioned that they had the opportunity to practice vocabulary
more constantly with the TBL worksheets. In other words, the
repetition of specific words helped them with the internalization
of the new words and later, the subjects used them in sentences.
Moreover, students expressed that the tasks were dynamic and
motivating to do. Another opinion was that the used pictures
helped them to remember the target vocabulary easily.
Comparing the students’ scores on the pre-tests and post-
tests, as stated in figure 6, there was an improvement in all
six areas of the tests, especially in the writing skill section. At
the beginning of this study, the subjects scored 8.42% on the
writing pre-test, However, after using the Task-Based Learning
worksheets, the overall scores improved by 37.89% reaching
46.32%. Furthermore, 80% of the nineteen students were able
to write complete sentences (subject + verb + complement) at
the end of the study.
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DISCUSSION
A
fter the analysis and interpretation of the results of this
study, it is important that educators and policymakers
facilitate professional development in educational institutions to
ensure that teachers became aware of the effectiveness of new
strategies, techniques and learning about their implementation
in the classes. In addition, it is necessary to provide mentorship
to fellow Ecuadorian educators who wish to implement the
MI theory in their English classes. Moreover, educators and
policymakers need to be committed to creating an internet blog
where teachers from Ecuador and all around the world reflect on
and share their experiences using various teaching techniques
in the classroom. Additionally, students from the Cornelio Crespo
Toral School achieved a significant increase in their language
performance skills of 24.04%. This average is relatively low
compared to their personal appreciations of the TBL worksheets.
Nevertheless, further research needs to be carried out in order to
analyze the possible causes for this low language performance.
It is necessary for researchers concerned about the education
process to continue conducting further studies to test the
effectiveness of using TBL worksheets based on students’
predominant intelligences as a resource to improve language
skills. Finally, it is possible to replicate this study in the English
courses of the Language Institute of University of Cuenca taking
into consideration that similar studies are repeated in the future,
long-term data may increase the validity and reliability of the
results of this study. As a final consideration, it is the author’s
desire that knowledge of the MI theory and its importance to
second language acquisition be given to other educators who
are seeking new and improved teaching methods to ensure they
are offering students the best education possible.
CONCLUSIONS
T
his study concludes that accuracy in the way a student learn
and the application of appropriate materials to improve their
learning skills based on their dominant intelligences is important.
However, the task of designing suitable teaching material is not
always simple. It demands a vast knowledge of whether the
teaching material (textbook) promotes students’ differences and
motivation. A common situation often occurs when teachers
are required to use a given textbook. That is the reason why
worksheets that focus the multiple intelligences concentrate on
both, contents and creativity.
Regarding the creation of material, a second important aspect is
the need to be clear about what a task is. Using tasks in class
means giving students the opportunity to use the language in a
communicative way. Regrettably, educators tend to name any
activity as a task when, in practice, this activity prevent students
to communicate. Finally, it is important to stay up-to-date as new
practices, theories, approaches, and methodologies are developed
beacause they continually change the teaching/learning process.
It becomes necessary to be involved and immersed in this process
in order to select and use the best teaching methods for students.
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