The role of multiple intelligences (MI) in listening proficiency

• Main Author: Mahdavy, Babak
• Format: Book Section
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Communication and Modern Languages, Universiti Utara Malaysia 2007
• Subjects: LB Theory and practice of education; PE English
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/3252/1/Ba1.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/3252/; http://staf.uum.edu.my/tleia2/

Not many studies have so far quantitatively investigated the role of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in language teaching and almost no research has explored the role of MI in listening proficiency. In this study, the role of MI was investigated by giving one hundred and fifty-one junior and senior English language students an actual TOEFL listening comprehension test and a Multiple Intelligences Development Assessment Scales (MIDAS) questionnaire. The results suggest that, although all the intelligences positively correlate with performance on TOEFL listening comprehension, only linguistic intelligence has a statistically significant but low correlation with TOEFL listening. Furthermore, the results of regression analysis indicate that linguistic intelligence is included as a predictor of listening proficiency while other intelligences are excluded. The results provide quantitative data that, except for linguistic intelligence that has a small role, other intelligences do not make any contribution to performance in listening proficiency and learners with different intelligences have equal chances and only those with low linguistic intelligence need more help.