Abstract:

It is crucial to train teachers to teach English using Multiple Intelligences (MI) by providing them with the tools to carry out a teaching process that includes students´ interests, likes, and skills. However, incorporating the variety of intelligences into the teaching of vocabulary in English could bring both, positive and negative results in the learning process, in the environment, and in the interests of the students. It was identified that the topic of research is relevant, it was identified as a research problem that it is important to analyze beyond what is known now. The following article discusses in depth those aspects on which the use of MI can have an impact. Using a qualitative research approach and having as general objective analyzing the effects produced by the activities based on the MI for the teaching of vocabulary in English to the children in the preoperational stages (superior) and the concrete operational, the study was applied to a sample limited to primary school children between six and ten years old in the municipality of Villa de Álvarez, Colima, who experienced working with activities focused on the eight different intelligences. The data collection was done through three different instruments: a test to determine the predominant intelligence of each student, a researcher´s field diary, and a subjects’ survey to evaluate each activity. In addition, parental authorization for using video recording and photography was requested as evidence of the study. The treatment of the test was carried out under the Gardner´s perspective and the MI Theory. The findings of the field diary were treated under the Charmaz´s Grounded Theory. The survey provided with relevant information from kids´ voices, basically related to their perception towards the MI activities. The obtained results are somewhat surprising, since they showed that although the student´s predominant intelligence works as motor which motivates and keeps the student interested and participative, it can also be a counterproductive force that distracts the student from completing the learning process as expected.

Keywords:

Teaching-learning English, acquisition of vocabulary, Multiple Intelligences.