Multiple intelligences theory and foreign language teaching

The foreign language teaching field has evolved into a broad assortment of vying theories and procedures, the most recent of which are oriented toward developing communicative competence in language learners by focusing on individual learner needs and interests. Foreign language textbooks have responded to the shift toward learner-centered teaching by presenting a variety of activity types in their first-year college textbooks. Yet, the question remains whether all learners can succeed in learning a foreign language in the same way. Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory is a recent theory of intelligence that seeks to explain why individual learners possess different aptitudes in different subjects.;This study evaluates foreign language instruction procedures and materials in the light of MI Theory. Ten well-known, first-year college German textbooks are analyzed to determine what kinds of activities are presented and to what extent the different activities engage multiple intelligences in learners. The study shows that the texts typically use a limited range of activity types in presenting material to students. Curricular suggestions are offered for using MI Theory as a paradigm for modifying foreign language learning activities to engage all of the intelligences in each individual during classroom instruction.