The Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Motivational Strategies

Abstract

Among the models presented about motivation in educational setting that of Dornyei (2001) has appealed more to language teaching practitioners. Another strand of research, which falls within the realm of learner variables, is the concept of intelligence. The mode of Multiple Intelligences, put forward by Gardner (1983), has revolutionized our understanding of the traditional intelligence quotient. In this study, attempt was made to find how Iranian learners are different or similar regarding the way motivation is handled by teachers in the classroom and the probable effect of their multiple intelligences on learning English as a foreign language. The participants were 100 Iranian female English learners, who were in the final year of three-year secondary school education between 17 to 18 years of age.   The participants’ intelligence and motivational strategies information was collected through a multiple intelligences questionnaire and a motivational strategies questionnaire. It was found that verbal- linguistic intelligence was positively and significantly correlated with some motivational strategies. Furthermore, it was concluded that some specific motivational strategies were significantly preferred by the language learners.

Keywords: Motivational strategies; Intelligences; Multiple Intelligence.