Naturally
Curious: Bringing New "Intelligence" to TEYL
By
Gregory Quinlivan, ESL/TEYL teacher working in Taiwan
Urban-dwelling children today spend
much of their holidays in air-conditioned malls or playing organized sports or
computer games, and have little chance to become acquainted with nature (Hoerr,
1997). Therefore it is important to develop their "naturalist
intelligence" (NI) and help them to make sense of the world of plants and
animals. Those who teach English to children should be acutely aware of this
and consider modifying their current pedagogical practices to incorporate this
"eighth intelligence".
Howard Gardner's theory of
"multiple intelligences" (MI) has been influential in changing the
way teaching and learning is delivered in schools. In the classroom MI helps
students recognize their strengths and preferences, it gives teachers a better
understanding of learners, it provides a guide to more ways of learning and
demonstrating that learning, and it addresses all learners' needs in lesson
planning (Christison & Kennedy, 2003). Because Gardner has stated that most
people can develop all eight intelligences to a reasonable level, there is
value in nurturing them through learning activities.
Much has been written about the
first seven intelligences which were announced in 1983, but not the eighth, or
"naturalist intelligence", which Gardner (1999) added in 1996.
Despite little empirical work since, NI is a useful educational resource so clearly
demonstrated in the curiosity of very young children exploring their
environment through playing with "bugs" and getting their hands dirty
in the back yard.
While Gardner's MI theory affirms
that we all have these intelligences in differing proportions, as others have
noted, the intelligences work "in consort with one another"
(Ramos-Ford & Gardner, 1991). This means designing lessons which draw on a
number of the intelligences to encourage their balanced growth. By helping
children to develop NI, teachers will also help in developing the other
intelligences, including their linguistic intelligence.
It is important to distinguish
"multiple intelligences" from "learning styles". In fact,
each learning style may be used as a way of advancing the intelligences. So
development of the "naturalist intelligence" should be achieved
through each learner's preferred visual, auditory or kinesthetic style.
Howard Gardner has consistently
stated that intelligence is concerned with solving problems and fashioning products.
Campbell (1996) adds that NI is the ability to recognize and classify elements
(animals, plants and minerals) in an individual's environment, as well as
sensitivity to other natural phenomena, such as clouds and geographic
formations, and differences among non-living forms, such as cultural artifacts.
This ability also permits pattern recognition in urban environments, like
sorting and organizing sports playing cards and athletic shoes. Naturalists
listen, watch birds, observe patterns, classify, hike, climb, fish, dig, plant
and photograph living things, the sky, mountains, lakes and rivers (Fogarty,
1997). In the EFL/ESL classroom such skills may be used to solve language
problems, such as gap fills and jigsaws, to recognize and classify grammatical
structures, to write poems or songs using adjectives from the outdoors, and to
listen with greater sensitivity to the sounds of the language.
In validating each intelligence,
Gardner has considered eight essential factors which confirm their general applicability.
In the case of the NI, the results are listed below.
|
Figure
1.
Theoretical Basis for the "Naturalist Intelligence" (Armstrong,
1994).
|
|
|
Core Components
|
Expertise in distinguishing among
members of a species; recognizing the existence of other neighboring species;
and charting out the relations, formally or informally, among several
species.
|
|
Symbol Systems
|
Species classification systems
(e.g. Linnaeus); habitat maps.
|
|
High-End States
|
Naturalist, biologist, animal
activist (e.g. Charles Darwin, E. O. Wilson, Jane Goodall).
|
|
Neurological Systems (Primary)
|
Areas of the left parietal lobe
important for discriminating "living" from "non-living"
things.
|
|
Ways that Cultures Value
|
Folk taxonomies, herbal lore,
hunting rituals, animal spirit mythologies.
|
|
Evolutionary Origins
|
Early hunting tools reveal
understanding of other species.
|
|
Presence in Other Species
|
Hunting instinct in innumerable
species to discriminate between prey and non-prey.
|
|
Historical Factors
|
Was more important during agrarian
period; then fell out of favour during industrial expansion; now
"earth-smarts" are more important than ever to preserve endangered
ecosystems.
|
There are many reasons why using NI
activities with young learners will assist them to build their "linguistic
intelligence". It permits a theme- or task-based emphasis within an
integrated linguistic approach. A NI approach teaches topics, situations and
functions from a new perspective. Hands-on learning maximally stimulates the
five senses through lived, real-world experiences, and encourages students to
engage in authentic, meaningful communication as they discover nature. Since
the suggested tasks (in Appendix D) are motivational, students are more likely
to participate in a "free voluntary reading" (FVR) program, which is
part of Stephen Krashen's theory of ESL reading, and teachers may also explore
texts about the outdoors. Some of the recommended Internet-based activities (in
Appendix E) can build confidence and motivation in reading and writing, while
involvement with the local community may build listening and speaking skills.
When considering the inclusion of NI
in classroom activities, teachers need to explore many aspects, including what
kinds of category charts and diagrams would be most useful, how to encourage
students to describe or observe the environment, and how to relate NI to the
learning of English (Yücel, 2005). An additional aspect for review is
appropriate assessment instruments. In general, alternative assessment, such as
portfolios, displays and oral presentations, rather than summative assessment,
would be most suitable.
Topics which will nurture the
"naturalist intelligence" in primary grade students and provide a
learning focus are shown in Appendix A. Teachers of young learners may support
this development by using a number of strategies to explore these topics (see
Appendix B). Although excursions to natural settings are the most desirable
option, this may not be practical, particularly in urban classrooms, due to
cost, distance and potential risk of injury. Nevertheless many strategies
listed can be safely undertaken indoors with or without modification. Teachers
may also consider using a variety of technologies (see Appendix C) to stimulate
this intelligence.
The number of activities available
to develop NI is considerable. This paper briefly outlines selected items and
two lesson ideas. Interested readers should explore these and others further
through the resource sites listed below. Teachers of young learners should also
consider the language level and physical requirements of activities when
developing lessons and units of work using the activities suggested in Appendix
D.
The reader may consult the organizations
and links shown in Appendix E to access more details about some of the
strategies mentioned and other resources suited to teaching young learners.
Examples here include fact sheets, instructions on starting a butterfly house,
virtual field trips and dissection, games, and computer-based projects, all of
which may be used in the classroom.
Two recent books with a focus on ELT
and MI in the classroom by Berman (1998, 2001) are also valuable to teachers of
young learners.
One simple classroom activity
requires the use of atlases and computers to determine the biodiversity level
of all countries around the world. Students access the site at http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/worldmap/, and analyze the colors, from blue (with the least
biodiversity) to red (with the most). The atlases provide the country names,
which can also be learned as a vocabulary exercise. Students simply complete a
table with columns for each color. Discussion could include the reasons for
these results, any surprises, and what can be done to increase biodiversity.
Another activity involves growing
alfalfa sprouts. It only requires some seeds, a glass jar and a stocking. After
soaking the seeds overnight, the water is drained, and the seeds are rinsed
daily with clean water. After about five days they start sprouting. The next
step is to spread them in the light briefly and then they may be eaten.
Students can run the experiment in groups, note each day's changes and growth,
eat each group's products and vote on the tastiest. More advanced students can
suggest how to get the best results. Full details and photos may be found at http://www.backyardnature.net/simple/alf-spr.htm.
Teachers currently incorporating a
"multiple intelligences" approach and those looking for fresh ideas
should carefully examine the NI since most schools do not currently include it
in their language curricula. Activities that promote the NI provide a great
motivational force for young language learners, and many of the skills
developed support their growing linguistic intelligence. NI also stimulates a
different part of students' brains while learning a new language.
Report
Urban-dwelling
children today spend much of their holidays in air-conditioned malls or playing
organized sports or computer games, and have little chance to become acquainted
with nature (Hoerr, 1997). Howard Gardner's theory of "multiple
intelligences" (MI) has been influential in changing the way teaching and
learning is delivered in schools. In the classroom MI helps students recognize
their strengths and preferences, it gives teachers a better understanding of
learners, it provides a guide to more ways of learning and demonstrating that
learning, and it addresses all learners' needs in lesson planning (Christison
& Kennedy, 2003). Because Gardner has stated that most people can develop
all eight intelligences to a reasonable level, there is value in nurturing them
through learning activities.
Development
of the "naturalist intelligence" should be achieved through each
learner's preferred visual, auditory or kinesthetic style. In the EFL/ESL
classroom such skills may be used to solve language problems, such as gap fills
and jigsaws, to recognize and classify grammatical structures, to write poems
or songs using adjectives from the outdoors, and to listen with greater
sensitivity to the sounds of the language.
"Multiple
intelligences" approach and those looking for fresh ideas should carefully
examine the NI since most schools do not currently include it in their language
curricula. Activities that promote the NI provide a great motivational force
for young language learners, and many of the skills developed support their
growing linguistic intelligence. NI also stimulates a different part of
students' brains while learning a new language.
