The Effect of Bilingualism on Iranian EFL Learners’ Multiple Intelligences

Journal of Teaching English Lnaguage Studies

مقاله 5، دوره 6، شماره 2، اسفند 2017، صفحه 78-92   

نویسندگان

shabnam kurosh khanshan^{* 1}؛ hassan asadollahfam²

¹English Language Department, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran

²Assistant Professor, English Language Department, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran

چکیده

There is paucity of studies particularly on the possible relationship between multilingualism and intelligence in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context of Iran in particular and all around the world in general. The current study, therefore, aimed at investigating the effect of bilingualism on Iranian EFL learners' multiple intelligences (MI) across gender. To this end, 80 EFL learners, including 20 females and 20 males in each group, from Urmia state and Azad universities participated in this study. The participants were within the age range of 18-26. Data was collected through Multiple Intelligences Profiling Questionnaire offered by Armstrong (1995) including 40 items. Results of an independent samples t-test revealed a significant effect of linguistic background on the MI profile of the participants. In other words, it was in favor of bilinguals who reported higher level of MI. In addition, findings indicated no significant effect of gender on MI. The findings are discussed in relation to effective EFL instruction especially to multi/bilinguals contexts.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Bilinguals؛ Monolinguals؛ multiple intelligences؛ Iranian EFL learners؛ gender

مراجع

Aiken, L. R. (1999). Human differences. New Jercy: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Baker, C. (2001). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilinguqlism(3rd ed.). Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters LTD.
Baum, S., Viens, J. & Statin, B. (2005). Multiple intelligences in the elementary classroom. A
teacher’s toolkit. New York: Teachers College Press.
Ben-Zeev, S. (1977). The influence of bilingualism on cognitive strategy and cognitive
development. Child Development, 48, 1009- 1018.
JOURNAL OF TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES, Vol. 6, NO. 2, Autumn 2017
87
Bialystok, E. (2003). Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacy, and Cognition.
Cambridge University Press.
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I. M., Green, W. D., & Gollan, H. T. (2009). Bilingual Minds.
Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 10(3), 89-129.
Carlson, S. M., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2008). Bilingual experience and executive functioning in
young children. Developmental Science, 11(2), 282-298.
Cenoz, J. (2009). Toward multilingual education: Basque educational research from an
international perspective. Bristol, Buffalo, Toronto: Multilingual Matters.
Clarkson, P. C. (1992). Language and mathematics: A Comparison of bilingual and
monolingual students of mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 23 (4),
417-429.
Crosby, R. & Prescod, R. (2009). Effect of bilingualism on cognitive abilities: The annals of
Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University. Faculty of Foreign Language, 48, 15-21.
Cummins, J. (1976). The influence of bilingualism on cognitive growth: A synthesis of
research findings and explanatory hypotheses. Working papers on bilingualism, 9,
1−43.
Diaz, R. M. (1985). Bilingual cognitive development: Addressing three gaps in current
research. Child Development, 56, 1376–1388.
Fayyazi, A., Sahragard, R., Roshan, B., & Zandi, B. (2013). Bilingual and monolingual
differences on self-estimates of multiple intelligences regarding gender: A study of
high school students in Iran. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied
Linguistics World, 4(4), 513-533.
Furnham, A., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2005). Estimating One’s Own and One’s Relatives’
Multiple Intelligences: A Study from Argentina. The Spanish Journal of Psychology,
8(1), 12-20.
Gardner, H. (2006). The Development and Education of the Mind. The Selected Works of
Howard Gardner. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Hakuta, K. (1990). Language and cognition in bilingual children. In A. Padilla, C. Valdez &
H. Fairchild (Eds.), Bilingual education: Issues and strategies. (pp. 47-59). Newbury
Park, California: Sage Publications.
Hakuta, K., Ferdman, B. M., & Diaz, R. M. (1986). Bilingualism and cognitive development:
Three perspectives and methodological implications. UCLA: Center for Language
Education and Research.
Hoerr, T. R. (2000). Becoming a multiple intelligences school. USA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
JOURNAL OF TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES, Vol. 6, NO. 2, Autumn 2017
88
Hutchinson, S. M. (2010). Executive Function and Bilingualism: What are the Effects of
Language Proficiency? Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Athabasca,
Canada.
Lynch, G. & Granger, R. (2008). Big brain. The origins and future of human intelligence.
USA: Palgrave Macmillan.
McLeay, H. (2003). The Relationship between Bilingualism and the Performance of Spatial
Tasks. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 6(6), 423-438.
Modarresi, Y. (2001). Aspects of sociolinguistics in Iran. International Journal of the
Sociology of Language, 148, 1-3.
Peal, E., & Lambert, W. (1962). The relation of bilingualism to intelligence. Psychological
Monographs, 76, 1-23.
Sanz, C. (2000). Bilingual Education Enhances Third Language Acquisition: Evidence from
Catalonia. Applied Psycholinguistics, 21, 23-44.
Skehan, P. (1989). Individual differences in second language learning. London: Edward
Arnold.
Tirri, K., & Nokelainen, P. (2008). Identification of Multiple Intelligences with the Multiple
Intelligence Profiling Questionnaire III. Psychology Science Quarterly, 50(2), 206-
221.
Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The diffentiated classroom. Responding to the needs of all learners.
USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
White, J. (2002). The child’s mind. USA and Canada: Routledge Falmer.