Undergratuates’ English Essay Writing Skill Development Through Interpersonal Intelligence Based Lessons

Abstract

Interpersonal intelligence is one of Howard Gardner’s nine multiple intelligences which relates to how skillful an individual learner is in understanding and dealing with other learners in language learning activities such as group discussions, panel interviews, group projects and surveys. This study aimed at exploring the benefits of Interpersonal intelligence-based activities versus the traditional lecture method in developing English essay writing skills of a group of second-year law undergraduates (n=64), randomly divided into the experimental and control group. The data collection was conducted employing a pre and post-test design, interviews conducted with the students in the experimental group and classroom observations of both the groups. A pre-test was conducted to measure the students’ existing proficiency in English essay writing skills. The experimental group was instructed using Interpersonal intelligence based activities while the control group was instructed using traditional lecture method to let them develop English essay writing skills. The statistical analysis of the experimental group students’ pre and post-test scores showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the pre-test and the post-test than the mean difference of the students in the control group. The findings show that the Interpersonal intelligence based teaching is more effective in developing English essay writing skills than the traditional method. The participants of the experimental group responded to the Interpersonal intelligence based activities more positively. This study suggests that using Interpersonal intelligence based techniques stimulate thinking ability, which enhances students’ performance in essay writing. In that regard, Interpersonal intelligence based activities are beneficial and can be easily applied in the English language classrooms in which students are less motivated.