Beyond Gardner: A pilot case study assessing teachers’ linguistic intelligence

Drawing from the work of Van Dyne, Ang, Ng, & Koh’s (2012) cultural intelligence (CQ) and Gardner’s (1983) linguistic intelligence (LQ), the first goal of this study has been to redefine and construct four-factor linguistic intelligence—linguistic knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, valuing linguistic and cultural diversity, and linguistically responsive teaching behaviors. These four factors, situated in an LQ framework, are supported by literature on teachers’ linguistic capacity for effectively teaching ELLs. The second goal has been to explore, using a survey and an interview protocol, how teacher participants perceive their own levels of CQ and LQ. In general, the participants displayed more proficiency in CQ than in LQ. In-service teachers and grant program completers perceived higher competence in LQ and CQ than did pre-service teachers. While there appears to be overlap between both CQ and LQ, differences also appear to exist. Implications and future directions are discussed about this emerging area.