Linguistic Intelligence

By Eduardo Echavarri

Linguistic intelligence is the ability to think in words and use language to understand, express and appreciate complex meanings.

Characteristics of the Linguistic intelligence:

Verbal-linguistic intelligence has four components: speaking, listening to learn, read and write.

How can we distinguish people who are prone to develop this kind of intelligence more than expected and conventional?

Mention some of these traits observable on the students

• Listen carefully and skillfully respond to sound, rhythm and variety of the spoken word.
• Since early imitates the sounds and the speech of the people around them.
• Learn to read and write with relative ease.
• Create original works through written and oral communication.

The emphasis is on listening, speaking, reading and writing "to learn", showing here some examples of such quarter.

Listen to learn:

Listening and reading aloud is one of the most effective ways to train this ability, listen to stories and tales is the taste of virtually all children. This later work, which should preferably be done in a playful way, it helps to try to retain and process what is heard.

Listening also motivational poetry is a resource if it is chosen appropriately to the age and interest of a person.


Talking to learn: Talk is the ability to express himself properly should be encouraged in each and every one of the people.

Debate in class:
The classroom is the ideal place to foster this capacity since the new pedagogical tendencies postulate a horizontal communication model which give opportunity for expression and permits the exchange of views.
The child as a narrator.
The narrative is a form of linguistic communication which can be promoted in the classroom and at home course

• Read and write: Reading is one of the most rewarding activities that many adults can grow.

Some of the above activities such as debate, storytelling and interviews, are suitable means to do readings.

The dramatizations are very useful to induce subjects that require research in books, the secret is to touch issues related to the interests and hobbies by age of children, also the use of mass media, in this sense the interest among young children on television, video games, movies and the Internet should be a pretext to induce linguistic activities.

The "invented language" can be a great encouragement for children who have aversion to the "official word", so you are asked to make a sentence by inventing new words and then try to translate, which can exercise their creativity and be a great encouragement to think and say all sorts of things.

Howard Gardner proposes that it should be clear that within this theoretical proposal of multiple intelligences, not only should discover the adults and children who have these capabilities, but also those who have difficulties in varying degrees, as they can support to such excess and improve their performance.