Using multiple intelligences to develop teachers of African languages and students’ initiative and creativity skills
Authors: Ramagoshi Refilwe M. 
Published: July 2024

Creative learners need creative teachers. If teachers, whether teaching in higher teacher training institutions or schools, are unable to take any content and convert it into creativity, then we have a big problem before us. While teaching methods are mostly introduced to African language teachers in English, creative teachers can develop their own strategies to make these methods work. This can lead to new methods. In South Africa, some teachers use “scripted lessons,” written by outsiders unfamiliar with the class dynamics. This approach stifles both teacher and student creativity. Poetry teaching, for example, is often relegated to basic questions like ‘Give the content of the poem in your own words.’, ‘Give examples of poetic techniques from the poem.’ and ‘Which emotions does the poem evoke in you? This paper demonstrates that African languages can be as creative as any other language. It explores the use of multiple intelligences in teaching poetry, to illustrate differentiation in cognitive levels of questioning (Bloom’s taxonomy). The mainly qualitative study uses the poem "Molagodimo" (Rainbow) by M. Seboni, applying reader-response theory for broader literary appreciation. The poem is presented through a new lens. The multiple intelligences approach can be applied to any aspect of teaching African languages, even in the teaching of idioms. Employing this method will help accommodate all different types of learners/students in the classroom. Lower, intermediate and higher order questions are used, thereby not only supporting different learning styles, but also fostering learners’/students’ initiative and creativity. Tshosobanyo Barutwana ba ba nang le boitlhamedi ba tlhoka barutabana ba ba nang le boitlhamedi. Fa barutabana, ba ba rutang kwa ditheong tse dikgolwane tsa katiso ya barutabana kgotsa kwa dikolong, ba sa kgone go tsaya diteng dingwe le dingwe tse ba di rutang mme ba di dira gore e nne tsa boitlhamedi, go bontsha fa re lebane le mathata a magolo. Bontsi jwa mekgwa le ditogamaano tsa go ruta, di tlhagisiwa mo barutabaneng ba Dipuo tsa Bantsho ka Seesimane pele. Le fa go ntse jalo, morutabana yo o nang le boitlhamedi, a ka nna a itlhamela ditogamaano tsa gagwe go dira gore mokgwa mongwe le mongwe wa go ruta o atlege fa a ruta Dipuo tsa Bantsho. Seno se ka dira gape gore go nne le mekgwa e mešwa ya tshimologo kgotsa ditogamaano fa go rutiwa Dipuo tsa Bantsho. Mo Aforika Borwa, bangwe ba ikantse “dithuto tse di kwaletsweng ruri”, e leng thuto e e kwadilweng ke mongwe yo o sa itseng gore phaposiborutelo ya gago etlhamegile ka mokgwa mang. Seno ga se kgoreletse fela dikakanyo tsa morutabana le bokgoni ba boitlhamedi, gape go senya boitshimololedi le boitlhamedi jwa barutwana/baithuti. Poko e rutiwa fela ka go botsa dipotso jaaka ‘Neela diteng tsa leboko le ka mafoko a gago.’ ‘Neela dikao tsa diponagalo tsa poko go tswa mo lebokong le,’ le ‘Leboko le, le tsosa maikutlo afe mo go wena?’ Maikaelelo a letlhatlhelelo le ke go senola ntlha ya gore Dipuo tsa Bantsho di ka nna le boitlhamedi fela jaaka dipuo tse dingwe. Go feta foo, maikaelelo a mangwe ke go dirisa matlhale a mantsi fa go rutiwa poko go bontsha mefuta ya dipotso tse di ka botswang tse di tsamaelanang le mokgwa o wa go ruta, ka mafoko a mangwe, ka nako e le nngwe go rutiwa dipotso tsa go farologanya magato a botlhale a a farologaneng (Bloom’s taxonomy). Athikele e, e dirisitse bogolo Mmeo wa Khwalitatifi. Mo kokoanyong ya dinewane, go tlhophilwe leboko la Molagodimo ka M. Seboni go tlhagolela mokgwa o tsela. Dipatlisiso tse, di ikaegile ka tiori ya dikwalwa, e leng Bolepatsibogo, e e thusang go kgatlhegela lorato lwa dikwalwa le le anameng. Leboko le, le tlaa rutiwa ka tebo e ntšhwa. Matlhale a mantsi a ka dirisiwa go ruta karolo nngwe le nngwe ya go ruta Dipuo tsa Bantsho, go akaretsa le go ruta maele tota. Tiriso ya mokgwa o fa go rutwa Dipuo tsa Bantsho, go tlaa thusa go rekegela mefuta e e farologaneng ya barutwana/baithuti mo phaposiborutelong, ka mafoko a mangwe, ba ba leng bonya, magareng le ba ba ditlhaloganyo tse di majato/ba ba tlhaloganyetsang ka pele. Dipotso tse di bonolo, tse di mo magareng le tse di marara di a dirisiwa, ka jalo ga go akaretswe fela mekgwa e e farologaneng ya go ithuta, fela go akarediwa le boitshimololedi le boitlhamedi jwa barutwana/baithuti fa go rutiwa Dipuo tsa Bantsho.