Exploring Affective Variables in the EFL Classroom: An Educational Proposal for the Development of the Personal and Emotional Intelligences through Dramatical Interpretations

Abstract

With the birth of and growing interest in the term intelligence researchers of the educational world began to question in which ways could individuals express understanding. The changes undergone by this concept will be analysed in the first section of this thesis in order to account for the appearance of the personal and emotional intelligences. As affective elements began to be integrated in the intelligence construct, Howard Gardner [1983] and Salovey & Mayer [1990] created the two personal intelligences – interpersonal and intrapersonal – and the emotional intelligence respectively. The main theoretical focus of this dissertation will lay on the second section which will be devoted to the analysis of the importance of exploring and reinforcing affective variables in the EFL classroom and will analyse the three targeted intelligences separately and in more depth. Finally, this study will expose an educational proposal designed for an EFL class with the aim to develop and strengthen students' interpersonal, intrapersonal and emotional intelligences through dramatical interpretations.