Abstract

The study aims to investigate whether there are some significant differences between males and females in Multiple Intelligences (MI), learning behavior, and English performance. Participants are 388 college students who enrolled in English classes in a private five-year college in south Taiwan, including 134 males and 254 females. The research instrument consists of a series of questionnaires dealing with students’ multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983), motivation/attitude in second language learning (Gardner & Lambert, 1985), belief about language learning (Horwitz, 1988), foreign language classroom anxiety (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986), language learning strategy (Oxford, 1990), and perceptual learning style preference (Reid,1984). In addition, two sets of General English Proficiency Test (CEF A2) were used to measure students’ English performance. The results revealed that gender differences do affect students’ MI, motivation, strategy use, and learning styles to some extent, and lead to different performance in English learning. It’s expected that the finding contributed to the EFL field by providing more understanding about students’ individual differences and help EFL teachers to be more flexible and tolerant in their curriculum design, teaching activities, and learning assessment.