Offensive and myopic .
This is how I describe the statement : “
English is just a language ... not a measure of intelligence.”
It seems we need to brush up a little on psychology. Firstly , let’s tackle the definition of “ intelligence”.
Actually , experts offer various definitions of the term. However , we will find three recurring points : the ability to solve problems , the ability to adapt to situations
and the ability to create a product that will be useful in a
certain culture . Secondly , for about thirty years now , the theory of
multiple intelligences ( MI ) has been accepted ( though not without counter- arguments ) in the fields of psychology and education.
According to Dr. Howard Gardner , a
renowned developmental psychologist and a Harvard University professor , there are
nine types of intelligence and one of them is verbal-linguistic , under which English ability falls. Verbal-linguistic intelligence refers to the
ability to understand the complexities
of a language ( its grammar , vocabulary
, sound system and other aspects ) and
to use that understanding to communicate well and eventually, to achieve a goal.
If a student was able to get a high grade in an English class because he
participated well in the discussion , or because he wrote good
essays , isn’t that achieving a
goal ? If a licensed Filipino nurse is able to get the required score in the IELTS or TOEFL , and if because of that , she is able to work in the
US or UK , isn’t she solving a problem
--- the problem of poverty ? If a new graduate , knowing that the odds are
stacked against him because of his lack
of work experience , uses his English
fluency to impress the interviewers , and then gets the job --- isn’t that adapting to the situation and solving his
unemployment problem ? Based on the definitions given by experts , these examples show the application of intelligence.
It takes intelligence to write a story ( that's a product ) that will make people think. It takes intelligence to create a brilliant tag line that will ignite the consumers’ desire for a certain merchandise . It takes intelligence to deliver a stinging rebuttal in a debate . It takes intelligence to explain a Shakespearean poem to a bunch of high school kids. It takes intelligence to be able to say what is exactly in your heart .
Millions of people around the word have
food on their table because someone in
their family knows English. Debts are
paid because a smooth-talking salesman managed to close a deal . An unknown,
rejected author rises to fame
for writing Harry Potter .
Valuable information is being spread
around the world by passionate bloggers . Dying cities in the Philippines and India are brought back to life by the business
process outsourcing industry that
demands English-smart people .
Great
people in history had or have used their
linguistic gifts to achieve noble
goals. Mohandas Gandhi used this skill to liberate his native
country India from colonial bondage , and to tell
the world about the power of non-violent struggles . Nigerian
writer Chinua Achebe brought to the fore the clashes between African culture and European culture through
his English novels . Filipino writer Francisco Sionil Jose
wrote an English trilogy where he eloquently
chronicled the struggles of his
countrymen across generations .
Pakistani Malala Yousafzai , 2014 Nobel Laureate at the age of 17 ---- the youngest ever to receive the award
--- continues to draw
the world’s attention to the plight of many Muslim girls who are deprived of education because
of poverty and terrorism . Nowadays , she gives speeches to a lot of Western audience and solicits support for her cause . Her English
ability , of course , comes in handy .
If properly used , English can be a survival tool and an agent of social change . It is not " just a language".
The ability to communicate well in English is a nurtured gift . Even among native speakers , excellence
in English is not that common . How many Americans can write like Ernest
Hemingway and speak like Martin Luther King Jr., or Joel Osteen, or Dr. Phil MacGraw ? How
many struggling British writers
can equal J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of
the Rings ? How many Canadians can speak like the current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ?
Many of them can’t. Most of them can’t .
It’s because above- par
linguistic expression does not come
naturally .Whether in a second language
setting or native language surrounding , superb verbal-linguistic intelligence requires the development of natural potential through long hours of conscious effort to improve .
There are many geniuses in math and science , but why is Albert Einstein so beloved ? Because he is linguistically endowed as well , and he explained difficult theories in ways that lay people can understand. Einstein himself was quoted as saying " you are not smart if you can not explain complex concepts in clear , simple language". Thus , Einstein himself believed that the ability to use language well is an indication of smartness.
English is not an exact science . It is an irrational and treacherous playing field . It is a bloody fighting arena where the rules are laid out but are ignored eighty percent of the time. People who can maneuver around this language have some gray matter in their heads.
There are many geniuses in math and science , but why is Albert Einstein so beloved ? Because he is linguistically endowed as well , and he explained difficult theories in ways that lay people can understand. Einstein himself was quoted as saying " you are not smart if you can not explain complex concepts in clear , simple language". Thus , Einstein himself believed that the ability to use language well is an indication of smartness.
English is not an exact science . It is an irrational and treacherous playing field . It is a bloody fighting arena where the rules are laid out but are ignored eighty percent of the time. People who can maneuver around this language have some gray matter in their heads.
To insist that English is not a measure of intelligence is , in a way , to disrespect the efforts of Gandhi , Sionil Jose , Achebe , Malala , Osteen , Hemingway , Tolkien and other people --- whether famous or anonymous , whether native speakers or second language users --- who devoted countless hours in developing this ability and using it to improve their lives or the lives of others.
"English is not a measure of intelligence ." Where does this insulting statement come from ? Let me guess.
Some people have this “ exclusive ” view of intelligence.
To them , intelligence is manifested only in two domains --- math and science. These are
indeed difficult territories not many can access . People who excel in
these fields are smart . Accountants , engineers , doctors, scientists ---yes , they deserve praises and compliments . However , we should not tolerate them when
they publicly underestimate other people’s
ability and careers . They --- or rather ,
all of us actually ---should keep our biases to ourselves .
On the other hand , some people are just like the fox in Aesop’s fable. “If you can’t get it , trash it.” mentality . Some people can never learn the difference between “ your and you’re” , or “ they’re
and their ”. Despite efforts ,
some people can not develop the spontaneity needed in conversational English , or the competence to write an essay . So , they shrug their shoulders,
walk away and say “ What the heck ! It’s
just a language . Not a measure of intelligence.” Sour grapes , anyone ?
Here is another reason . Many of us have
had unfortunate encounters with conceited
English-smart people. These people flaunt
their English skills to attract
attention , to throw their weight
around or to shame other people . We have seen that many times , and that’s
really annoying , if not disgusting ! Nobody
likes that . But that’s another issue . The arrogance of some English-smart
people does not validate the claim that “English is not a measure of
intelligence.” Arrogance and intelligence are two separate issues.
Stop saying that English ability is not a
measure of intelligence . IT IS .
But we have to emphasize : English is NOT THE ONLY measure of intelligence . As Dr. Howard
Gardner has espoused , there are nine different types of intelligence. We
have already mentioned verbal-linguistic. The rest are logical-mathematical , bodily-kinesthetic , visual-spatial ,
musical-rhythmic , naturalist , intrapersonal , interpersonal and existential. Most of us possess several types of intelligence , but usually , there is
one type where we excel the most.
We should celebrate , not underestimate ,
what others can do. Every person is
intelligent in his own way . We complete
each other . We need people like John Cena to show us
the extent of physical power
, but we also need people like The Beatles to , as they say , tame the
savage beast in us . We need people like Thomas Edison and Albert
Einstein to make strides in technology ,
but we also need people like William Shakespeare and Nicholas Sparks to make
us swoon . Imagine how dull
this world would be without Romeo and Juliet and The Notebook !
