Yes , English ability is a measure of intelligence

      

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. 

Authors , script writers , journalists , TV hosts ,  English teachers , language trainers  , copywriters , bloggers  and   call center agents use their language ability  in ways that show resiliency  and solve problems .

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. 

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 !