English is not a Measure of Intelligence

The ability to express yourself and to speak fluently whether in speech or writing is just a matter of a life skill. Languages built one’s personality and boost confidence and help in communication. The English not a measure of intelligence or judgement about any individual’s ability. You might have observed in press conferences or public speaking that people are staying quiet, not because they can’t speak or express themselves but, because of fear and judgment as they don’t have a good command of English and feel a little hesitant to engage in communication.

Many countries today look at the ability to read, write, and speak English as a first-class indicator of intelligence and capability. However, the ones who flawlessly communicate in English are stereotypically considered more educated, more cultured, and more intellectual as compared to those who face problems with the language. But English proficiency not equal to intelligence

English's supreme status as both the language used in business and in academic, scientific, and popular cultural discourse implies that this belief indeed holds a lot of water.

Nonetheless, it is definitely not true to say that being fluent in English is a direct proxy for mental abilities. Regardless of the language a person speaks, be it English or another language, we must consider that their IQ, cognitive talents, or problem-solving abilities cannot be accurately or fairly measured by their language proficiency. In fact, such linguistic prejudice and downgrading people’s IQ by those who are not able to speak English could be two side effects of using the English language as the main criterion of IQ.

The main purpose of this article is to elaborate on the various factors that should not be considered when deciding on a person's intelligence quotient (IQ). This article will be explicitly focused on the increase of English as a world language, a refined way of measuring IQ, and the perils associated with focusing too much on the ability to speak a particular language.

Why English is not a measure of intelligence?

In today’s World, we use English to measure one’s intelligence. We must understand the fact that English is just a language and not a means to measure one’s intelligence or education. If some people want to learn some things in their language we cannot decipher their knowledge just because they do not know English. Not all people who have a good command of the English language are less educated or intelligent.

Foreign countries like Japan, where English is not the first language may find it hard to speak it fluently but that doesn’t mean that they are less educated.

In our country, if we find someone speaking English we simply make a perception of that person that he/she might belong to a rich and sophisticated family and must be attending a university school. Traditional people are the most educated as they have got a good amount of knowledge and experience yet they keep on trying and learning in their regional language, but we tend to say they are ‘Un-educated’ just because they don’t know English and it’s a misconception that we have built in the society.

Indians Discriminate on the Basis of Fluency in English

Nobody has ever got a right to discriminate or belittle you by saying that you are not good at something just because you are not proficient in English. However, people should never stop learning new things and must understand the need for the skill to relate it with personal and professional needs but if you are doing it that is enough. You must understand your worth and you are no less than others.

Learning a language is a never-ending process. Try to read good books and join coaching for your benefit. Positively grasp this process and don’t feel ashamed of it.
Remember, you are not incapable, unfit, or under-qualified just because you don’t speak English. No language could ever measure your literacy level or intelligence.

Why We Indians Give Much Importance to English

We just blindly ape the west. And we are easily impressed by anything that originates from the west even if it is not making any sense. For example:
• We adopted their fast food culture and now have uninvited guests with diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, and obesity.
• We emulated their Ice Bucket Challenge; whereas most parts of India were facing water scarcity.
• We got engaged in the dangerous Kiki challenge despite knowing about the heavy traffic situation.
• We copied their drinking and pub culture and now the youth is obsessed with alcohol and drugs.

Basically, we are proud owners of the slave mentality where we consider the whites are superior to us. As a result, we also copy their dress code, music, food, festivals, and more.

This lack of confidence is also reflected in the negligence of the native languages. We feel ashamed to speak our mother tongue.

We flaunt our flawless English speaking skills even after the other person is speaking in his/her native language.

Also, we have made English speaking to judge a person’s education, intelligence, and even their financial status!

English Is Not a Measure of Intelligence or Education
We Indians believe that knowing the English language is the only sign of being intelligent or educated. But this is not the truth.

Learning a language is merely a part of education but not education itself. You can read, write and speak in your native language and still be educated and intelligent.

In fact, according to research by UNESCO; children who begin their education in their mother tongue make a better start and do better. It is a proven fact that children learn most effectively in their mother tongue.

Knowing the language may give you better job opportunities but it is not necessary that it make you a better human being.

Morality and humanity will always be language-independent
If an engineer, sportsman, politician, or any person of a different field can communicate in his native language and is good at his job, then he/she is intelligent. Speaking English does not measure their intelligence or education.

English: What Makes It Relevant?

It is a sophisticated interplay of historic, political, and economic circumstances that causes the popularity of English to be important. The process that led to the current English position as the top language in the world was the increase in influence of the British Empire throughout the 17th and 20th centuries and the rise of the US as a global power in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The British colonial empire undoubtedly officially adopted English and spread it to India, the Caribbean, and Africa. Another means of cultural domination and control by language was imperialism.

Many countries where the United Kingdom used to be the colonial power still widely speak English as their official language, business language, and language of education, even after the process of decolonization was complete.

After WWII, the USA became the de facto leader in world economic and military leadership, which ensured that English became the de facto world language. The translation of the American language, culture, media, and commerce to the global sphere was a catalyst for the propagation of the English language. This tendency has been accelerated by the technology explosion and the Internet, where the English language has dominated.

At the moment, there are approximately 1.5 billion people on earth who speak this language as their mode of communication. It is the official or de facto language in more than 60 countries.

For many people, the English language is considered a must-have skill in the age of the globalized world, which includes people who are not native speakers. However, it's crucial to remember that proficiency in English is not a measure of intelligence. Intelligence comes in various forms, and language proficiency is just one aspect.

The English Language's Presence and Influence

Identifying how English has gradually gained the unofficial status of a yardstick for intelligence and efficiency is trickier than exposing the factors responsible for the language’s gradual global dominance. undefined

The lingering influence of British colonisation leads many to consider the language of the privileged and of the educated as the English language. This impression is deeply rooted in linguistic imperialism and the legacy of colonialism. This very notion of colonisers as superiors and the colonists being relegated exists in today's post-colonial era as well.

One prospect is that socioeconomic possibilities, education, and employment, as well as global resources, are common cases for individuals who can speak English fluently, particularly for people who are not from English-speaking countries. This goes in tandem with the argument that those who have good command over English are considered to be members of the privileged class and the ones who are more intelligent.

The GRE, SAT, and ACT are standardised examinations that require good English proficiency. This leads to the prejudice of average intelligence, and the success of such a test heavily depends on the fluency of the English language.

Living in a country where English predominates, a non-English speaker inevitably faces prejudice, which is now a kind of system. This implies that competence in English is a crucial factor at the intellectual level and may result in discrimination in the professional sphere, education, and interpersonal relationships.

Many people around the globe do not recognise or appreciate the wide range of languages and cultures there are outside the English-speaking world. The fact that this is a cultural blind spot makes the problem of thinking that only people who know English well can be considered intelligent even worse. But we well know that English is not a measure of intelligence.

What Are the Best Ways to Evaluate IQ?

Intelligence evaluation in the context of cognitive science and psychology remains as detached and heated as ever. Achievement tests, which have been around for a long time, try to measure specific cognitive abilities, namely reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and language skills, in order to indicate what an individual's intelligence quotient (IQ) is. Among them, the one that can be considered the most well-recognised is the IQ (intelligence quotient).

Though it does not happen all the time, necessarily, IQ tests as a whole have gained ill repute for their validity and reliability issues. Experts are in view of justifying this notion as a one-point figure that cannot reflect everything on intelligence as it embodies more cognitive and emotional capabilities in addition to social capabilities.

Modern theories of intelligence account for its multifaceted nature by stating that it includes: Intelligence, particularly in the areas of language, logic, number, visual perception, and bodily kinaesthetic ones.

The four types of intelligence are as follows: emotional, social, mental, and naturalistic experience.

The outcome of educational level, the level of monetary resources, cultural background, and the life events that people experience are unquestionably one of the key factors responsible for how a person performs on such exams.

Therefore, the act leads experts to tend to defy the applicability of current IQ tests, which are more restricted, contextually independent, and multifaceted, and focus rather on the mental potential of every individual. This is why English is not a measure of intelligence.

Why Do We Use English as A Scale to Measure Intelligence?

However, the main problem that still exists is that English is mostly used as a tool instead of a first-hand means to measure cognitive abilities and intellectual worth.

The roots of this development may be traced back to the historical and economic backgrounds that have stimulated English to become the dominant language of communication. As mentioned, English has evolved to be the language of power, prestige, and opportunity for the United States as a superpower nation and the legacy of British colonialism.

Many professions globally do not move forward without English fluency, especially in emerging countries and countries that have been British colonies. Regarding higher education, job opportunities, and other economic areas, English-designed exams that focus on English language skills rule as gatekeepers.

Apart from the media, popular culture, and the available narratives that already put English-based intellectuals and success on a pedestal, this attitude also exacerbates the habit of looking down on other languages and cultures. There are individuals who struggle more than others with speaking English, and those who do tend to be considered less qualified or incompetent in general.

The Case Against Using English as a Proxy for Intelligence

It is a harmful and wrong view to consider languages as the key indicators of intelligence because:

• Intelligence and fluency in a language are different: Mastering a language, such as English, is typically more of an issue of exposure, lessons, and practice. A person's general intelligence, creative thinking ability, and problem-solving skills are not an accurate reflection of them.
• Linguistic Variety and Multilingualism: the majority of the highly intelligent and successful people on the globe can, in many cases, speak two or more languages perfectly. The significance and psychological benefits of being bilingual ought to also be recognised.
• Societal and Cultural Biases: Those from non-English origins are denied access to educational opportunities, and prejudice towards them is strengthened when some people consider only the English language to be the best medium of instruction.
• Narrow Assessment of Intelligence: Unlikewise, thinking we let only one language skill determine our IQ is simple, and consequently, we make a tiny judgment. A systematic, wide-angle, context-sensitivity approach is important to use appraisal not only as intellectual capability.
• Potential and Lost Chances: If English language and fluency are the only assessments, then that might be a hideous mistake on the part of the testers because maybe we are missing out on other strengths the test takers have that are not being tested in the English tests.

This demonstrates as to why English is not a measure of intelligence.

True Education Makes You Humble
You must have seen people passing comments on an individual for speaking improper English. Be it social media trolling or real-life humiliation, people bully a person who commits grammatical mistakes.

We, have to be more empathetic towards one another. We are human beings and not crab in a bucket.

Knowing a language is a skill. And if you are better than somebody else at that, then be humble and learn to patiently correct them and teach them. Don’t harass or bully them.

The Conclusion

Despite the wide spread of the belief that intellectual capacity can be determined by which one excels in learning and speaking the English language, this is wrong and harmful thinking. In fact, as opposed to being a sign of cognitive native (sic) birth, the English language only occupies the world stage because of complex historical, political, and economic reasons.

The mere capacity to speak different languages by being fluent in them is only one small aspect of what real intelligence should be about. A more egalitarian, fairer, and less culturally biassed interpretation of human potential can be built on the acknowledgment of English as one of the partial IQ measurement tools.

Eventually, it will be your brainpower, your knowledge, and your qualifications rather than your knowledge of the English language that will help you get access to the top positions and opportunities.

A custom-made approach to utilising hidden intellectual abilities from people belonging to different ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and languages could comprise the use of linguistic diversity, reaching out to communities, and adopting a multi-dimensional method of evaluating intellect.

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