Scattered Pieces: Stranger's Point of View

Entry No. 10: English: A Basis of Intelligence?

We have been romanticizing the idea that learning the English language, particularly its grammar rules is necessary because it is a matter that we should know to communicate with others globally, thus, it resulted in a hasty generalization that English is a basis of intelligence.

English is a language. Speaking in straight fluent English, with the right subject and verb agreement is a skill; a skill that doesn't happen in a snap of a finger. It requires continuous practice for us to improve our English communication skills. Filipinos have a colonial mentality that speaking in English with good enunciation makes a certain person intelligent.

When someone is knowledgeable about grammar rules, others brand him as the "Grammar Nazi." If somebody uses hifalutin words in writing or often makes use of unfamiliar words, he or she is dubbed as the "Walking Dictionary." Once a person speaks fluently in English without stutters and fillers, others think that he or she might be bright or smart, without thinking twice that English is a language, never the basis of intelligence.

Basically, people are fond of putting labels. We love putting brands to things so that we can judge who or what is better; who will be put in the pedestal in terms of human brainpower or aptitude. These labels or brands boost our egos and self-esteem. It makes us more confident; however, it can also make us narcissistic that we think highly of ourselves just because we are more knowledgeable than others in the English language.

Remember, being intelligent is not limited to being skilled in English. Intelligence is about being skeptical, analytic, and logical. There are eight Multiple Intelligences according to Howard Garder, and Verbal-linguistic is just one of those; there are 7 more to talk about.

Do not be blinded by the colonial mentality that when you are not good in English, you are not smart anymore or you cannot be globally competitive. Maybe, Linguistic is not your line. Think about it. There is other intelligence that you might be excellent with. If not in Language, maybe in Logic, Music, Kinesthetic, Arts, Visual, and many more.