If you are from non-English speaking countries or countries with their own national languages, you are likely to wonder if your peer who is fluent in English is more intelligent than someone who does not speak English. In general, is being highly proficient in the English language equates to a higher intelligence? This question is what we are going to attempt to answer in this article — showing you the correlation between one’s ability to speak in English and his or her intellect.
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English as the Universal Language
The idea of English as a universal language or lingua franca started with the colonisation of the British Empire in the 18th century. They influenced their colonies in using English as a mode of international communication. These colonies include some territories from the continents of North America, Africa, and Australasia. Since then, the use of the language has spread faster worldwide, partly due to the United States’ emerging dominance in the 20th century.
Over the years, English was accepted as the global language as the number of English speakers, even in non-English speaking countries, is growing. As of March 2021, there are about 1.35 billion people in the world that can speak English — out of 7.9 billion people. This number is just expected to grow as people around the globe give importance to the idea of having a common language that you can use to communicate with other people from different countries. It seems like English is one of the factors that bind every country of the world together.
There are now 142 countries where the English subject is a mandatory part of their general education, while additional 41 countries consider it optional. It means that most students of these countries receive basic knowledge about the technicalities of the English language.
Is English a measure of intellect?
Now that we have an overview of how widely used the English language is from a global standpoint, we now try to answer our main question: Is being fluent in the English language equates to being intelligent?
In South Korea, for example, according to a 2014 survey, only 10% of the Korean population can speak fluent English. This number is minuscule when you compare it to the 58.2% of the Philippines’ population that are English speakers — not to mention that the Philippines’ population is twice that of South Korea. So, does this mean that the Filipino people are far more intelligent than South Koreans? And just because most Americans are native English speakers, does it mean that they are smarter than people who are from non-English speaking countries? The obvious answer to both of these questions is no.
However, one may say that the ability of non-native English speakers, or those who learned English as a secondary language, to speak the language, correlate with their level of intelligence. This assumption was supported by a dissertation from the University of Denver. Then student Emily Kathleen Coggin studied for her doctoral dissertation the existence of a relationship between the English language proficiency and the general intellectual ability of English language learners. English language learner or ELL is a term used to describe a student in the U.S. that is a non-native English speaker but is currently learning the language.
Coggin used the students’ test results from ACCESS for ELLs and NNAT Non-Verbal Ability Test, which are meant to measure language proficiency and general intellectual ability, respectively, as the basis of the entire research. The study showed that there is indeed a positive relationship between the two, however weak. She stated that ELLs become more proficient in the English language, their score in the NNAT Non-Verbal Ability Test increases. “This finding confirms that language should be valued as a characteristic of giftedness,” Coggins said. This study is among the hundreds of research that attempt to figure out how a person’s language proficiency equates to intelligence.
In conclusion, we can say that being fluent in English does not automatically mean that you are more intelligent than those who cannot speak the language. It is because several different methods measure a person’s intelligence, and proficiency in the English language or any other languages for that matter is only one of them. We can assume that the fanaticism in the idea that if you speak English fluently, you are more intelligent than those who do not was rooted in another idea that English-speaking countries, the United States and the United Kingdom, are powerful. For us to keep up, we must be able to speak their language and communicate to their level. We also believe that being able to speak the English language means more global opportunities.
How can I become proficient in English?
Of course, to be proficient in English, you have to make the means to learn it. Following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as a standard, there are six levels of language proficiency: A1 (Beginner), A2 (Elementary). B1 (Intermediate), B2 (Upper Intermediate), C1 (Advanced), and C2 (Proficient). According to studies, you have to spend at least 120 hours at each level for your proficiency to be enough for the next one. So, in theory, you have to spend at least 720 hours to achieve the highest English proficiency.
Although most of us have English subjects in school, the best way to learn to speak the language is through online tutoring platforms. These firms employ thousands of native-English speakers who are proficient enough to teach other people with different proficiency levels.
Enrol in an online English tutoring platform
In an online English tutoring platform, you get to have one-on-one English classes with a tutor. Preply, a platform that has been in the industry for more than a decade, allows students to choose their own tutor based on their preference and budget. The tutors’ fees depend on how long they have been in the service and their level of proficiency and credibility in teaching. Preply english tutors are more than qualified to teach you as they undergo a series of training. Preply also offers classes in different languages like Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and a lot more.
Whether you already speak fluent English or just starting to learn how to, remember that this ability is not the only way to measure one’s intelligence. Whatever reason you have in learning it, the most important thing is that you enjoy the process and use the ability to advance yourself in society positively. Use this opportunity as an inspiration to never stop learning and achieving new skills.
