Fluent in English with right grammar equivalent to intelligence?

Pasay, Philippines
August 7, 2010 12:08pm CST
Do you believe that being fluent with grammatically correct in English language can be equivalent to intelligence or being smart? Do you also have a good impression for those people who speaks in English that can use high fa-luted terms which sometimes you can't even comprehend? Do you think of them as smart or intelligent because of being fluent in English? I actually believe that English is a universal language that is important to learn in our school. It can be also important as part of our job description since there are companies that are looking for those people who can speak English fluently as required. But then in my opinion I don't believe that people are smart nor intelligent just because they can speak English fluently. Sometimes they just know how to use terms but then when you analyze the content sometimes it is senseless. I don't have good impressions right away for those people that are good in English it is just depend on the content of they are talking about.
6 people like this
40 responses
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
7 Aug 10
Let's just face it. People with good English do have an edge over those who don't. And it does follow that if you are fluent with English, it's easier to understand lessons using English as medium of instruction. But I agree with you that it doesn't mean that fluent English speakers are automatically smart. I admit I could breeze through my English exams but could truly suck when it comes to Mathematics. (except geometry. I love geometry) People should not discriminate people by fluency. I know a lot of "Ingliseras and Ingliseros" who are just as empty-headed.
4 people like this
• Pasay, Philippines
8 Aug 10
I totally like your comment there are people that are fluent in English and it happens that they are making fun of others that are "barok" (not good) in english but in reality there is something wrong with them as in BIG! you would noticed that they have so many issues in life. I don't how come some Filipinos are just using it as part of covering their shames.
@grenz07 (92)
• Philippines
7 Aug 10
Definitely not!.. They are good in english because they read a lot. That's what I observed with those who speak english fluently. Try to read an english pocket book or a dictionary everyday, then you will see it yourself how easy it is to be fluent in english. I actually have lots of classmates way back in high school and college who were really doing great in english but can't even solve a simple algebraic expression.
3 people like this
• Pasay, Philippines
8 Aug 10
definitely you made me laugh it is because you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! not only mathematics but then in other subjects they were not good to the extent that they failed. Just face it that other Filipinos are using it as part of self esteem or even cover their stupidity.
@diamania (7011)
• Netherlands
7 Aug 10
I would really like to speak fluent English but all schools i've attended gve absolutely no attention to pronunciation. Believe me if my pronunciation would I've been better my confidence with spoken and written English would have been better and I would have looked a bit smarter too! The fluency of one's English does have effect on someone's reputation.
2 people like this
• Pasay, Philippines
8 Aug 10
Thanks for the comment. By the way I would like to know more about the fluency of one's English does have effect on someone's reputation? I mean what do you mean by that? Do you reflect it on a person's personality?
• India
7 Aug 10
absolutely...language has nothing to do with intelligence,skills and calibre that cannot be measured in command over a particular language. languages do make an impact, when people are totally incapable of expressing the,selves. in those cases, even if they are intelligent, since their ideas can't be communicated, their presence looses the value. so as long as ideas are communicated, language should never matter.. but i wonder why GRE has much to do with knowledge of english than technical elements.
2 people like this
• Pasay, Philippines
8 Aug 10
Who is Gre by the way? What matters most is that we can express and explain our ideas so that people would easily get or understand our point at all. It is just being matter when you are in job especially in sales. But nevertheless if they lack English fluency then it should not be the basis to be less as a person.
• Singapore
8 Aug 10
Hi metatronik, I wouldn't link the ability for English, or any language for that matter, with intelligence, some people are just naturally more linguistic than others. I believe for non-native speakers we can master a language if we practised hard enough, it takes effort to learn new vocabulary, correct the grammar and learn the correct pronunciation.
1 person likes this
• Singapore
10 Aug 10
We speak dialect at home and we have never learnt any rules for it. We just learn how to speak it naturally while growing up. On the other hand, English is something I learnt in school and until now even though I couldn't explain its "grammatics" but studying it do help me in putting forth sophisticated ideas as the grammar has been assimilated into my system. I believe in the study you mentioned about children's ability to learn more languages when they are young. It is a way to develop their brains. Also children using all their sensory organs, including the sense of touch, will also develop better than those who just learn by only seeing and listening, i.e, using eyes and ears only.
• Netherlands
8 Aug 10
I think that the correlation is more along the lines that those who do speak English, when it is not their native language, are usually those who have a higher level of education. Let's face it: Most of us are not taught any language skills (other than those of our native tongue) at the elementary level, and if we are taught something, it's the most rudimentary form. It's not until you get into the high school ages that a second language really comes into play, and by then we've already been separated into those who will be blue collar and those who can expect to move on to college. If we are in the blue collar grouping ,we are not going to be taught any more of a language we are not expected to ever use. Therefore, many think that those who speak English must be more intelligent because they are obviously better educated. Studies have shown that children can learn up to 5 languages at once as long as they are taught in an organized manner. And children who know more than one language do much better on tests than do those who only know one language. It was once thought that that meant these children were more intelligent but lately it seems it's more that they learn to use their brains in more ways than children who are monolingual, thereby being able to "see" better when it comes to picking up information.
@diogz22 (516)
• Philippines
8 Aug 10
This is an age old question and the answer is that NO. You cannot equate intelligence with fluency of a certain language such as that of the English language. English is just a mere tool to communicate your thoughts. Same is true with the Filipino language. Languages were develop to communicate the thought of one person to be transmitted to another person. This concept is the first topic of the first English subject or communication arts subject in school. Intelligence however is the depth of knowledge an individual. It also includes how this individual uses different tools to communicate his/her thoughts including the English language. I don't find fluent English speakers to be intelligent. They might be good in the speaking aspect but still what matters to me is the content and depth.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
Exactly the point here, sometimes by the content that would be the time you give an impression to a person if that is worth or makes sense.
• Philippines
8 Aug 10
intelligence is no the depth of knowledge of an individual but a property of the mind that disposes a person to easy and quick apprehension and comprehension, abstract thinking, communication, reasoning and learning as well as problem solving. Having an aptitude for easy comprehension and use of the grammatical structure of English language adequately, SUGGESTS some level of intelligence.
1 person likes this
@bingskee (5234)
• Philippines
14 Aug 10
from Dictionary.com, intelligent means, 1. having a good understanding or a high mental capacity; quick to comprehend 2. displaying or characterized by quickness of understanding, sound thought or good judgment 3. having the faculty of reasoning or understanding in answer to your question, it could be but it could also not be equivalent to intelligence. it could be said that eloquence in the English language requires intelligence because to be able to have the command of the language and articulation requires high mental capacity, too, and quickness of understanding. but not all who are eloquent in the English language has good judgment and sound thoughts. there are many people who speak in the local vernacular who can decide and think better about issues or matters. i had an experience before with a child who had grown in a family that speaks English. one day, the child received his report card indicating a 90+ grade in English and a 75 in math. now, do we say that the child is not intelligent because he has 75 as grade in math?
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
29 Aug 10
I can say that the child can be expert in communication skills and comprehension. Though math is really different when it comes to reading stories. But then it has the same aspect that both of that subject has its analysis.
• Pamplona, Spain
24 Aug 10
Hiya metatronik, Do I believe it can make them sound smart and intelligent. Well no not really because English is my native language and I have known a few of those what we call "fancy Talkers". In my School I met up with them and just sighed a little and turned my Head to other things. Now I think all that is quite funny what I used to hear from them. The other Month I had to phone England for something official and this Woman spoke to me in English but an English I nearly had to ask her "pardon me"? She was using a kind of English language "posh" style but almost so that you could not understand a word she was saying. I just had to guess most of it. Sigh yes I have come across those ones before and I suppose I still will at some time or another but now I will find them funny.
• Pasay, Philippines
30 Aug 10
Oh! you mean the English in other countries can be different in accent as well?
• Philippines
9 Aug 10
Hi "kababayan", I'm a Filipina and I believe that intelligence is not measured by being fluent when communicating in English and also by just using a right grammar. I think people who are good in English study hard for that language. For me, intelligence is measured by too many factors; it is measured how you fared in different fields not just English language.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
That is why there is Academically intelligent that they can be knowledgable about facts or can even discovered something. Lack of fluency in English does not make you less as a person.
• United States
8 Aug 10
English should be a requirement no matter where a person lives as it is a global language that can assist with advancements. However it does not make a person more intelligent, it could perhaps make a barrier but not necessarily intelligent.
• Pasay, Philippines
9 Aug 10
Other than that it does not make others so pretty even if they are really fluent in English. It has an advantage but I don't think this give an impression to a person individually. Unless if they are at work.
• United States
9 Aug 10
Yes you are right but I always feel proud of those that try. I really get annoyed by those that do not try and act as if they can't speak the language at all, funny though pressure those people and the English lingo flows.
• Philippines
9 Aug 10
Non sequitur. If your mother tongue is English (not only when you live in English-speaking countries but also when your parents accustomed you into speaking English), then you SHOULD be fluent in English. If fluency in a language is the gauge of intelligence, then shame on those Filipinos who are not fluent in Filipino. It's not what you speak but how you speak. Do you speak with sense? Is your grammar correct? Those and many other considerations should be taken into account.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
Exactly there are many other things to consider before we judge a person.
• United States
7 Aug 10
Being fluent in English definitely does not equal and intelligent person. English has been my primary language as long as I could speak, as has it been for most of those who have surrounded me in my community, and ignorance is also rampant! I know way too many who speak before thinking, and butcher the English language DAILY. So, my answer is no, being grammatically correct in English is not the equivalent of intelligence.
• Pasay, Philippines
8 Aug 10
Thanks for the comment. I just hate it when people are thinking a bad or wrong impression with other people who lucks fluency in English. Sometimes some Filipinos here are using it to make others stupid.
• United States
9 Aug 10
Anytime! And that is understandable. I mean the English language may die out eventually anyway, considering in America, Spanish is spoken more than English is.
• Philippines
13 Sep 10
Those people who think that it is being smart or intelligent when you can speak English flawlessly are the ones who are not smart, in the very first place.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Oct 10
You are totally right, they are just using this language to overshadow their flaws.
• Philippines
13 Sep 10
Those people who think that it is being smart or intelligent when you can speak English flawlessly are the ones who are not smart, in the very first place.
• Pasay, Philippines
13 Sep 10
You are totally RIGHT there . It is either they have low self esteem or pathetic loser. Other than that they are using English to over shadow their real failure and stupidity. I really know many people that are like that.
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
8 Aug 10
To say that there was no correlation between intelligence and good English (or good use of any language) would be wrong. Intelligent people are, on the whole, able to express themselves better than many others but that doesn't mean to say that someone who can't express themselves well - especially in a language that is not their first language - is not intelligent! Intelligence (or 'smartness') is a very misunderstood thing, anyway. Language (or the ability to use it) is only one of the things by which it can be measured. The trouble is that it is often the most obvious standard, especially online, where nearly all that we can know about someone comes from how they write. If we read something online, it is perfectly natural to mentally give plus points to those people who write readably (or even impressively). We tend to lose interest very quickly in people who don't engage us by the way they write. What we often think of as 'intelligence' is actually no more than an ability to communicate and what they are actually saying may be nothing out of the ordinary. I know many artists, mathematicians, computer experts, gardeners, builders (and many more) who are brilliant in their own field yet could not pass on their knowledge to others to save their lives! I know many people, too, who have a deep and instinctive understanding of other people but are, themselves, people of few words. It is always wise not to be too hasty in judging someone's intelligence: they may just be one of the strong, silent majority.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
You are right there, sometimes the people that are not really expressive are the ones that is really intelligent and brilliant of other things that others might be surprise because of his/her ability to do such things.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
8 Aug 10
Hi Metatronik, I don't think that people who don't have good English and Grammar are lacking in intelligence but rather they just have not learned the language as well as some others. I agree that it would be wise for everyone who lives in the States or those who are working for call centers for the US to learn the language clearly and fluently. It is really very frustrating to try to communicate with people that you can't understand.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
You are right there, it is really frustrating that we can't comprehend others especially if they are using the hi-falluted words.
@visijay32 (447)
• Philippines
8 Aug 10
Absolutely and definitely not. What makes an intelligent person is not from his correct use of the English language, or any language for that matter but from what comes out from his mouth.
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
Even if the language is not english or it can be many other languages as long as it makes sense on the content of what they are talking about.
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
8 Aug 10
I think some people just have better language skills than others but it does not necessarily make them smart. As you said, words may be coming out of their mouth but they make no sense at all. The best examples are our politicians . But I think it is an important means of imparting what is on your head especially since the world is now flat. However, there are other languages like our native tongue with which to communicate, and speaking in English fluently does not make you smarter.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
Actually there was a topic in other forums if the wrong grammar turns them off in lovelife board then many of them are saying yes! as if they are smart and intelligent enough but you will realize how stupid they are when it comes to guys.
• Philippines
8 Aug 10
Metatronik. I don't think that people that can speak English fluently is intelligent nor smart. It takes practice. Here in the Philippines, school is not enough medium of learning on how to speak conversational English. I don't think you have to be really fluent in order to converse in English. I never learned conversational English at school and yet I've been getting above average scores in English Communication Exams. I would like to say thank you to those call center recruitment offices who evaluated me. I learned to converse in English first at home. Yes we speak English at home. Read books. That's is very important. No need to read the dictionary. Just make sure that you have a pocket dictionary handy while reading. Upon encountering a word that you do not know, look it up. This practice will enhance your vocabulary. Watch English/American movies. I suggest that do not try to imitate the accent. It will just make things worse and hinder your learning. Lastly, for those who are in the age of watching cartoons, watch them in English. Especially those who have cable tv at home. I hate when local channels dub those cartoons that are in English. The last suggestion is very effective at a young age. Example, my little sister is now 14 years old. When she was three, she does not speak Tagalog. She perfectly can converse in English at that age. Why? Because of watching cartoons in Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. She spoke Tagalog fluently at the age of six. If a three year old kid can, everyone can.
1 person likes this
@ildano (34)
8 Aug 10
I don't think that those who speak English fluently are intelligent or of higher level than those who are not. It doesn't mean that a person who doesn't know how to speak English isn't as intelligent to someone who is very fluent in speaking English. Although I can say that to be able to speak in English is an additional asset, but it should not be used to measure the intelligence of a person. There are even some americans who speak English but the content is very poor.
1 person likes this
• Pasay, Philippines
10 Aug 10
I like your point and as what others said that there are even Americans that has grammatical errors hence they are the once that are not good in spelling. The problem with other Filipinos here are using English to feel that they are higher level compare to other people.