Is English speaking skills not a measure of intelligence these days?

English is just a language and not a measure of intelligence! I get this statement from a lot of my friends. But isn't a person popular because he/she can speak English fluently? “Imagine this – a group of people at a party or in the college canteen or during a break at a water cooler – who would you agree draws the maximum attention – not the one who is quiet and just going with the crowd but the one who is able to speak fluently in English with confidence. We may or may not quite agree with what one has said – maybe, in our minds we are thinking that what’s being said is even senseless but the one who has spoken more has definitely got more ears to hear. Why we can't speak English fluently: Common problems while speaking in English It is a common observation that when one person starts speaking in English, others who don’t have the necessary material to speak in English tend to be quiet as if their mind has just become blank. Words don’t come in our mouth, we are unsure what order of words to use. We hesitate to speak because we constantly fear that what we say maybe wrong. We feel the lack of confidence, we shy away as if just hoping that the moment passes. Apart from this, we spend a lot of time trying to translate everything from Hindi to English in our mind. Speaking fluently in English So how does one start to speak English fluently? To begin with, English may not be a measure of intelligence but it surely is of confidence. English speaking skill is just like any other skill needs to be learnt from an experienced person who has thorough knowledge on the subject and of course, has the ability to transfer this knowledge in a fun and unique way to the student. The role plays and various student activities encourage students to speak in various contexts. The careful attention and constant feedback given by the instructor helps the student to work on the mistakes and over a period gain the necessary confidence to speak in English. As one continues to practise the ability to speak at length improves and response time to questions reduces, making the student fluent in the language.”

Sherin D'Souza, 1 June, 2016 (8:12 PM)