Intelligence

[Ramin Akbari]

Dear Funknetters,
The concept of intelligence,as most of you have indicated,is a vague one
which needs a more careful scrutiny.It is no doubt a culture-bound
concept which has been widely misused since its introduction into the
academic community.However,I am sure that no one denies the existence of
intelligence.Certainly,you have come across people who can learn better and
faster than others;people who can prosper better than the others in
identical social and academic situations.The opposition to the use of the
term stems from two problems:First,intelligence has different
definitions(problem solving ability;the ability to think in abstract
terms;the ability to adapt to one's environment;...)and different
models(e.g.,Sternbreg's three-component model,Gardner's multiple
intelligences model,and Horn's two-level or component model...).The second
problem is that the term has got some racist and political overtones.It
smacks of segregation,discrimination,and injustice.However,these problems
should not deter us to investigate the concept and find its relationship
with other variables.We have theoretical controversies in many other
ares.Take language proficiency as an example.In the literature related to
language assessment and testing,there is an ongoing controversy over the
structure the of the concept;some people say it is unitary,while others
claim that it is divisible.And regarding the racial connotations of the
term intelligence,the solution is not branding it as taboo and
discouraging its investigation.In spite of the quest for universalism in
philosophy and politics,we must not ignore or blurr individual differences.
Instead,we must teach the society to value and respect the differences.
My main purpose in my study is to find the relationship between intelligence
and language acquisition.There are many differences in the way people learn
and store a language,whether first or second,and I guess one of the factors
is intelligence.
I look forward to receiving your comments.
P.S.Will you please send me some web addresses dealing with intelligence?
Best wishes,
Ramin Akbari,
English Department,
Tarbiat Modaress University,
Tehran,Iran.