Ever stop to wonder why we sometimes think that non-English speaking people are less intelligent than we are? I was speaking to a friend a few weeks ago about this subject. He has observed that many people think that when when someone does not understand English we sometimes tend to view them in a less positive light. Here is a question to ponder: If you were to move to Russia today, would you be less intelligent? The same applies to immigrants. We should realize that in fact the challenge is communication, not intellect and we should not confuse the two. There is an equivalent for almost every English word in our vocabulary so the issue is translation. Do non-English-speaking people become progressively intelligent as they increase their command of the English language? I doubt it but our perception of them certainly changes. Be mindful of what you think, because it can certainly result in action and cause harm to others.
Ilan Smith
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