Linguistic Intelligence

According to American psychologist Howard Gardner, human beings exhibit multiple intelligences. Human intelligence can be classified into seven core forms of intelligence. Based on the specific abilities that human beings possess, their intelligence can be categorized under one of those core forms on intelligence. The basic types of intelligence are linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. A person exhibiting a natural flair for music is musically intelligent, one with a flair for sports is said to possess a bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Those with a talent of transforming mental images into designs on paper have a spatial intelligence, while those with exceptional mathematical skills are believed to be having logical-mathematical intelligence. Those with an unusual awareness about their own capacities are intrapersonally intelligent, while those with social skills and a deep understanding about others are interpersonally intelligent.

About Linguistic Intelligence
People from different cultures have the ability of using their language skills. As part of our school and college education, we are taught two or three different languages out of which one or two are our native languages while the other may be a foreign one. During education, we learn the grammatical and oral forms of the languages and we use them throughout our life. But being able to merely use the language is different from possessing linguistic skills.

Language skills consist of the ability to use a language correctly, and moreover, beautifully. Those understanding the beauty of language and those being able to make creative use of it, are among the fortunate few who possess linguistic intelligence. Linguistic intelligence involves deep understanding of words and sensitivity to literal as well as figurative meanings of words. It involves highly developed written and oral communication skills, proper knowledge of grammar rules and the information about as well as a zest to learn different types of languages.

Linguistic intelligence manifests itself in linguistic abilities possessed by the intelligent few. Not everyone among us possesses linguistic skills; nor do all of us have a flair for learning different languages. Those who exhibit unusual ability in languages are said to possess linguistic intelligence. Linguistically intelligent people take pleasure in the rhythms and the phonetics of words. They take keen interest in learning correct pronunciation and experiencing the hidden melody in words.

Linguistically intelligent people like to read and write. They are good with spelling words and sensitive towards language patterns. They are mostly found to be orderly and systematic with a strong ability to reason. They are often observed possessing good memory and doing well in word games. People possessing linguistic intelligence are good orators and public speakers. Writers, poets, journalists, scriptwriters, speech writers, novelists, lawyers and politicians are linguistically intelligent. Maya Angelou, J.K. Rowling, Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare are some examples of linguistically intelligent people.

To enhance linguistic intelligence, it is recommended that we practice story-telling, participate in debates and discussions, learn new words, solve word puzzles and crosswords, practice letter writing, essay writing and read voraciously. Participation in debates and discussions helps in the development of reasoning skills, reading books and solving crosswords helps in the enhancement of vocabulary and writing encourages expression of thoughts in the right words.

Some of us often have difficulties in putting our thoughts in right words. Some face problems in wording their emotions. They fail in expressing what they want to say. Being able to word every emotion verbally is one skill, while wording one's thoughts and emotions in the written form is another. However, a blend of these capacities is found in some of the blessed individuals among us, the linguistically intelligent ones!