IQ is not Always King

Much has been said and written about the strategies in learning another language - in your case, English. Several books already gave the ideal age for learning a language. There are even specialists who teach different learning methods. But, something is often left out. We must not forget that emotional intelligence is also needed.

In studying a language, it's not enough that you learn fast or memorize well. In life, not all people with high IQ succeed. That's because, our IQ level is not the only determining factor. Sometimes, people with high emotional intelligence beat those with high IQ.

That's why you also need to encourage and have faith in yourself. It's alright to have high standards and to keep on improving, but you also need to learn to appreciate your progress and to reward yourself for what you have accomplished. Of course, it's easy to criticize yourself and enumerate your bad points. But will that help you? Remember, we have to believe in ourselves, and not push ourselves down. In fact, if you yourself don't have any confidence in your abilities, then who would?

Many language learners have already stopped because they felt they're not smart enough to master English. Some don't work so hard because they think they are hardly improving. Remember that people don't have the same learning capacity. Others could learn some things faster, while some need to work harder. You should keep this in mind. But, as a consolation, speed is not really the most important thing. Remember the fable about the rabbit and the turtle. In the end, it's the turtle who won the race, right? This only goes to show that you can compensate for your weaknesses in life, as long as you're determined and you don't give up. Even if it could take longer for you to learn a particular lesson, you can still beat fast learners if you study regularly and if you exert more effort.

So, instead of sulking or envying others, why not spend your time wisely, encourage yourself and double your efforts!