Success in Raven’s Test as an Index of Intelligence: Does Bi/Multilingualism Matter?

Subject Areas : Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English

Firooz Sadighi ¹

1 - Shiraz Azad University

Received: 2011-05-23 Accepted : 2011-05-23 Published : 2011-01-01

Keywords: Raven’s test, Bilingualism, multilingualism, cognitive development. Language is a mirror of mind. (Akmajian, et al. 2001, p. 9),

Abstract :

The present study seeks to find out whether or not higher scores of bilingual and multilingual speakers in Raven’s intelligence test owe a debt to their bi/ multilingualism. To this end, 50 abridged versions of Raven’s test were randomly distributed among a population of almost 200 freshman university students out of which forty four booklets were returned at the end of administration sessions. The results of statistical analyses proved that bilingual and multilingual speakers enjoy higher IQ levels. The significance test confirms the fact that cognitive development of individuals has a direct relation with the number of languages spoken by them.