Languages are used by those who would understand as well as those who would be understood. Yet, those who are understood by the widest audience have necessarily limited their ability to understand. Those who understand the widest range of messages are not readily understood by the multitude. The bell-curved distribution of language skills is evidence that, in most arenas of life, success favors those who are understood over those who understand. Those who are understood by the widest possible audience use an average vocabulary. Those who understand the widest possible range of messages readily understand at least 15 times the vocabulary of an average person. Excellent communications skills and literacy occur at two different points on the bell-shaped curve and no man or woman can be in two places at once.
I am satified that IQ scores are a nonsense interpretation of what will one day be considered simply tests for the effects of literacy.
Since those who read well tend to react more swiftly to what they see, as opposed to what they hear, the future may yet see literacy measured in seconds by hand held devices that use reaction times to light & sound. Advanced voice recognition by computers may lead to analysis of a speaker's intellectual ability.
For a free color postcard of the bell-shaped curve send mailing address to George Noviss (http://www.gnoviss.com).