How do you judge intelligence?

Language is a wonderful thing.  I have been studying Spanish through Duolingo.com and I am enjoying the learning process.  I have used other reference materials to learn Spanish in the past including a game for Nintendo DS called 'My Spanish Coach' and a website that provides Spanish podcasts called Notes In Spanish

Throughout my studies though one thing has become quite clear to me: I have to dumb myself down when learning.  That may sound a bit arrogant and to be honest it probably is to an extent, but if you have read any of my posts on this blog or the others that I have had before, you'll know that my level of articulation is high and my vocabulary is extensive as far as English is concerned.  What I want to say when I speak in Spanish is often something in English which I would consider "higher" but I have to find a way of lowering that to fit my level of ability in Spanish.

For example here are 3 sentences that all more or less say the same thing, with some slight variations on meaning; I have split them into three levels that illustrate what I mean:-
[remember you can double click any word on this blog for a definition]

High:
Obsequious deterioration of civilisation approaching segregation in consternation is incongruous to proclamations of cultural harmonisation.

Medium:
Willingness to drag civilisation downward separating and dividing people through animosity and extremism countermands claims of desiring peace.

Low:
The fact you want to divide people and turn them against each other makes any claim of wanting peace laughable.

The general sentiment of these 3 sentences is the same throughout, but the vocabulary used varies quite a bit.  In English I'm able to adapt to the person I am talking to based on the language they use.  What I am finding as I learn to speak more in Spanish is that I have to lower my thoughts first and then translate that before I can express what I want to say.  I should point out here this isn't for conversational interaction right now this is for writing and for things I think about when I am contemplating various ideas.

It rather embarrassingly comes down to the thought you want to say which again sounds arrogant - "I'm smarter in my own language" - which really makes you realise that we gauge intelligence most of the time from the level of communication someone is capable of demonstrating.  Although that's not exactly fair when you stop and think about it because the inability to express an idea doesn't mean you don't understand that idea.  I think one of the reasons people are often surprised when they see what others are actually capable of is because the level of communication they have demonstrated isn't the level that you "expect" from someone who would be capable of the same.

That leaves you with a lingering question - can intelligence ever be communicated?  Even people who are able to demonstrate a very high level of communication won't necessarily possess the level of intelligence you expect.  Admittedly for me this has proven problematic when younger as on more than one occasion I had lecturers doubt I had actually written the coursework I submitted for various courses for the simple reason that I did not behave in a social setting that was in any way indicative of the level of understanding I actually possessed on the subjects that were being discussed.  From a young age I learned that people don't like you when you are the one that always knows the answer so you learn to sit back in school type settings and let other people answer, you will perform when it matters, in the actual exam.