Scandinavians at the Top, Russia, Turkey and South American
Countries Score Low in English Language Skills
-- EF Education First's English Proficiency Index reveals wide
gaps in English skills across the world --
LUCERNE, Switzerland, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- EF
Education First, the world leader in international education, today
unveiled the first comprehensive index ranking the proficiency of
English among a broad population in 44 countries and territories
around the world where English is not the native language.
The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) is the first index
that compares the English ability of adults in different countries.
The index uses a unique set of test data (see methodology) from
over two million people across 44 countries who took free online
English tests over three years (2007-2009).
Asia's performance was lower than expected especially in light
of the amount spent on private English training. Moreover, although
European countries tend to perform very well, Spain and Italy lag
far behind others in Western Europe. EF's English Proficiency Index
also shows an interestingly strong correlation between a country's
English ability and its national income per head. There are also
high correlations with levels of education and with export
strength.
"In today's highly competitive global economy, English language
proficiency is a basic skill and has never been more important for
the entire workforce," said Bill Fisher, President of EF's online
learning division Englishtown. Mr. Fisher added: "For developing
countries to compete successfully in global industries and
capitalize on the business outsourcing boom, the ability to produce
large numbers of skilled graduates who are able to communicate in
English, must be a top priority."
The full country results included in this inaugural index are at
http://www.ef.com/epi/ef-epi-ranking/. For
interactive graphs and more analysis, please visit: http://www.ef.com/epi/
.
The 44 countries and territories represented in the inaugural EF
EPI illustrate the wide range of English skills around the world
today. Comparison of countries to their neighbors, trading partners
and closest allies provides a fascinating study in divergent
national priorities and educational policies across Europe, Asia
and Latin America.
A few of the key findings for these regions include:
-- English proficiency in Asia is surprisingly low
Despite its British colonial legacy and reputation as
an English-speaking
nation, India is today no more proficient in English
than rapidly improving
China. Indeed although it is very difficult to
estimate the number of
English users in each country, today the two countries
have an
approximately equal number of English speakers, with
China poised to
surpass India in a few short years.
-- Spain and Italy lag behind Western Europe
Northern Europe is remarkably strong in English,
containing all but one of
the highest proficiency countries in the world - but
this is not the whole
picture. Today, over 90 percent of all students in
Europe study English as
part of their required schooling. In addition, many
multi-national
companies and factories in Europe have adopted English
as their workplace
language. However, proficiency in Spain and Italy is
considerably lower
than in other western European countries.
-- Spanish beats English as an international language in Latin
America
Latin America is the weakest of all regions, with an
average English
proficiency score barely surpassing the low
proficiency cutoff. In part
this is explained by the importance of Spanish to the
region. A shared
language already allows for some international trade,
diplomacy, and travel,
possibly lessening the motivation to learn
English.
-- Countries with higher English levels have higher gross
national incomes per
capita
The EF EPI shows a strong positive link income and
English levels. This is
a case of both cause and effect. Richer countries have
more to spend on
education-including English, the lingua franca of the
global economy. In
the longer term, more English education boosts average
national income by
improving economic opportunities.
Country Sites & Methodology
For additional details on select markets ranked in the EF EPI and
for the study's complete methodology, please visit: http://www.ef.com/epi/
.
About EF Education First:
Established in 1965 with the mission to "break down barriers in
language, culture, and geography", EF is the world's leading
international education company that has helped over 15 million
students to learn a new language and travel abroad. With a network
of 400 schools and offices worldwide, EF specializes in language
training, educational travel, academic degrees, and cultural
exchange programs. For more information please see www.ef.com.
Media inquiries, please contact:
Eric Feng
Tel: +852-2111-2370
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE EF Education First