The times when knowledge of English was necessary only for certain types of positions, such as diplomats or translators, are gone. Today, English is not only the language of business but also of entire companies. HR professionals confirm that employees with low levels of English proficiency are less often promoted and earn less money. Often they are not hired at all.
There are more and more educational systems that include teaching of English from primary schools similarly to mathematics or native languages. University professors teach English to better prepare their students for their future life after graduation. Unemployed and ambitious people invest their own money in English lessons.
"Yet with all this motivation and investment in English, many countries are failing to measure the results of their efforts. Are there concrete returns in the form of economic growth and increased competitiveness?" This question introduces this year study by the company EF Education First focused on the level of English proficiency around the world called EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI).
This year's testing of English proficiency involved 750,000 people from 60 countries, including the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic was ranked on the 20th place behind Argentina, Slovakia, Hungary or Poland. The first places were hold by the Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. The lowest level of English proficiency in Europe was found in France (35th place). The results follow the previous two years of the study which described the situation between the years 2007 and 2012.
The study confirms strong correlations between English proficiency and a number of social and economic indicators. For example, highly export-oriented economies speak English very well. Knowledge of English is improving innovation, customer communications or recruitment, but also attracts foreign investments.
You can read or download the whole study, which aims to share trends in the study of English and contribute to the discussion on studying and promoting English as the global language of business and new ideas, on this site. Results of the countries ranked by the level of their English proficiency can be found on this site. An ideal opportunity for you to practice your English right now.
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