If you are fluent in English, the working world is your oyster, right? Well, not yet. “We’re still far from a fully English spoken world,” researchers reveal in the EF English Proficiency Index for Companies.
Wide gaps
“Despite a near universal recognition of English as the international language of business, wide gaps in workforce English proficiency persist between countries,” they note in the Harvard Business Review. And in none of the countries surveyed can the English proficiency of the workforce be called ‘advanced’, according to the study (which included 510,000 professionals representing 2,000 different companies of various sizes across 16 major industries in 40 countries). On a 100-point scale, countries scored 52.56 on average, with national scores ranging from 73.83 in the Netherlands to 33.64 in Iraq.
Differences by company type
The study also found surprising skills gaps between industries and companies of different sizes. “Certain industries where English-language communication seems critical, including the logistics industry and the aviation industry, show low levels of English proficiency,” the researchers said. Only consulting and professional services, and engineering, had consistently strong English skills. In addition, of the large companies surveyed, the mid-size ones (with sales of 10–60 billion dollars) outperform both the smaller and larger companies when it comes to their workforce’s English skills.
Age and gender
The researchers found that, on average, women have better English language skills than men in most countries, industries, and job functions. Moreover, executives usually have lower English levels than the managers they oversee. “Looking at global averages across industries, even the most junior staff outscored executives. This pattern is most likely a result of generational differences, as English skills tend to be lower among older adults than younger professionals. The result suggests that many executives from non-English-speaking countries may have trouble directing an English-speaking team, reading detailed reports in English, or taking the lead in complex meetings held in English,” according to the researchers.
Source: Harvard Business Review
