Adult education and language skills: “Language is important for sharing perspectives”
This year’s version of the largest international survey of adult English proficiency was recently published: the EF English Proficiency Index (EPI) from EF Education First. The index in question, calculated from the test results of 2.2 million non-native speakers in 113 countries and regions, gives Austrians a relatively good rating. The Alpine republic is again in third place – behind the Netherlands and Singapore. The EF EPI is based on results from the EF Standard English Test, which is used worldwide by schools, businesses, and governments for large-scale studies, as well as by individual participants.
As good as Austria is doing comparatively, the situation is equally bad from an international point of view: a negative trend can be observed across the world. Young people’s English language skills have suffered a “worrying decline” over the past five years. There is also a growing gender gap. “This year’s index gives the illusion of global stability in which everyone’s English proficiency remains roughly the same. But closer inspection shows that gains in certain countries and regions are offset by losses in others,” said Kate Bell, author of the EF English Proficiency Index. She emphasizes the continued importance of language skills: “Language is important for sharing perspectives, creating understanding, and as a global language, English can connect people across borders.”
How is English in Austria?
If we look more closely at the Alpine republic, the results of the survey are as follows: An improvement can be observed especially among young people aged 21 to 25, while in all other age groups there has been a slight decline or stagnation in the last two years can be recognized. It is reasonable to assume that the Covid-19 pandemic played a central role in the severe recession of 2020/2021. The gender gap in Austria has further increased or almost doubled compared to 2022. The reason for this is a further decline in English proficiency among women – Austria is following the current global trend here.
There is an east-west divide across the country. Styria was considered the best federal state, while Graz was voted the “best city” when it comes to knowledge of English. What is typical for Europe is that capital cities perform worse compared to national standards. This also applies to Vienna, which is behind Graz and Linz nationwide and, together with Innsbruck, is in third place this year. However, Vienna ranks second in an international comparison of capitals.
‘English proficiency: global trends
Globally, young people’s English skills continue to decline overall, especially among 18- to 20-year-olds. This particularly affects large nations like India and Indonesia. Many more countries are recording pandemic-related declines in this age group, accelerating the global trend. However, the language skills of the workforce are increasing. Increases have been achieved across the world during the pandemic period.
The gender gap is widening internationally, with men’s English skills improving and women’s skills declining over a ten-year comparison. However, it can be said that the gender gap is not uniform: at least 63 countries have achieved gender parity or are approaching it. Looking at global disparities, language proficiency in East Asia has also declined for four consecutive years – accelerated this year by results in Japan and China. Furthermore, language skills in the Middle East are stagnant. Meanwhile, in Latin America, English proficiency is steadily improving, but the region’s progress is being held back by declining knowledge in Mexico and a slower pace in Brazil.
When it comes to English skills on this continent, the situation is as follows: Europe is at the top of the index, but stagnation still dominates this year. Looking at English proficiency in Africa, it is largely stable, with the exception of Tunisia and Algeria, which are both improving rapidly.