Malaysia ranked in top 3 Asian countries most-proficient in English
Malaysia ranks among the top three countries in Asia for proficiency in the English language, according to a 2022 survey released by EF Education First (EF) on Tuesday (15 November).
EF, a Sweden-based international education company, releases their rankings of non-native English speakers every year, for both global and regional rankings, based on their English Proficiency Index (EPI).
Globally, Malaysia ranked 24th this year, four places higher than last year, after scoring a total of 574 in the EPI, an equivalent of “high” in the proficiency level score.
This also put Malaysia in the top three in Asia, just after the Philippines, which recorded a score of 578, and Singapore, at 642.
The survey also found that Asia’s regional average in the EPI declined due to a recorded poor performance from the Philippines and China, although other countries in Asia did relatively well.
“This year’s index reflects the pandemic’s impact – from a concerning decline in English proficiency among young people to unexpectedly high proficiency outside big cities, which has remote work implications,” said this year’s author of the EF EPI study, Kate Bell.
“The report tracks stories of remarkable progress and discouraging setbacks,” she added.
Among the key findings of this year’s study include the improvement of English proficiency among adults over 25, while adults aged 40 and above improved the most.
Meanwhile, proficiency among the 21-25 age bracket remained unchanged, while the biggest recorded decline for the 18-20 age group was recorded, striking 50 points since 2020.
The gender gap between men and women in terms of English language proficiency has also widened, with men’s English proficiency scoring higher than women which, according to EF, may be “driven by biased education systems or unequal access".
“The skill gap between men and women widened slightly this year in Europe, although both groups’ English proficiency improved,” the report said.
“In 12 countries, the gap is significant (over 20 points), and men outscored women in all but 6 countries. However, a few large countries (France, Italy, Russia and Ukraine) have almost no gender gap,” it added.
The Netherlands retained its number one rank of the countries with the best English skills in the world, with other European countries such as Austria, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, and Germany forming part of the top 10.
Marvin Joseph Ang is a news writer who focuses on politics, the economy, and democracy. Follow him on Twitter at @marvs30ang for latest news and updates.
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