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The Netherlands, Singapore, and Austria Top Countries with Best English

The Netherlands, Singapore, and Austria Top  Countries with Best English
Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

EF Education First (EF) today released the 2022 edition of its EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), analyzing data from 2.1 million non-native English speakers in 111 countries and regions. The Netherlands retained first place, while Singapore surged to second, cracking the top three again since becoming the first ASEAN nation to do so in 2018. 

"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 EF EPI author Kate Bell. "The report tracks stories of remarkable progress and discouraging setbacks."  

 Keterangan Gambar (© Pemilik Gambar)

The EF EPI is based on scores from the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), used by governments, companies, and schools for large-scale testing as well as millions of individual test takers.  

Key findings include:

-  English proficiency improved for adults over 25, with over 40s improving the most. Proficiency among adults 21 – 25 was unchanged but declined for the 18-20 cohort by a striking 50 points since 2020.

-  In Europe, lower-proficiency groups are catching up, with large countries bordering the European Union fueling the region's continuing rise. Europe is the only region where young adults have not lost ground.

-  Central and South America continue to improve remarkably; but have the widest age-related score difference in the world, with scores for the 18-20 cohort declining significantly since 2020.

-  Asia's regional average declined slightly due to drops in the Philippines and China, although most countries surveyed improved somewhat and three climbed into a higher proficiency band.

-  This year, the gender gap has widened, with men's English proficiency continuing to outpace women. This appears to be driven by biased education systems or unequal access.     

-  Large cities don't always have the best English. Of the 500+ cities measured, 130 did not outscore their region and another 130 barely did. This has implications for recruitment given the shift toward remote work.

-  English proficiency in Africa and the Middle East was stable. Outcomes remain stubbornly low across ages in the Middle East, although a narrowing gender-related proficiency gap is a positive development.  Africa has some of the widest proficiency gaps in the world, both in age and gender.

The EF EPI report is available for download.

Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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