Solely three different international locations from East or Southeast Asia scored decrease on the worldwide rating.
Yearly since 2011, Switzerland-based worldwide schooling firm Schooling First (EF) has launched an English Proficiency Index (EPI), the most important of its sort all through the world. EF’s not too long ago launched 2024 EPI compiles the testing outcomes of 2.1 million individuals from 116 international locations and areas for which English will not be thought-about the mom tongue. Exams had been scored out of 800 factors and the typical rating amongst all take a look at takers this 12 months was 477 factors. Nations and areas had been then grouped into 5 proficiency bands that point out relative English capacity: Very excessive proficiency, Excessive proficiency, Average proficiency, Low proficiency, and Very low proficiency.
So the place did Japan rank on the record? This 12 months’s world rating places Japan at 92 (common rating: 454 factors), which is on the very backside of the Low proficiency band. This placement is worse than its rating final 12 months at 87 and continues the development of a gentle decline for the nation because the EF EPI started. As well as, when the Japanese testing information was additional damaged down by age, take a look at takers aged 18-25 carried out considerably decrease than these aged 26 and up, lots of whom may have to make use of English extra at work.
For reference, the Netherlands scored first place out of all 116 international locations and areas on the 2024 EF EPI. The highest Asia scorer was Singapore at 3 (Very excessive proficiency), adopted by the Philippines at 22 and Malaysia at 26 (Excessive proficiency). Japan’s East Asian neighbors, South Korea and China, scored at 50 (Average proficiency) and at 91 (Low proficiency) respectively. The one international locations in East or Southeast Asia that scored decrease than Japan had been Myanmar at 93, Thailand at 106, and Cambodia at 111 (all Very low proficiency). Observe, nevertheless, that neither Laos nor North Korea had been included within the EPI as a result of they didn’t meet the minimal variety of 400 required take a look at takers per nation or area. The complete EPI outcomes in addition to EF’s technique suggestions to enhance English proficiency in a wide range of settings will be seen on its web site.
In response to Japan’s comparatively low placement, a consultant from EF’s Japanese subsidiary supplied the next remarks: “It’s not that Japan’s English capacity is declining, however reasonably that Japan will not be conserving tempo with the progress made in different international locations.”
As somebody who has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) within the U.S. and English as a Overseas Language (EFL) in Japan, I’ve noticed among the distinctive challenges that English language schooling faces in Japan. Common elements that my colleagues and I, each native English audio system in addition to Japanese academics of English, typically cite embody: a heavy emphasis on grammar for take a look at taking versus oral communication, instructors not assembly language proficiency benchmarks because of the myriad of duties on academics’ plates, and a lower in motivation–particularly because of the pandemic–leading to Japanese college students merely not feeling that English is all that essential to dwell and work in Japan.
Consequently, maybe the federal government of Japan ought to focus subsequent on selling these methods that appear to lead to greater language-learning motivation–for example, by calling on digital YouTuber Ellen-sensei for the children or by holding language courses at English-speaking-only bars for adults.
Supply: Yahoo! Japan Information by way of Itai Information
Prime picture: Pakutaso
Insert photos: Pakutaso, SoraNews24
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