The educational company Education First published an annual ranking of English proficiency in different countries. EF English Proficiency Index covers only those countries and territories where English is not a native language. The assessment is based on the results of the assignments in English by the representatives of the participating countries.
Ukraine in the ranking
In the general top 100, Ukraine ranks 49th. All countries are divided into five categories depending on the level of English proficiency: from very high to very low. Analysts rated the level of language skills in our country as low.
Ukraine ranks 29th out of 33 European countries by the knowledge of English. Our country has worsened its results compared to last year (43rd), but at that time, fewer countries participated in the ranking (88).
Overall Results 2019
The Netherlands come first, followed by Sweden and Norway. Citizens of these countries speak English with no problem using complex language constructions correctly and reading complex texts. Denmark and Singapore are also in the top five.
In the “High Proficiency” category, the top 3 were presented by Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. Residents can read texts of medium complexity in English, watch TV in English, and read newspapers.
The moderate English proficiency was shown by residents of China, Costa Rica, France, and another 13 countries. They can understand the lyrics in English, communicate freely, and conduct business correspondence in a field they understand.
Citizens of countries with a low level of English (including Ukraine) are able to navigate in English-speaking countries, to conduct both simple negotiations with colleagues and simple e-mails.
The category of “Very Low Proficiency” includes 30 countries, mainly in Asia and Africa. Here people can tell about themselves (name, age, city), give elementary directions to tourists. They have a small English vocabulary.
