From 2015 until now, the average level of English of Spaniards has stagnated. This is shown by the EPI 2023 (English Proficiency Index) report, prepared by the company Education First (EF) and presented today, which each year collects the results of the tests taken by 2.2 million non-native English speakers from 133 countries. and regions, making it the international survey with the largest sample in relation to the proficiency of this language. Spain occupies position number 35 out of 113 in the world in terms of mastery of this language and 25 out of 34 in Europe.
Spain obtains 535 points in this report, which places it at a medium level. If a comparison is made with previous years, in 2023 it has lost two positions compared to the last two years, where it occupied position number 33.
According to the EPIs that have been carried out since 2011, there has been a sustained evolution in the level of English in Spain over the last eight years. Although from 2011 to 2012 the Spanish score jumped from 477 to 514 points and in 2014 it reached 549 points, between 2015 and 2023 the score has not suffered major variations, always obtaining between 527 and 545 points. Therefore, from 2015 to date, Spain has stagnated at an average level, without showing significant progress in linguistic education.
In Catalonia, from 2012 to 2015 there was an increase in their level of English. Until 2019, it remained stable and in 2020 it experienced a boom, reaching the high level. In 2023, however, the level dropped abruptly, returning to the medium grade. Something similar happened to the Community of Madrid, reaching the high level in 2020 and descending back to the medium level in 2023.
By age, young people (between 18 and 20 years old) have experienced a decrease in their level since 2015, going from high to medium. Not so for adults (over 41 years old) who have been gradually improving since 2015, even surpassing that of young people in 2020, although with a slight decrease in 2023.
“That the level of English does not improve in Spain is worrying and shows that it is necessary for education to be more practical and prepare children for the innovation economy,” explained Xavier Martí, general director of EF Spain, in the presentation. Of the report. “Languages – he added – are learned by speaking and practicing, you have to travel abroad and listen to the language.”
He understands that “languages, especially English, should be a strategic priority for governments, since it has been shown that having a higher level of English increases the possibility of finding a well-paid job by 35% before the age of 30.”
In this sense, he has argued that the opportunity has been "lost" to put us at the forefront in this matter and has predicted that "Spain will not have good results in English in the next PISA report."
He has in turn demanded from the administrations "a determined education policy that promotes the teaching of English" and has highlighted the benefits that the "MEC scholarships had in their day, which the Zapatero government launched and which allowed students to had the opportunity to learn English abroad”, which is why he asked for his recovery.
The presentation of this report coincides with the anniversary of the company, which celebrates 50 years of history in Spain. One of its specialties is the organization of language courses abroad, in which, according to the company, “a total linguistic immersion is ensured and where language classes are combined with recreational and cultural team activities.” Since its arrival in Spain in 1974, the company has sent more than 300,000 people from Spain to learn a language outside the country and has offered more than 24 million teaching hours. In recent years, it has sent a total of 10,000 students on average per year to study languages abroad.
