Japan Ranks 53rd Place in English Proficiency for Non-English Speaking Countries
EF Education First, an international education company, released this year's EF English Proficiency Index, which ranks 100 non-English speaking countries and regions by their English skills.
Japan dropped to 53rd from 49th last year in the EF English Proficiency Index 2019.
European countries dominated the top ranks for English proficiency with Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway and Denmark occupying the top 4 places.
Not only did Japan fall behind Singapore and the Philippines in English proficiency, they also ranked lower than South Korea (37), Taiwan (38) and China (40).
The countries and regions are placed in five proficiency bands, Very High, High, Moderate, Low, Very Low. Japan is in to the second lowest band, Low, which is the same band as countries such as Russia, Vietnam and Iran.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index
Global Ranking of Countries and Regions
Source: Girls Channel
1. [+23 / -3]
2. [+159 / -4]
Hello😘
*In English
3. [+103 / -4]
Bye
*In English
4. [+229 / -9]
When I go overseas, I'll use my survival skills.
5. [+159 / -8]
I'll manage with an app.
6. [+87 / -3]
The only English I know is from listening to Western music (lol)
7. [+21 / -53]
I know the days of the weeks but I don't know the months of the year.
I also can't count past 100.
I have trouble when I go to Costco and the product descriptions are only in English.
My friends tell me I should be able to get the gist of things if I know a few words, but I don't know any words.
I'm going to live in Japan for my whole life.
8. [+772 / -113]
Japan is a country you can live in without knowing any English.
Japanese people don't seem to realise that that's actually something they can be proud of.
Overseas, if you can't speak English, it'll affect your education and salary.
30. [+306 / -40]
>>8
It's not "Japan is a country you can live in without knowing any English." It's Japan was a country you could live in without knowing any English.
You could in the past, but it's definitely not possible now. You can even say that Japan's already behind.
>>8
It's not "Japan is a country you can live in without knowing any English." It's Japan was a country you could live in without knowing any English.
You could in the past, but it's definitely not possible now. You can even say that Japan's already behind.
49. [+10 / -20]
>>30
Globalisation is progressing so I think you're right.
But from this, you can see how incredible Japan was.
There are lots of technical books translated into Japanese.
Other Asian countries have no choice but to read it in English.
203. [+62 / -12]
>>30
Twenty years ago people were saying that you won't be able to survive if you can't speak English but it hasn't been a problem at all (lol)
>>30
Globalisation is progressing so I think you're right.
But from this, you can see how incredible Japan was.
There are lots of technical books translated into Japanese.
Other Asian countries have no choice but to read it in English.
203. [+62 / -12]
>>30
Twenty years ago people were saying that you won't be able to survive if you can't speak English but it hasn't been a problem at all (lol)
9. [+219 / -4]
English is something like an official language in Northern Europe so it's natural they'll rank in the top.
In those countries, as well as their native language, they use English on TV and radio too.
10. [+31 / -65]
Japan is past its prime.
17. [+18 / -3]
>>10
Can you elaborate?
I don't quite get what you're trying to say.
66. [+30 / -9]
>>10
This is one of those topics for non-Japanese to use as a reason to diss Japan, isn't it?
So annoying~
Japan is at the level where it doesn't need multiple languages.
>>10
Can you elaborate?
I don't quite get what you're trying to say.
66. [+30 / -9]
>>10
This is one of those topics for non-Japanese to use as a reason to diss Japan, isn't it?
So annoying~
Japan is at the level where it doesn't need multiple languages.
11. [+250 / -2]
Mexico is next to America yet it's ranked even lower than Japan.
16. [+143 / -8]
>>11
Mexico's like America's enemy.
Their relationship is like Japan with Korea.
>>11
Mexico's like America's enemy.
Their relationship is like Japan with Korea.
27. [+70 / -1]
>>16
I know that but since Mexico's right next to America, and it has people who are so desperate to go there that they'll even illegally smuggle in, I thought they'd at least be able to speak English.
>>16
I know that but since Mexico's right next to America, and it has people who are so desperate to go there that they'll even illegally smuggle in, I thought they'd at least be able to speak English.
12. [+142 / -19]
Even Degawa* could survive so we'll manage somehow!
*Degawa Tetsuro
13. [+67 / -4]
A lot of countries that are in the same band as us or even lower are countries that I thought were fluent in English.
I wonder if it's only the privileged class that can speak English.
14. [+400 / -6]
In our normal everyday life, there's no scenario where we need to use English so it can't be helped.
15. [+203 / -1]
This will probably never happen but I think that it'll make a difference if we had lessons where we can only use English two times a week. If we don't have enough opportunities to hear English, our ears can't get used it.
18. [+244 / -9]
I studied my ass off to learn English but the only people who can actually put it to practice are people with specialised jobs [e.g. translators/interpreters] and a handful of elites [e.g business people/government officials].
I can speak English and I got a high score for TOEIC but thinking about it now, English is at the very most a tool. There were plenty of other things I should have spent my time studying instead of English.
19. [+17 / -1]
I don't use English in conversations.
I know some useless slang though 😅
20. [+8 / -39]
Old women channel*
lol
*In English
24. [+37 / -3]
>>20
lol?
That's not funny at all.
>>20
lol?
That's not funny at all.
21. [+253 / -14]
Rather than our English proficiency dropping, I think that the national language proficiency (Japanese proficiency) is dropping.
22. [+81 / -7]
The world's population is 7 billion.
There are only 300 million people in the English speaking countries.
359. [+22 / -2]
>>20
If you follow that logic, everyone will have to learn Chinese.
>>20
If you follow that logic, everyone will have to learn Chinese.
23. [+12 / -35]
Degawa is a disgrace to Japan.
25. [+16 / -22]
I won't use it or learn it unless it's needed in everyday life. They should make Japanese the lingua franca of the world.
26. [+128 / -5]
It's because we don't use it in our daily lives. I can speak English but even if I couldn't it wouldn't trouble me in any way.
28. [+140 / -2]
Good and bad, we're an island country.
We weren't influenced by foreign cultures.
29. [+139 / -8]
Japan is probably the only country with Nobel Prize winners who can't speak English.
71. [+43 / -3]
>>29
If future Nobel Prize researchers can't understand English, they won't be able to read other people's theses and will be at a disadvantage.
Times have changed.
>>29
If future Nobel Prize researchers can't understand English, they won't be able to read other people's theses and will be at a disadvantage.
Times have changed.
76. [+20 / -0]
>>71
Nobel Prize level researchers even from ages ago could probably understand English.
>>71
Nobel Prize level researchers even from ages ago could probably understand English.
31. [+162 / -3]
Whenever I watch 'Why Did You Come to Japan?' I always find it amazing that everyone can speak English, no matter which country they are from.
33. [+113 / -4]
People shouldn't be too fixated on English. They should instead look for language that fits them.
I can't speak English at all and I struggle with even English lyrics when singing at karaoke but I could pick up Chinese just like that and it was very easy for me to learn (I have a thick Taiwanese accent though)
I think it has something to do with the compatibility with my brain type.
39. [+39 / -2]
>>33
You're right.
In the first place, it's impossible to speak English if you have a short tongue.
>>33
You're right.
In the first place, it's impossible to speak English if you have a short tongue.
44. [+9 / -0]
>>39
Oh, you're right! My tongue is short!
>>39
Oh, you're right! My tongue is short!
34. [+168 / -13]
I can speak it but I don't use it.
It's very strange that some foreigners can only speak English even though they've come to Japan. Go learn some Japanese.
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