The countries with the best command of English
In the 2022 edition of their English Proficiency Index, Education First revealed that Mexico managed to advance four places, that is, in one year it went from site 92 to number 88 of 111 countries analyzed. This places it at a very low level of competitiveness globally and in the penultimate place in Latin America below Ecuador and above Haiti.
According to the study, no state or city in the country reaches an advanced level (C1, C2) in their English. Querétaro, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Baja California Sur, Michoacán and Mexico City are the states where English is best spoken, with a moderate level. In contrast, Puebla, the State of Mexico and Coahuila were the worst rated.
By gender, men obtained a higher score than women and according to Giorgio Lemmolo, director of Academic Management for Europe, South Africa and Costa Rica at Education Firstthe highest level of English is among young people between 26 and 30 years of age, with the Netherlands those who are in first place, followed by Singapore.
“In Latin America, Argentina It is the country with the highest level of English, due to language teaching reforms that were introduced in 2005. Then there are Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Ecuador. And although Mexico is at a very low level, it is beginning to show signs of rising, ”he points out.
In what positions and vacancies is English required?
By sector, Lemmolo details that in consumer goods, aviation and the media the level is moderate or intermediate, while in automotive, construction, telecommunications and education English is lower.
By job function, where the level of English is highest is in the positions of strategy and planning, technology, legal, marketing and human resources, while in sales, operation and administration the level falls.
Arleth Leal, associate director of the recruitment firm Red Ring, reveals that in 70% of the vacancies it publishes, the employer company asks the applicant to master the language. Especially for areas such as technology, administration, managementproduction, quality and finance.
“Now we are working with the Embassy of Canada and Poland because they are looking for Mexican talent who wants to work in those countries, but unfortunately many are left out of these opportunities due to a lack of language”, he comments. “In addition, the salary offered to candidates who are fluent in English increases by 20%.”