EDITORIAL - Improving English proficiency

There was a slight improvement this year in Filipinos’ proficiency in the English language, according to the latest English Proficiency Index drawn up by global education center and think tank Education First. From a four-point slip to 22nd place out of 111 countries and economies last year, the Philippines improved to 20th among 113 included in the EPI for 2023.

As in 2022, the Philippines ranked second in Asia after Singapore in the EPI, which covered 2.2 million English proficiency takers aged 18 to 60. This puts the Philippines among the 19 countries in the “high proficiency” category, after the top 12 led by the Netherlands with “very high proficiency.” Filipinos in the 26 to 30 age group had the highest English proficiency, followed by those aged 31 to 40.

The two-point improvement, however, may do little to allay concerns from foreign investors and other groups about declining English proficiency among Filipinos. Last year when the country fell in the EPI, business groups warned that failure to arrest the slide and make widespread improvements in English proficiency could hurt Philippine competitiveness.

English proficiency is particularly worrisome for younger generations of Filipinos. In 2018, the government subjected around 600,000 Filipino 15-year-old students to a competency test conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment. The PISA study covering 79 participating countries showed the Filipinos ranking last in English reading comprehension, and second to the lowest in Science and Mathematics.

The EPI, which is taken online by participants, includes tests on reading, listening and speaking. For the EPI, “high proficiency” in English is considered sufficient for tasks such as reading newspapers, understanding TV programs and preparing work presentations. This high proficiency must be cascaded to the younger generations and the majority of Filipinos from low-income households where English is not spoken.

President Marcos, upon assuming power, had announced that he wanted to restore Filipinos’ high English proficiency. This will require retraining and upskilling of educators and learners alike, and sufficient investment in resources. English proficiency has always been one of the strengths of the Filipino workforce. The country cannot afford to lose this edge.