EU Think Tank
  • Home
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Economics
  • Recruitment
  • Innovation
  • Strategy
  • More
    • Customer Experience
    • Managing People
    • Managing Yourself
    • Communication
    • Marketing
    • Organizational Culture
    • Technology
Featured Posts
    • Marketing
    How Marketing Leaders Are Driving Growth in the New Era of Event Planning – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM CVENT
    • June 30, 2022
    • Managing People
    Developing ESG Strategy Is Hard, But Executing It Is Even Harder – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM DAGGERWING GROUP
    • June 30, 2022
    • Organizational Culture
    Are Your Organization’s DEI Efforts Superficial or Structural?
    • June 29, 2022
    • Strategy
    Does Your Strategy Have a Spine?
    • June 29, 2022
    • Managing People
    Supporting Your Team’s Mental Health After a Violent News Event
    • June 29, 2022
Featured Categories
Business
View Posts
Communication
View Posts
Customer Experience
View Posts
Economics
View Posts
Green
View Posts
Health
View Posts
Hiring and Recruitment
View Posts
Innovation
View Posts
Leadership
View Posts
Managing People
View Posts
Managing Yourself
View Posts
Marketing
View Posts
Middle East
View Posts
News
View Posts
Organizational Culture
View Posts
Russia
View Posts
Saudi Arabia
View Posts
Strategy
View Posts
Technology
View Posts
Ukraine
View Posts
Uncategorized
View Posts
EU Think Tank EU Think Tank
7K
9K
4K
1K
EU Think Tank EU Think Tank
  • Home
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Economics
  • Recruitment
  • Innovation
  • Strategy
  • More
    • Customer Experience
    • Managing People
    • Managing Yourself
    • Communication
    • Marketing
    • Organizational Culture
    • Technology
  • Economics

Countries with Better English Have Better Economies

  • December 29, 2021
  • euthinktank
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

Billions of people around the globe are desperately trying to learn English—not simply for self-improvement, but as an economic necessity. It’s easy to take for granted being born in a country where people speak the lingua franca of global business, but for people in emerging economies such as China, Russia, and Brazil, where English is not the official language, good English is a critical tool, which people rightly believe will help them tap into new opportunities at home and abroad.

Why should global business leaders care about people learning English in other parts of the world? 

Research shows a direct correlation between the English skills of a population and the economic performance of the country. Indicators like gross national income (GNI) and GDP go up. In our latest edition of the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), the largest ranking of English skills by country, we found that in almost every one of the 60 countries and territories surveyed, a rise in English proficiency was connected with a rise in per capita income. And on an individual level, recruiters and HR managers around the world report that job seekers with exceptional English compared to their country’s level earned 30-50% percent higher salaries.

Better English and Income Go Hand in Hand Chart

The interaction between English proficiency and gross national income per capita is a virtuous cycle, with improving English skills driving up salaries, which in turn give governments and individuals more money to invest in language training. On a micro level, improved English skills allow individuals to apply for better jobs and raise their standards of living.

This is one explanation for why Northern European countries are always out front in the EF EPI, with Sweden taking the top spot for the last two years. Given their small size and export-driven economies, the leaders of these nations understand that good English is a critical component of their continued economic success.

It’s not just income that improves either. So does the quality of life. We also found a correlation between English proficiency and the Human Development Index, a measure of education, life expectancy, literacy, and standards of living. As you can see in the chart below, there is a cutoff mark for that correlation. Low and very low proficiency countries display variable levels of development. However, no country of moderate or higher proficiency falls below “Very High Human Development” on the HDI.

Better English, Better Quality of Life Chart

For business leaders, knowing which countries are investing in and improving in English can give valuable insight into how a country fits into the global marketplace and how that might affect your company’s strategy. Here are just a few of the questions you might consider: 

  • Which countries are aggressively improving their English proficiency in an effort to attract businesses like mine?
  • Where could poor English hinder the growth of emerging economies?
  • In which countries should I target my international recruitment efforts?
  • As we think about expanding globally, where will my existing, native English-speaking employees find it easiest to relocate?

Business leaders who understand which nations are positioning themselves for a smoother entry into the global marketplace will have a competitive advantage over those who don’t.  Your company needs to know how the center of English language aptitude is shifting. Because knowing English is not just a luxury—it’s the sine qua non of global business today.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
You May Also Like
Read More
  • Economics

Extreme Jobs: The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek

  • euthinktank
  • June 27, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

Is America in Decline?

  • euthinktank
  • June 25, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

What Sales Teams Should Do to Prepare for the Next Recession

  • euthinktank
  • June 23, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

Roaring Out of Recession

  • euthinktank
  • June 21, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

These 3 Personality Traits Affect What You Earn — but Only After Age 40

  • euthinktank
  • June 18, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

How Companies Should Invest in a Downturn

  • euthinktank
  • June 18, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

How to Encourage Employees to Speak Up When They See Wrongdoing

  • euthinktank
  • June 11, 2022
Read More
  • Economics

Economics Needs More Socioeconomic Diversity

  • euthinktank
  • June 11, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured Posts
  • 1
    How Marketing Leaders Are Driving Growth in the New Era of Event Planning – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM CVENT
    • June 30, 2022
  • 2
    Developing ESG Strategy Is Hard, But Executing It Is Even Harder – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM DAGGERWING GROUP
    • June 30, 2022
  • 3
    Are Your Organization’s DEI Efforts Superficial or Structural?
    • June 29, 2022
  • 4
    Does Your Strategy Have a Spine?
    • June 29, 2022
  • 5
    Supporting Your Team’s Mental Health After a Violent News Event
    • June 29, 2022
Recent Posts
  • Are Former Startup Founders Less Hireable?
    • June 28, 2022
  • Help Your Team (Actually) Work Smarter, Not Harder
    • June 28, 2022
  • Inclusive Workplaces Start with Inclusive Leaders – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM BETTERUP
    • June 28, 2022

Sign Up for Our Newsletters

Subscribe now to our newsletter

EU Think Tank
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Guest Post
  • Contact

Input your search keywords and press Enter.