Wah, we're good at speaking-speaking!
Malaysia has earned a commendable position in global English proficiency, ranking among the highest in Asia, as per the recent findings of the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) survey.
Photo via Visit Malaysia
In this comprehensive survey, 113 non-native English-speaking countries were categorized into proficiency bands ranging from Very High to Very Low. Malaysia secured its place in the second-highest tier, labeled as 'High Proficiency.'
In the regional context, Malaysia stands as the third-highest in English proficiency in Asia, following Singapore in the top spot and the Philippines in second place.
On a global scale, Malaysia secured the 25th position in the index. Kuala Lumpur, our nation's capital, also earned a spot in the 'High Proficiency' category in the EF EPI 2023 City scores.
In terms of scores, Malaysia achieved 568 in the 2023 index, experiencing a slight decrease of 6 points from the previous year. Kuala Lumpur scored 564, while the global average stands at 502.
An intriguing discovery from the 2023 EF EPI is that Perak emerged as the top region in Malaysia for English proficiency, boasting a score of 587. Kuantan claimed the title of the top city with an impressive score of 603. The age group of 26-30 exhibited the highest proficiency, recording an average score of 582.
Globally, the Netherlands took the lead in the index with a remarkable score of 647, followed by Singapore (631), Austria (616), Denmark (615), and Norway (614).
In the study's executive summary, EF noted a slight decrease in English proficiency on average in South and Southeast Asia. However, many countries in the region maintained stable or modestly rising scores.
The EF EPI derives its data from the EF Standard English Test (EF SET), an online, adaptive test evaluating reading and listening skills. This standardized test classifies language abilities into six levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
This edition of the EF EPI is based on test data from over 2,200,000 test takers worldwide who participated in the EF SET in 2022.
What are your thoughts on Malaysia's performance in this survey?
