Filipinos' English proficiency drops to 27th place in global ranking

Filipinos’ English proficiency has slipped seven spots in global rankings by international language training company Education First.

The Philippines, which placed 20th last year, ranked 27 in the 2020 English Proficiency Index, scoring 562 out of 700. The Netherlands secured the top spot with a 652 output.

Meanwhile, Philippines’ English competency placed second in Asia. Singapore, which ranked 10th on the global index, took the top spot in Asia with 611 points.

From 2016 to 2018, the Philippines remained in the top 15 of the global index, placing 13th, 15th and 14th, respectively.

Moreover, the Philippines’ proficiency band was at “high,” the report said.

According to EF, those with a high proficiency band can do the following:

• Make a presentation at work
• Understand TV shows
• Read a newspaper

The index was based on surveys conducted in the form of an online quiz with the participation of over 2.2 million individuals from 100 countries and territories.

Of the number, 54% were female, while 46% were male. The median age of those who took the survey was 26 years old. —LBG, GMA News