Copenhagen locals have the world’s best non-native English proficiency according to the 2020 annual report from EF Education First.
Amsterdam placed a close second, with other Nordic capitals Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm all ranking in the top six of the 90 cities included in the report.
Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland all scored well in the English proficiency rankings.
Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, Porto, Budapest, Brussels, Warsaw, Bucharest, Lisbon and Kuala Lumpur were also ranked as ‘very high proficiency, the highest of five bands. It means the average person can use nuanced and appropriate language in social situations, easily read advanced texts and negotiate with a native English speaker.
The Netherlands edged out Denmark in the country rankings. Nordic nations Finland, Sweden and Norway followed closely behind, with Austria, Portugal, Germany, Belgium and Singapore completing the top 10.
Iceland and its capital city Reykjavik were not included in the study.
The reasons behind northern Europe’s proficiency
Anyone visiting the Nordic region for leisure or business won’t be surprised by the findings. The vast majority of residents have at least a working grasp of the English language.
Thanks to early schooling, global streaming services and the popularity of YouTube and other social media, young people are especially fluent. “Of course, you can occasionally stumble across an older individual from the rural area who isn’t exactly brimming with English articulation, but most Danes are stalwarts of the language,” said the Copenhagen Post.
The EF report highlights several key strategies employed in Nordic school systems, including “an early focus on communication skills, daily exposure to English both in and outside the classroom, and career-specific language instruction in the final years of study, whether that is vocational school or university.”
Global English proficiency is improving
While the worldwide English proficiency score remained stable, the scores of 26 countries improved significantly with only seven declining.
The incentives to learn English have never been greater, according to the report: “More than a billion people speak English as a first or second language, and hundreds of millions more as a third or fourth. For expanding businesses, young graduates, scientists and researchers, and international tourists, English proficiency broadens horizons, lowers barriers, and speeds information exchange.”
About the report
Founded in 1965 by Bertil Hult, EF Education First is a global education company focusing on language, academic, cultural exchange, and educational travel programs.
The 2020 edition of its English Proficiency Index is based on the test results of 2.2 million adults throughout 2019. This means it is biased towards those pursuing language study and younger adults, but it still provides a useful comparison among those groups.
