Every year, the international education company First Education EF (EF) publish it English Proficiency Index, which ranks more than 100 countries based on the English proficiency of their population. Some leading organizations such as statesman constantly use and repeat this sequence. Even foreign investment attraction agencies around the world cite the index to make the case in favor of labor in their respective markets.
The EF Index consistently ranks European countries such as the Netherlands and Austria as global leaders in English proficiency. Nations in Africa and the Middle East, such as Yemen, Iraq and South Sudan, usually finish at the bottom.
Do you see your country on the list? Based on test data from over two million adults, these 10 countries scored the highest #English language skills. See the full rankings in our 2021 EF English Proficiency Index report here: https://t.co/sk9IAESvk1 pic.twitter.com/bOkxhhunqy
— EF Education First (@EF) November 16, 2021
We have to ask ourselves: what is the methodology for such a used ranking? How representative can it be of a given population’s actual English-speaking abilities? How do the countries of Latin America appear in this ranking? And what is the current situation of bilingualism in the region?
These questions are especially important when Nearshore markets are experiencing a boom in activity. Today, a record number of US and international companies are looking to hire and expand operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In this context, English skills are essential for growth prospects in the region.
How the EF Index works
EF Index scores are based on test data from millions of testers. This means that the data is not based on representative samples. Although the index has a threshold for the number of participants for each country in order to consider a jurisdiction eligible for inclusion, these figures are unlikely to effectively capture the English proficiency of an entire country.
“I don’t like to rely on this kind of ranking. They reach certain conclusions by extrapolating from an inconsistent statistical base,” he said Mauricio A. Velásquez, Managing Director of Bogota-based Velásquez & Company.
Nearshore Americas reached out to the EF Mexico office for comment, but did not receive a response.
“If you’re going to assess English skills, you need to assess people’s ability to function in a business environment. For the contact center industry, this is key”—Mauricio Velásquez, Managing Director at Velásquez & Company
Velásquez, who is an experienced outsourcing and technology executive who advises companies on market entry and development strategies in Colombia, believes it’s not just about the general methodological flaws of these lists, but what kind of specific skills are being measured.
“From an industry perspective, it’s not just about having people who can hold a nice conversation. If you’re going to assess English skills, you have to assess people’s ability to function in a business environment,” Velázquez said. “For the contact center industry, this is essential. The people you hire must be able to meet the needs of customers when they come on the phone. These rankings are very general.”
The point made by Velásquez is important. For Nearshore outsourcing, it’s all about industry-relevant skills. For example, according to the 2020 index, Argentina scored 566 out of a maximum of 800 points. This was the highest score among all the Latin American countries included in the survey. Buenos Aires also received the highest English proficiency score among all Latin American cities analyzed. Buenos Aires and Cordoba were the only cities in the region with a score in the “high ability” range (550-599 points).
“Looking at the rankings, you’ll notice that Argentina and Peru score higher than Colombia when it comes to English language skills. But none of these countries have a bilingual BPO sector at the level of Colombia, which continues to add bilingual positions to the industry,” Velásquez said.
Beyond rankings: Raising English skills in the Nearshore
“For some time, employers have been calling for substantial improvements in English learning programs,” he said Miguel López, Managing Partner of Costa Rica-based human resources consulting firm, Recruita Talenthunter. “At this point, many companies find it necessary to implement their strategies for teaching and improving English skills.”
Costa Rica’s workforce has long been valued for its language skills. This is especially true of software professionals and knowledge economy workers in general. However, Lopez’s comments point to an important trend in the Nearshore: industry-led efforts to improve the workforce, including English skills.
“Many companies find it necessary to implement their strategies for teaching and improving English skills” – Miguel López, Managing Partner at Recruita Talenthunter.
A couple of years ago, Sykes began hiring Costa Ricans it trained in English language skills as part of an agreement it reached with the Central American country’s Ministry of Labor. In countries like Colombia, programs such as Go Cali Bilingual City exemplify this push to improve English skills. In many countries, these efforts complement the work of public institutions, while, in some cases, private training programs occupy a central position.
“Improving language skills has not been a central interest of public policy, or at least not widely perceived as an important component of the equation to encourage investment in the country,” it said. Mauricio Jaramillo Reyes, a partner at Mexican law firm Cuenca Reyes Zavala & Asociadoswhich advises clients on foreign direct investment matters.
It is not only about getting public institutions to focus on this issue, but also about changing the way English learning is handled. For Velásquez, even as many national and local governments are trying to address the issue, their approach continues to get the foundations wrong.
“Many Latin American countries are connected to American culture. Young people are constantly consuming English through music, movies, games. And we have many Latin Americans returning home after spending time in the US, and even Americans moving to the region to work remotely. We should use all these to create a more fluent environment for learning English. We need to change the educational model”, concluded Velásquez.
