For many, studying the language is cost prohibitive, and less-than-competitive salaries for many native English teachers also means less-than-qualified teaching in the classroom.Īccording to the Ministry of Education only 1 percent of students in public schools have an intermediate B1 command of English. Colombia’s university students marked below the global average, however.ĭespite the government’s initiative to make more people bilingual, through its “Colombia Very Well” program, the country remains economically divided, and English learning is a casualty. Reversing the trendīut there is hope, and it rests with 13- to 15-year-olds who showed positive progress on their exams. It is hardly encouraging when only 4 percent of Colombians claim they can speak English. According to the EFI, painters, photographers, and designers are more proficient than lawyers, agronomists, and accountants.īut Colombia seems to be falling behind in many areas of English proficiency, and this is hampering the country’s capability of doing business with the rest of the world. One of the few areas Colombian professionals are taking English seriously is the arts. The same rings true to journalism, medical sciences and engineering. “To push the frontier in research, for example, you need to be able to read English articles,” said Minh. “In order to innovate,” said Minh, “you need to know what has been done elsewhere.”ĮF Education First presented its study in November, concluding that the Colombian government should invest more in native English teachers, make access to English education affordable, and get the private sector to stress the importance of English in the workplace. More and better-educated workers directly impact the GDP of a country. A workforce with concise communication skills will innovate through goods and services, and future professionals will go on to find well-paid employment at home or overseas.
The key reason is that a strong command of English in a population translates directly into greater economic competitiveness. Interestingly, the study also reveals that people in high-proficiency countries live longer, have better access to healthcare, and are more connected to the internet. Colombians came in third from last, ahead of only Venezuela and El Salvador.Īccording to Minh Tran, director of investigations for EF Education First, the results are more of an opportunity for countries to reverse a negative trend, rather than an institutional slap on the wrist. Of 14 Latin American countries in the index, Argentines (15) are the most proficient in two languages, followed by Dominicans (24), Chileans (26), and Peruvians (35). Then it started going downhill, even in relationship with other countries in the region. Until this year, Colombia was showing overall improvement when it came to bilingualism, reaching 42 on the global rank in 2013. The worst performers were Saudis (68), Cambodians (69), and Libyans (70). In this year’s English Proficiency Index (EFI), an annual global study released by the Switzerland-based organization EF Education First, the nation ranked 57 among 70 countries profiled.Īlmost 1 million individuals took part in this online exam, with Swedes clinching top spot for their prowess in speaking English as a second language, followed by Dutch, Danes, and Norwegians. The results are in, and Colombia doesn’t make the grade when it comes to bilingualism.