China's proficiency in English hits new high

China achieved its best results in English proficiency tests last year in a ranking of 100 non-English speaking countries and regions, a report released on Tuesday said.

With a score of 520 out of 800 points, the country's ranking rose two places - from 40 last year to 38 - in the EF Education First's 2020 English Proficiency Index. The Swedish education company has produced the report for 10 consecutive years.

This year's report analyzed data from 2.2 million nonnative English speakers who were tested on their ability to understand written and spoken English.

The participants' median age was 26. Ninety-four percent were under age 60, and 54 percent were women, the report said.

Adults from Netherlands were the best English speakers from non-English-speaking countries with 652, followed by those from Denmark (632), Finland (631) and Sweden (625), it said. Tajikistan had the lowest score at 381.

Within China, Shanghai and Hong Kong tied for first with 542 points, followed by Taiwan at 533, Beijing at 520, and Tianjin at 516.

"While 2020 has been a challenging year, the circumstances have also highlighted the importance of clear communication and cooperation across borders. English as a global lingua franca continues to bring people together," said Christopher McCormick, EF executive vice-president for academic affairs.

Jean Liu, executive vice-president at EF China, said: "In China, the Proposals for the Formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 emphasized the country's commitment to higher-level opening-up and promoting international cooperation, and English learning plays a key role in achieving these goals to build China into a strong country."

English is a compulsory subject in China's standard national curriculum. It was included as one of the test subjects in the all-important national college entrance exam, or gaokao, in 1978, making it one of the main subjects for secondary school students, along with Chinese language and mathematics.

Many Chinese students begin learning English at an early age, some even in kindergarten. In general, they receive their first English lessons at school in the third grade.

For college students, English is also important. Undergraduate students work hard to pass the College English Test Band 4, while postgraduates want to pass Band 6 before graduation to have advantages over their peers in finding a good job.

As more students have chosen to study abroad, a large number of Chinese students are flocking to take tests such as the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as well as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Zhang Qianhui, mother of a 4-year-old kindergartner in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, said her daughter has been learning English at a local English training institution since last year.

"We signed up for the English courses to give her a leg up among her peers as many parents have also signed up for such courses, and I prevent her from watching TV all the time at home," she said.

The family has spent 13,000 yuan ($1,987) on such courses, and Zhang said she thinks it is worthwhile as her daughter's English has improved a lot.