New Study: The European Countries Investing Most in English Education

New research by the online language learning platform, Preply, has revealed the European Economic Area (EEA) countries investing most in English education in 2022. 

As the language of business, the internet, science, and tourism, the ability to speak English can unlock an endless pool of opportunities. These include career progression, meeting new people, and traveling around the world with ease.

With many benefits to consider, it comes as no surprise that countries are investing in the English language for their citizens. But which countries invest the most in learning English and provide the most opportunities for English speakers?

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The following information is obtained from key findings by the online learning platform, Preply. 

Which Countries are Investing in English Education?

– Germany is the country investing the most in learning English, requiring its students to learn English as a mandatory subject and having the highest number of jobs that require English speaking skills.

– Slovenia, Lithuania, and Cyprus invest the least in learning English, with English as an optional subject. Furthermore, these countries have some of the lowest numbers of English language and international schools.

– Berlin is the city with the highest demand for English-speaking employees with over 1,160  job vacancies requiring English proficiency on average.

– French residents are the most interested in improving their English skills online with the highest number of Google searches monthly. These searches relate to ‘learning English’ and ‘English courses.’

The top 10 European countries for English speakers

Preply analyzed seven metrics surrounding English education in 29 EEA countries to reveal the countries investing the most and offering the most opportunities for English speakers. 

All the metrics were scored and each country was given a final ‘English investment score’ out of 10. 

The top 10 EEA countries investing in English education:

*Based on EF EPI Proficiency levels: 600+ Very High, 550 – 599 High, 500 – 549 Moderate, 450 – 499 Low, and <450 Very Low.

Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain invest the Most in English Education

Germany leads the way in investing the most in English education, with Spain and The Netherlands following close behind.

Germany is the number one country for investing in English learning. The country has the highest number of job openings requiring English proficiency (4,537) and the fourth-highest number of English Language schools at 1,316.

English is also a mandatory subject in Germany. This means that every student must study it at some point during their education. 

Spain and The Netherlands come in second and third scoring 6.1 and 5.5 out of 10 respectively on the index.

Furthermore, the Netherlands received the highest English proficiency score out of all the countries (663). This indicates that the average person can use nuanced and appropriate English language in social situations and read advanced English texts easily.

Spain has the highest number of international schools out of every country analyzed (274) and also has over 1,400 English language schools.

Slovenia, Lithuania & Cyprus Invest the Least in English Education

Slovenia invests the least in English education out of the EEA countries studied. 

Additionally, according to Preply’s analysis, the country investing the least in English is Slovenia with an English investment score of just 1.8 out of 10.

With English being an optional language, students are not required to take lessons. Furthermore, the country also has some of the lowest numbers of English language schools and international schools at 63 and 5 respectively.

In addition, Lithuania and Cyprus also made the bottom three, with both scoring fairly low across the board for English investment. They received a total English investment score of 1.9 and 2.1 out of 10 respectively.

Europe’s top 10 Capital Cities with the most English-speaking jobs 

Preply’s research also investigated the best capital cities for English-proficient job seekers in Europe. These are based on each city’s average number of job vacancies requiring English.

Berlin, Warsaw, and Bucharest have the highest number of English-speaking jobs

Berlin, Warsaw, and Bucharest are the capital cities offering the highest number of jobs requiring English.

The results show Germany’s capital Berlin has the most job vacancies requiring English skills with 1,160 openings, which isn’t surprising considering Germany ranked number one for English investment. 

Despite neither country requiring students to take English lessons at any point in their education, Poland and Romania came in second and third. Their capital cities offer 1,113 and 920 English-speaking job openings respectively. 

The importance of English Education according to a Language Expert

Amy Pritchett, Student Success Manager at Preply shared five reasons why learning English could change your life for the better in 2022: 

1. English is the most useful language for travel

With over 1.5 billion speakers worldwide, learning English will allow you to be part of the global conversation.

This will allow you to travel with ease as you will be able to communicate with over 20% of people in the world. 

2. English is the most common business language

English remains the language of the global business workforce.

Therefore, being proficient in English will open up job opportunities and allow you to work almost anywhere. It can even increase your hourly wage in some instances due to its value to companies. 

3. English is the dominant language in academia and science

Learning English can give you a competitive advantage by opening the door to some of the world’s highest-rated educational institutions.

In fact, 85% of the top 20 universities in the global rankings are English-speaking. Scientists, doctors, and engineers also need to have English proficiency to be able to publish work in their industry.

This alone demonstrates how English has become the widely-adopted language of academia worldwide. 

4. The most popular entertainment in the world is in English

Many of the world’s most popular TV shows, films, books, songs, online entertainment, and games are in English.

As well as making the language more fun to learn, this will also help students immerse themselves in the culture.

5. English is the language of the online world

Over half of the most visited web pages in the world are in English, making it the dominant language online.

With over 1 billion internet users typing in English, you’ll be able to access many types of resources and learning platforms to strengthen your skills.

About Preply:

Preply’s mission is to open up the vast potential of the world for every person, business, and country. The company envisions a world where every person and business truly belongs in the global market.

For more information about the company, check out our Preply Review.

Sources & Methodology:

Preply analyzed 29 EEA countries against a series of metrics to determine which are investing the most into learning English.

The metrics that were scored included whether English was a mandatory or optional language at school, and the number of English language schools.

Other ranking factors included the number of international schools, Google search interest by locals wanting to learn English, each country’s level of English proficiency, and the number of jobs requiring the ability to speak English.

Preply then created a weighted index to determine an overall score for each country.