Countries With

the Best (and

Worst) English
Skills
‘To cost an arm and a leg’– something is very expensive.
“Fuel these days costs and arm and a leg.”
‘To cut corners’ – to do something badly or cheaply.
“They really cut corners when they built this bathroom; the shower is
leaking.”
‘To add insult to injury’ – to make a situation worse.
“To add insult to injury the car drove off without stopping after
knocking me off my bike.”
‘Call it a day’ – Stop working on something
The last straw’ – The final source of irritation for someone to finally
lose patience.
‘To feel under the weather’ – to not feel well.
“I’m really feeling under the weather today; I have a terrible cold.”
‘See eye to eye’ – this means agreeing with someone.
“They finally saw eye to eye on the business deal.”
 Countries With the Best (and Worst) English Skills
English is the most studied language in the world. However, of the world's more
than 1.1 billion non-native English speakers, some speak it better than others.
According to Education First (EF), here are the regions with the best – and worst
– English skills.

Europe
Twenty-two European countries where English isn't the official language were
ranked "high" or "very high" by EF – more than any other region. Europeans had
an average score of about 57, or "moderate." The countries with the best English
skills were the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, with "very high"
scores over 65; while Turkey and Azerbaijan scored about 46, or "very low."

Asia
Asia had an average score of 53. Only Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia
received "high" or "very high" scores above 58. China and South Korea ranked
"moderate" with scores of about 53 and 55, while Japan scored "low" at just
above 51.
Latin America
Latin America saw the most improvement in English skills, thanks to improving
education. Argentina ranked highest at over 58, while Venezuela and Ecuador scored
lowest at about 47.

Africa
The wealthiest African countries – Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa – all had "high"
or "very high" English skills, while 10 of the 13 African countries on the list scored
"low" or "very low."
Women scored higher than men in every African country except Egypt and South
Africa.

Middle East
The Middle East had the lowest average score at about 45, or "very low." In many
Middle Eastern countries, men and people who live in cities have better English skills
than women or those who live in more remote areas.
Questions
1. How many non-native English speakers are there worldwide?
2. Which Asian countries have the best English skills, according
to Education First?
3. Which country has the worst English skill?
4. Do you agree with the survey?
5. Why is English an in demand language to learn?
Are there any major benefits to learning English for people from
your country? Why do you think so?
5.Do you think English will remain the most studied language
for decades to come? Why? Why not?
In your opinion, what's the best thing about being able to speak two
languages? Please explain your answer.
Besides English, what languages would you like to be fluent in? Why?
What tips would you give to someone who has just started learning English?
Please explain your answer.
Do you think English is a difficult language to learn?
Do you think that English will completely dominate all the other languages in
the future? If yes, how will it affect the world?
What is the importance of learning English in your future career and schools?
Are there similarities between English and your native language?
Why is it so easy for children to learn languages and so difficult for adults?
Do you think you'd make a good language teacher? Why? Why not?
How different would your life be if you’re fluent in English?
Some people get very embarrassed when they have to speak in a foreign
language. Does this happen to you? What suggestions would you give to
somebody who suffered from this problem?

Which do you find it easier to understand: native English speakers or other

foreigners? Why do you think this is?

How would your life be different without English?

How would your life change if you were fluent in English?

What is/was your high school like? Please explain.

How important is education for success? Why do you think so?

What can be done to improve education and graduation rates?
Will children receive a better or worse education in the future? Why?
Why is it important to study hard ?
What do you remember about your teachers?
Who was your favorite teacher?
Were there any teachers that you didn’t like? Why?
What subjects were you good at?
What subjects were you not good at?
Do you think education should be free?
Were having good grades important to you? Why?
What do you think will happen if you did not go to school?
What are the qualities of a good student?
What are the qualities of a good teacher?
What is your opinion about homework?
What kind of world do you think this would be if people never went
to school?
They said, education begins at home. Do you think so?
Have you over spoken someone on the phone using
the English language?
Have you ever asked someone for a direction?
Have you ever spoken to a westerns and you did not
understand it?
Have you ever cheated in school?
Have you ever bullied someone in school?
Have you ever flunked an exam?
Do you agree or disagree? Why?
1. School is important for success in life.
2. I love(d) school!
3. Not everyone is suited for high school, so it's okay to
dropout.
4. We learn a lot of useless subjects at school, which will
have no use later in life.
5. The only thing that can’t be stolen from us is Education.
6. English and Success always go together.