Over 5,000 English speakers from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Italy and the US participated in the study by Pearson, at the end of 2023.

“Across all countries, 80% of respondents believe English proficiency skills are directly linked to earning potential, viewing strong English language skills as leading to as much as an 80% salary increase,” the report found. 

The study also displayed the contrasts between advanced and beginner English speakers.

Three-quarters (75%), who are advanced speakers, reported satisfaction with their incomes, and 9 in 10 (88%) were satisfied with their jobs. In comparison, less than half (47%) of beginners reported contentment with their incomes, and 64% of them were satisfied with their respective jobs. 

“This new research shows the importance of English in helping people lead more fulfilling lives both in and outside of the workplace,” said Gio Giovannelli, president of English Language Learning at Pearson.

“And yet, many people still struggle with a lack of confidence in their English proficiency, which is having an impact on their ability to perform daily tasks at work, to interact with others, and even to simply engage with the world around them, or on social media.”

“Many people still struggle with a lack of confidence in their English proficiency”

The impact of Artificial Intelligence was also visible in the study.

Some 40% of respondents believe their jobs will be replaced by AI within five years. The phenomenon has led to 40% of the respondents learning English in light of AI and technology. 

However, Pearson’s 2023 study found that though 85% of people feel English is critical in work environments, with another 60% using the language every week, only a quarter (25%) of the speakers were confident about reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Furthermore, 88% agreed that English language training is an important skill that should be offered by employers, but only a third stated that their employers provided the same.

In the case of India, which has the second largest number of English speakers in the world, a Pearson survey from April 2023 found that 85% of Indian employees believe learning English could lead to career advancement.

Over 79% of the individuals stated that English is an important skill in their personal lives as well with the motivators being: a desire to travel more (55%), to be able to watch TV, films and online content in English (50%) and to be able to read English around them (48%).

Another interesting finding exposed gaps in English’s use in formal education. Despite the language being taught in institutions as a subject, 54% felt they were not ready for communication in the same.

Some 56% said this was due to their learning being focused on grammar and vocabulary rather than real world situations.