language proficiency survey conducted here. It places Malaysia on top
among all Asian nations and ninth globally.
While Prime Minister Najib Razak has said he is "proud" at Malaysia
being placed on the top, The New Straits Times on Saturday expressed
"surprise" at India being placed at a level similar to China.
"Others may be astounded that countries with better English-speaking
credentials, like India, lag far behind us. It's certainly surprising
that, given its British past and large population of English speakers,
India is on a similar level as China," the newspaper said in an
editorial.
Media reports on the first ever "Education First English Proficiency
Index (EF EPI) 2011" report have not indicated the precise ranking of
India and China.
Many other surveys have noted that India has the highest number of
English-knowing population and the language is used by millions in
education, commerce and public discourse.
Malaysia is the only Asian country rated as "high proficiency" for the
English proficiency level in the report.
Education First, a global education centre, conducted online English
tests on 2.3 million working adults globally from year 2007 to 2009.
English proficiency was tested in four categories -- grammar,
vocabulary, reading and listening.
The EF EPI measures the average English proficiency of an entire
country and compares English skill levels between countries.
For Malaysia, the findings come amid an ongoing debate whether
Mathematics and Science should be taught in English or in the local
Bahasa Malaysia that is spoken by the majority Malays.
The ethnic Chinese and Indians want it to continue in English.
Najib said last on Saturday that the government would study the
possibility of using two mediums of instruction in the teaching of
Science and Mathematics in schools.
The NST editorial said, "Malaysia's standing as the country with the
best command of English in Asia and the only non-European
high-proficiency country definitely defies the widely-held view that
the standard of English has declined with the use of Bahasa Malaysia
as the main medium of instruction."
It noted that most Scandinavian countries had recorded "stellar
performance" in proficiency even though English language was studied
as a foreign language.
"? just as the Northern Europeans are motivated to learn English
because they realize that it is the only way to survive in the global
economy, ...every Malaysian must fully appreciate the cold, hard fact
that mastery of English has become an indispensable asset in today's
world," the newspaper said. IANS
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