MEXICO CITY, December 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Employees in Mexico and across
the globe see English as a crucial tool to advance their careers,
according to new research from learning company Pearson.
Pearson's research shows that 48% of learners in Mexico see job promotion as a key driver for
learning English compared to those in Europe (39%), China (71%) and the rest of Asia (42%) and, on average, feel they can earn
almost 5,000 US$ more per year with
improved English. Over a third of Mexicans (39%) also said that
they expect their jobs to require ongoing improvement in English if
they want to advance and 91% want to become completely fluent in
English.[1]
Looking at whether learning English helps to improve job
prospects, almost all learners in Mexico (97%) agree, while those in countries
such as Germany (69%) and
Japan (57%) perceive less benefit
in learning English to improve career chances.[2]
To help employees progress their professional English skills
effectively, Pearson is launching tailored learning objectives.
These objectives are part of the Global Scale of English
(GSE), a granular, numeric scale from 10-90 that provides a far
more precise measurement of a learner's abilities across each of
the four language skills - reading, listening, speaking and writing
- in comparison to other methods.
The GSE helps learners understand the individual capabilities of
their employees and identifies the specific skills they need to
perform their role successfully. The GSE learning objectives are
rooted in practical everyday business English. For professionals
who wish to develop their English the GSE learning objectives are a
tool that can be readily used to plan a path to greater English
proficiency. For example,
- a Chief Executive who faces complex discussions and problems,
may want to strive for a GSE score of 75 in speaking to be
persuasive and convince others
- a lawyer who fulfils key responsibilities such as questioning
witnesses during trials, would be advised to aim for a score of 68
in speaking to ensure questions are asked politely in sensitive
situations
- a mechanical engineer who takes readings and follows
instructions, may want to aim for a reading score of 62 in order to
interpret messages from diagrams and visual information
Tas Viglatzis, Managing Director, Pearson English, said: "It's in everyone's
interest to ensure that learning a language isn't seen as just a
'training opportunity', but a solid investment in personal growth
and career development. Now more than ever, English is the common
language of multinational businesses and candidates compete in a
global talent market. Having a global scale will not only help them
to be more efficient, it will also give learners direction on the
specific English skills they need to develop in order to perform
their role successfully."
However, Pearson research also suggests that global businesses
could do more to develop their employees' English skills. While 92%
of global employees report that English is important for their
career progression, only 7% of non-native English speakers in
global companies believe they can communicate effectively at work -
for example when using English in emails, conversations, phone
calls or meetings.[3]
As a result, businesses are missing out on crucial benefits to
the bottom line: Pearson found that improved English skills can
boost a businesses' productivity. On average, companies gained one
working week per year, per employee.
Visit http://www.english.com for more information on the GSE or
http://www.linkedin.com/company/pearson-english.
About Pearson:
Pearson is the world's leading learning company, with 40,000
employees in more than 80 countries working to help people of all
ages to make measurable progress in their lives through
learning.
Pearson English is a division of
Pearson and millions of teachers and students use our English
language learning resources and tools each year. We offer dynamic
and effective learning solutions to individuals, institutions and
corporations in over 150 countries.
About GSE:
The Global Scale of English (GSE) is a standardised, granular
scale which measures English language proficiency. Unlike some
other frameworks which describe attainment in broad bands, the GSE
identifies what a learner can do at each point on the scale across
speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
The scale is designed to motivate learners by accurately
demonstrating step-by-step progress. Teachers can match a student
to the right course materials to suit their exact level and
learning goals. The GSE serves as a standard against which English
language courses and assessments worldwide can be benchmarked,
offering a truly global and shared understanding of proficiency
levels.
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1. Wall Street English, Wall Street English Research, 2015
2. Wall Street English, Wall Street English Research, 2015
3. Pearson English Business Solutions and CEB, Measuring the
continuing impact - Business English as a prerequisite for global
business, 2015
For more information please contact:
Elias Parra
elias.parra@pearson.com
Sophie Ausina
sophie.ausina@pearson.com
Phone number: +5215527630767