English proficiency might result in an 80% pay increase.

A recent poll found that most people who speak English as a second language think that having strong language abilities may result in a pay boost of up to 80%.  By the end of 2023, over 5,000 English speakers from the US, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Italy, and Japan had taken part in the Pearson research.

Strong English language ability is seen as potentially leading to an 80% income boost, according to 80% of respondents worldwide who feel it is directly related to earning potential. The study also showed the differences between English speakers who are proficient and those who are not.

Among advanced speakers, 75% expressed contentment with their earnings, while 88% expressed contentment with their occupations. Comparatively, 64% of novices expressed satisfaction with their work, while fewer than half (47%) expressed pleasure with their wages. 

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

“However, many people still struggle with a lack of confidence in their ability to speak and understand English, which is making it difficult for them to engage with others, complete everyday tasks at work, or even just to browse social media.”

The study also demonstrated the influence of artificial intelligence. Forty percent of those surveyed think AI will replace workers in five years. In light of AI and technology, 40% of the respondents are now studying English as a result of the phenomena.

Nonetheless, Pearson’s 2023 survey discovered that while 85% of respondents believe that English is essential in the workplace and another 60% use it weekly, just 25% of speakers felt comfortable speaking, writing, listening, and reading the language.

Additionally, 88% of respondents said that companies should give English language training as it is a crucial skill, yet only 33% said that their employers did so.

Regarding India, the country with the second highest proportion of English speakers worldwide, 85% of Indian workers feel that learning the language may help them develop in their careers, according to a Pearson poll conducted in April 2023.

The desire to travel more (55%), to be able to consume TV, movies, and internet content in English (50%) and to be able to read English around them (48%) were the main reasons given by over 79% of the respondents for believing that English is an important ability in their personal lives as well.

Another intriguing discovery revealed weaknesses in the official education system’s usage of English. Even though language is taught as a topic in schools, 54% of respondents said they were not prepared for communication in the same way. About 56% of respondents claimed that this was because they learned more language and vocabulary than they did about actual situations.