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
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