EF English Proficiency Index: Brno speaks better English than Prague
Czechs have improved their English skills, with the country ranking 23rd in the global English Proficiency Index published by EF Education First. Brno performed especially well, surpassing Prague – and even cities such as Oslo, Bern, and Brussels.
Czechia’s overall score increased by 15 points compared to last year, with the biggest progress seen among younger age groups (aged 18 to 30). Tereza Dostalíková, Marketing Manager at EF Czechia, evaluated the 23rd-place ranking as a “pretty good result.” She noted:
“Based on the results, we can reflect that the English level of our citizens is getting better and stabilising after the Covid19 pandemic.”
Still, the results are not yet on par with neighbouring countries. Slovakia, Poland, Germany, and Austria all reached C1 levels in English, while Czechia remains at B2. However, Dostalíková pointed out that the gap is “not huge”, though “our neighbours are definitely going faster than Czechia” in improving their English.
One striking finding is that Brno outperformed Prague, even though the capital would normally be expected to lead. While the reasons behind this are not entirely clear, in Brno, people seem more motivated to learn English for practical reasons, as they are more likely to move abroad. But in Prague, residents can comfortably get by speaking Czech without necessarily wanting or needing to move abroad.
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The ranking, which is based on the results of the free online EF SET test, is topped by the Netherlands with a score of 624 points, compared to Czechia’s 582 and Brno’s 620. While the test and the index provide a useful indication of English proficiency around the word, Dostalíková acknowledges that “the test-taking population represented in the Index is self-selected and not guaranteed to be representative of the country or region as a whole, but only of those who want to take the test.”
Another surprising result this year is that Croatia ranked second globally, likely due to the country’s strong tourism sector, which motivates Croatians to learn and use English. At the lower end of the European ranking is Italy, which came 59th.
