Only 27% of respondents say they fully express themselves at work using English: Survey

Those with the highest English proficiency are more satisfied with their existing income and jobs, according to the survey.

Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) went as far as to say their jobs would be easier if they knew better English, and only a quarter (27 percent) of respondents felt they could fully express themselves when using the language to do their jobs, according to a survey by Pearson.

While 85 percent of people feel that English is critical for work and more than 60 percent use English on a weekly basis, only a quarter feel confident across all four skills of reading, listening, writing, and speaking English in the workplace.

Pearson interviewed more than 5,000 speakers of English as a second or additional language from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Italy, and Florida (USA).  Across all countries, 80 percent of respondents believe English proficiency skills are directly linked to earning potential, viewing strong English language skills as leading to as much as an 80 percent salary increase.

Those with the highest English proficiency are more satisfied with their existing income and jobs. According to the research, three-quarters (75 percent) of advanced English speakers are satisfied with their income, compared with less than half (47 percent) of beginner English speakers. Nearly 9 in 10 (88 percent) advanced speakers are satisfied with their job, but this number goes down to fewer than two-thirds (64 percent) among beginners.

The study from Pearson also shows more than half (51 percent) of English learners think knowing the language will open up a wider range of job roles, while two-fifths (40 percent) say English will help them climb the ladder to more senior positions in their field – a number which increases to 56 percent in Saudi Arabia, and to half (50 percent) in Brazil and Florida.