Young Spaniards' English proficiency drops 57 points since 2015

Young Spaniards' English proficiency drops 57 points in eight years

English skills among Spaniards aged 18 to 20 have fallen from 571 points in 2015 to 514 in 2023, according to the EF Education First Index presented Tuesday. This 57-point drop over eight years is attributed by Xavier Martí, General Director of EF Spain, to the school system: "The Spanish educational system is not delivering the expected level." The decline is not isolated; globally, this age group lost 89 points.

Spain ranks 35th out of 113 countries with 535 points, above the global average of 493, but only 25th of 34 in Europe. Asturias, Galicia, and Madrid lead among regions, while Andalusia, La Rioja, and Castilla-La Mancha trail. Martí predicts "poor results" in the upcoming PISA report, which will measure students' English for the first time.

What the data says by age group

The pattern is uncomfortable: English improves with age. Groups aged 26 to 30 gained 12 points; those 31 to 40, 19; and those over 41, 14. Only the two youngest cohorts declined. The obvious interpretation is that the system teaches worse than before, but another view suggests adults learn languages due to job necessity, not curriculum obligations.

Some argue the issue lies with the method, not the student. School English classes are filled with crafts, songs, and posters with two words, a pedagogy one participant sarcastically calls "motivational methodology." The core criticism: it assumes language absorption happens via osmosis, without grammar or real correction.

The teacher who can't drive

The most common comparison is driving schools with instructors who don't drive. Teacher proficiency is questioned: educators who rarely left the country, rely on canned tapes, and haven't held real conversations in English. This diagnosis extends to the failure of school bilingualism programs, which haven't raised average levels despite years of implementation.

In defense, proponents cite resources and family context. Those paying for academies and summers abroad master the language; those relying solely on public schools do not. Socioeconomic gaps explain more variation than teaching methods, according to this perspective.

Is studying English in Spain worthwhile?

Consensus breaks here. One camp argues English is overvalued: with Spanish as an international language and improving auto-translators, spending ten school years on a language many won't use is wasteful. Others counter that scientific and technical literature is in English, and ignoring it means professional isolation.

The labor market pushes against complaints: universities raise requirements from B1 to B2, with some degrees targeting C1. The paradox is that proficiency falls while demands rise.

English as a cultural battleground

The debate quickly shifts to identity. Some see the decline as a result of classroom demographics, others attribute it to disinterest from a generation raised on reggaeton and trap. Another group blames poor methods and wasted hours, not student origins.

The discussion intertwines with education policy: critics accuse the system of lowering standards, while defenders argue its goal is issuing degrees and paying salaries, not teaching. A minority reminds us English has vast literary and scientific value, and dismissing it for geopolitical reasons is a mistake.

With these elements, the question isn't if English matters, but if the system teaching it is capable. Or was the problem always there, previously masked by shared-cost private academies?