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Spaniards would rather be fluent in English than have sex or be invisible – even if it cost them thousands of euros, Cambridge University reveals
Spaniards would rather be fluent in English than have sex or be invisible – even if it cost them thousands of euros, Cambridge University reveals
By: thinkSPAIN , Sunday, October 12, 2014
NEARLY half of all residents in Valencia and Castilla y León would happily go without sex for a year in exchange for being fluent in English, a survey by Cambridge University Press has found.
And two-thirds of residents in La Rioja would rather be able to speak English well than be able to make themselves invisible at will.
If a 'magic pill' were available for a cost of 10,000 euros which, after taking it, the person would be able to speak English like a native, seven in 10 residents in Extremadura and half of all those in the Canary Islands would save up the money.
The surreal opinion poll found that the ability to speak English is considered to be one of the most important and longed-for skills among Spaniards, and most would sacrifice a great deal to be able to do so.
This is less the case in Galicia, Madrid, Cantabria and the Canary Islands, where the majority of residents would choose the power to make themselves invisible over being able to speak English fluently, and only a third of Galicia's population would be prepared to give up sex for a year if it meant they had a native level of the language.
Respondents were also asked what they thought about the level of English among Spaniards, and most believed it was well below par.
In the land-locked western region of Extremadura, 85% said it was 'very bad' and all of the remainder said it was 'bad'.
Only 38% believed the level of English teaching in their region was 'good'.
Despite their apparent good intentions, only 20% of Extremadura's population is currently studying English – a figure that is not much higher in Madrid or Navarra where a quarter of residents are learning or improving their skills in the language.
Murcia had one of the best results, with 36% of the population learning the language, compared to Catalunya with 18%.
These figures were taken by considering survey respondents – who were non-native speakers – as being representative of the population as a whole, therefore the percentage of those studying English is not affected by the fact that some regions have a higher number of British, Irish or other Anglo-Saxon citizens among their headcount.
Around 70% are keen to improve their English, although most of those have not done much about it, but 20% have been abroad to study it.
On average, they stayed between one and three months.
Most say they prefer British English to American English.
A high number say learning or improving their level of English is one of the main items on their 'to do' list – 88% in Extremadura, 84% in Murcia and Madrid – and that not being able to speak it or having only a basic level was a hindrance for many of them.
When it came to travelling, or working where they lived in tourism hotspots, many of those surveyed said they felt their lack of English held them back.
This was more the case in Extremadura and Murcia – 74% and 71% respectively – than elsewhere, but the regions with the lowest numbers of respondents who felt not being fluent in English held them back – the Balearics and Canaries – still accounted for 57% and 58%.
---------- Post added 13-oct-2014 at 15:15 ----------
ops, iba a guarderia
Spaniards would rather be fluent in English than have sex or be invisible – even if it cost them thousands of euros, Cambridge University reveals
By: thinkSPAIN , Sunday, October 12, 2014
NEARLY half of all residents in Valencia and Castilla y León would happily go without sex for a year in exchange for being fluent in English, a survey by Cambridge University Press has found.
And two-thirds of residents in La Rioja would rather be able to speak English well than be able to make themselves invisible at will.
If a 'magic pill' were available for a cost of 10,000 euros which, after taking it, the person would be able to speak English like a native, seven in 10 residents in Extremadura and half of all those in the Canary Islands would save up the money.
The surreal opinion poll found that the ability to speak English is considered to be one of the most important and longed-for skills among Spaniards, and most would sacrifice a great deal to be able to do so.
This is less the case in Galicia, Madrid, Cantabria and the Canary Islands, where the majority of residents would choose the power to make themselves invisible over being able to speak English fluently, and only a third of Galicia's population would be prepared to give up sex for a year if it meant they had a native level of the language.
Respondents were also asked what they thought about the level of English among Spaniards, and most believed it was well below par.
In the land-locked western region of Extremadura, 85% said it was 'very bad' and all of the remainder said it was 'bad'.
Only 38% believed the level of English teaching in their region was 'good'.
Despite their apparent good intentions, only 20% of Extremadura's population is currently studying English – a figure that is not much higher in Madrid or Navarra where a quarter of residents are learning or improving their skills in the language.
Murcia had one of the best results, with 36% of the population learning the language, compared to Catalunya with 18%.
These figures were taken by considering survey respondents – who were non-native speakers – as being representative of the population as a whole, therefore the percentage of those studying English is not affected by the fact that some regions have a higher number of British, Irish or other Anglo-Saxon citizens among their headcount.
Around 70% are keen to improve their English, although most of those have not done much about it, but 20% have been abroad to study it.
On average, they stayed between one and three months.
Most say they prefer British English to American English.
A high number say learning or improving their level of English is one of the main items on their 'to do' list – 88% in Extremadura, 84% in Murcia and Madrid – and that not being able to speak it or having only a basic level was a hindrance for many of them.
When it came to travelling, or working where they lived in tourism hotspots, many of those surveyed said they felt their lack of English held them back.
This was more the case in Extremadura and Murcia – 74% and 71% respectively – than elsewhere, but the regions with the lowest numbers of respondents who felt not being fluent in English held them back – the Balearics and Canaries – still accounted for 57% and 58%.
---------- Post added 13-oct-2014 at 15:15 ----------
ops, iba a guarderia
