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A recent index that measures English language ability around the world finds that young people’s English language proficiency is decreasing.
最近一份衡量全球英语能力的指数发现，年轻人的英语熟练程度正在下降。
The 2023 EF English Proficiency Index (EPI) ranks countries and areas by English proficiency. The index is based on test results from 2.2 million people in 113 countries. The test is published by EF Education First, a private company based in Switzerland. VOA Learning English has a partnership with EF Education First to provide the online test to English learners.
2023年EF英语熟练指数（EPI）对各国和地区进行了英语熟练度排名。该指数基于来自113个国家的220万人的测试结果。该测试由瑞士的EF教育第一公司发布。VOA Learning English与EF教育第一公司合作，为英语学习者提供在线测试。
The EPI found that while young people's English skills are decreasing, working adults continue to increase their proficiency in English. There are different opinions about why the difference exists. Some people blame the COVID-19 pandemic, but others say artificial intelligence (or AI) tools could also be a reason.
EPI发现，尽管年轻人的英语技能在减弱，但职场成年人的英语熟练度仍在提高。关于为什么存在这种差异，不同的人有不同的意见。有人责怪COVID-19大流行，但也有人表示人工智能（或AI）工具也可能是原因之一。
EF Education First released the 2023 index last November. EF EPI author Kate Bell warned that the 2023 index gives a false sense of global stability, meaning English speakers’ proficiency stays about the same. But the truth is that gains in some countries are being offset by losses in others, Bell said in an EF Education First press release.
EF教育第一公司于去年11月发布了2023年指数。EF EPI的作者凯特·贝尔（Kate Bell）警告说，2023年指数给人一种错误的全球稳定感，意味着英语使用者的熟练程度保持大致不变。但贝尔在EF教育第一公司的新闻稿中表示，事实是一些国家的提升被其他国家的下降所抵消。
Results by age group
Results were reported by age group for the first time in 2015. Since that time, the English proficiency of young people has decreased by 89 points. The EPI defines young people as being 18 to 20 years of age.
自2015年首次报告以来，结果首次按年龄组报告。从那时起，年轻人的英语熟练度下降了89个点。EPI将年轻人定义为18到20岁的人。
However, the EPI notes that the 18 to 20 group was mostly stable with big decreases in a few large countries. India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Japan showed the largest proficiency decreases among youth.
然而，EPI指出，18至20岁的年龄组在大多数情况下保持稳定，只有在一些大国中出现了较大的下降。印度、印尼、墨西哥和日本在青年中显示出最大的熟练度下降。
Kansuke Ikebe is a 21-year-old student from Shiga, Japan. He told VOA Learning English that the results are “really surprising. In my opinion, I’ve never felt it is decreasing. It is maybe because there are many youth who can speak English in my university.”
池边寒介（Kansuke Ikebe）是来自日本滋贺县的一名21岁的学生。他告诉VOA Learning English说，结果“真的让人吃惊。在我看来，我从未觉得它在减少。也许是因为在我的大学里有很多能说英语的年轻人。”
The EPI report noted that the decrease appears to have taken place when the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with normal education. The report said, “It is not yet clear if learning loss due to Covid will self-correct over time,” but increased scores are expected in the future.
EPI的报告指出，减少似乎发生在COVID-19大流行干扰正常教育的时候。报告称，“目前还不清楚由于COVID而导致的学习损失是否会随时间自我纠正”，但未来预计会有增加的分数。
The EPI said the problem is more difficult in countries where proficiency has been decreasing over time and “where education systems are teaching English less well than before.”
EPI表示，在那些英语熟练度随时间下降的国家，“教育体系的英语教学不如以前那么好”时，问题变得更加困难。
There has been a decrease in proficiency in Japan for nearly 10 years. Ikebe said he could believe the EPI results because of the way English is taught in Japan. “It makes nobody want to learn English more. It is not practical at all and really boring.”
在日本，英语熟练度近10年来一直在下降。池边表示，他能够相信EPI的结果，因为在日本英语的教学方式。 “它使得没有人想更多地学习英语。它一点也不实用，而且非常无聊。”
However, working adults, people 26 years old and older, have been improving their English since 2015. The EPI said this might be because the value of a shared language is most recognized in the workplace. English creates possibilities for individuals and productivity for organizations.
然而，职场成年人，即26岁及以上的人，自2015年以来一直在提高英语水平。EPI表示，这可能是因为在工作场所最认可共同语言的价值。英语为个人创造了可能性，为组织提高了生产力。
Results by gender
Results from the index also show a difference
between men and women, what it calls a gender gap. The gender gap among those aged 18 to 25 is three times bigger than it is among working adults. Men’s proficiency has improved by 14 points since 2015, while women’s has decreased by 19 points.
该指数的结果还显示了男女之间的差异，即所谓的性别差距。在18到25岁的人群中，性别差距是职场成年人的三倍大。自2015年以来，男性的熟练度提高了14点，而女性的下降了19点。
The lack of women in international jobs could be one reason for the gender gap the EPI said. But the gender gap among those aged 18 to 25 might demonstrate “a problem engendered by educational systems themselves or a societal problem schools are failing to address,” the report said.
EPI表示，缺乏在国际职位上的女性可能是性别差距的原因之一。但在18到25岁的人群中存在的性别差距可能表明，“教育体系本身引发的问题或学校未能解决的社会问题”，报告称。
An exception was the Middle East. The average score for women in that area has increased by 44 points, placing them ahead of men there.
一个例外是中东。该地区女性的平均分数增加了44点，超过了那里的男性。
Lower average scores
One notable trend in the 2023 EF EPI is that all the very high proficiency countries and many of the high proficiency countries had lower average scores than in 2022. This could be a possible effect of the pandemic on learning, travel and in-person communication.
2023年EF EPI中一个显著的趋势是，所有非常高熟练度的国家和许多高熟练度的国家的平均分数都低于2022年。这可能是大流行对学习、旅行和面对面交流的可能影响。
The Czech Republic is one country whose score dropped in 2023.
捷克共和国是2023年分数下降的一个国家。
Sabina Wyrob is with the Czech office of EF Education First. She told the Czech News Agency online teaching during the pandemic affected children’s English skills. Schools and students are trying to catch up on what was missed, she told the news organization, but they are still not moving forward.
Sabina Wyrob在EF Education First的捷克办事处工作。她告诉捷克通讯社，在大流行期间的在线教学影响了儿童的英语技能。她告诉新闻机构，学校和学生正在努力弥补落下的内容，但他们仍然没有取得进展。
The reach of AI
The EPI report says that learning a language provides understanding of new ideas as well as better understanding of people. These skills, the report said, remain beyond the reach of AI, or artificial intelligence.
EPI的报告称，学习一门语言不仅可以理解新思想，还可以更好地理解人。报告称，这些技能仍然超出了人工智能的范围。
But Ikebe said in Japan: “now AI and translation are being developed well. So, they don’t need to learn English if they just do their homework. I think they don’t use it as a tool to communicate, just a subject to pass the entrance exam.”
但池边在日本表示：“现在AI和翻译正在得到良好的发展。因此，如果他们只是做作业，他们就不需要学英语。我认为他们不把它作为交流的工具，只是通过入学考试的科目。”
Jeannie Tse is a country manager at EF Hong Kong and Macau. She spoke to The Standard newspaper in Hong Kong.
谢詠璇是EF香港澳门的国家经理。她接受了香港《英文虎报》的采访。
Tse said that while AI has changed the way young people work and learn, the importance of schools, teachers, and face-to-face instruction remains. "I do not believe that AI can completely replace language learning,” Tse said, “but educators can harness AI to enhance language learning methods.”
谢说，虽然人工智能已经改变了年轻人的工作和学习方式，但学校、教师和面对面的指导仍然至关重要。 “我不相信AI能完全取代语言学习，”谢说，“但教育工作者可以利用AI来提升语言学习方法。”
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Words in This Story
proficiency–n. ability to use or knowledge of a language
stable—adj. remain the same
practical –adj. related to what is real rather than what is imagined or is a possibility
boring –adj. not interesting
gender—n. the sex of a person; male or female
gap—n. a space between two things
engender—v. to cause
translation –n. changing writing from one language to another
harness—v. to control and make use of
enhance –v. to improve or add to something
