By Pemphero Malimba
Malawi has been ranked among countries with low English proficiency in the world.
This is according to Education First (EF) English proficiency index 2025 which attracted 2.2 million participants across 123 countries of an average of 26 years old.
Unlike in previous years, when EF SET tested only reading and listening skills, the 2025 version saw participants being assessed on their writing and speaking skills.
On the index, Malawi is on number 84 globally and 14 on the African continent, which is a slight jump from 2024’s number 95 globally and 15 on the continent.
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However, the country is ranked in the low proficiency category together with countries such as Mozambique, China, Egypt, India and Brazil.
The index indicates that reading, listening, speaking and writing skills are still low among many adults.
“Almost all the countries where reading comprehension is not the strongest skill are in the low or very low proficiency band, and only one country has reading as its weakest skill. Countries with higher English proficiency have larger skill gaps between their strongest and weakest skill, with the average gap almost twice as wide in very high proficiency countries compared to low and very low proficiency ones,” it says.
It has therefore recommended countries to re-train English teachers in communicative teaching methods if they were initially trained using other methods and ensure that English is taught only by people who speak the language well enough to instruct in it.
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It adds that countries should set a minimum level required to teach English, test instructors regularly, and train those who miss the mark and assess the English skills of all public servants and provide training as necessary, not only for their current jobs, but also for their careers.
Education Ministry spokesperson Lily Kampani asked for ample time before he could comment on the matter.
However, Civil Society Education Coalition Executive Director Benedicto Kondowe said the recommendations were spot on.
“Without competent teachers, clear minimum standards, regular testing, and continuous retraining—plus strong mother-tongue literacy in early grades—English learning will keep producing shallow results.
“Assessing and upskilling public servants is also critical; language capacity is a productivity issue, not a cosmetic one,” Kondowe said.
Education First is an international education company that focuses on language, academics, cultural exchange and educational travel.
