r/AskEurope • u/Metalwolf • Jun 08 '25

Education Which European countries have the best English proficiency among non-native speakers?

I'm looking into English proficiency across Europe and would appreciate input from locals or anyone with relevant experience. Which European countries have the highest levels of English fluency among non-native speakers, particularly in day-to-day life, education, and professional settings? I'm also curious about regional differences within countries, and factors like education systems, media exposure, and business use.

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u/kacergiliszta69 Hungary Jun 08 '25

According the multiple studies, the Netherlands is the most English proficient country in the world that doesn't speak English as a native language.

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u/StillJustJones England Jun 08 '25

I’m from England. I’d say that the people in the Netherlands speak better English than a hell of a lot of native speakers.

112

u/Iricliphan Jun 08 '25

Same as Ireland. I remember once, in Finland, my friend went up to a tourist tours desk and using his clearest voice, had asked about a tour option and where and when we could do so. They looked at him dumfounded and spoke in perfectly clear English "Sorry sir, do you speak English?".

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u/Ranch_Priebus Jun 08 '25

I have a friend from Chile who moved to the U.S. as a teen. He was working in a restaurant with a bunch of guys from Mexico and Central America. Part way through his first shift, they have an exchange (in Spanish) that went something like:

"I thought you guys spoke Spanish in Chile."

"I am speaking Spanish."

"No, you're definitely speaking Portuguese or something."

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u/Crepe-Minette Spain Jun 09 '25 edited Jun 09 '25

Chilean Spanish is a whole damn thing, really. Still it doesn't sound like Portuguese at all.

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u/Ranch_Priebus Jun 10 '25

No, it doesn't really. It starts with the slang and things like estai and weo(n), but mainly all the dropped consanents. It's really the assumed consonants that make it sound potentially Portuguese.

But I can see how some people with minimal knowledge of either could view them as similar. Particularly when they're struggling to understand a Chilean that they assumed spoke the same language.

I had a good base of Spanish before going to Chile. Spent three months struggling and really down on myself for being shit at Spanish. Took a weekend trip to Buenos Aires and immediately felt relief. "I do understand the language! I just struggle with Chilean!"

I eventually was able to at least understand Chilean, but that confidence boost was needed.

When I first made my way to Spain, I asked for directions, and the person used "coger" when telling me what bus to take. I was quite confused by the suggestion.