8 in 10: “You need both AI and English skills to boost your market value”

[Financial News] Although artificial intelligence (AI) technology is spreading rapidly, the importance of English proficiency in the job market and the workplace is becoming even more pronounced. The prevailing view is that people with both AI skills and English proficiency will be ahead in their careers and income levels in the future.
According to the results of a survey conducted on the 12th by the Korea TOEIC Committee under YBM, which polled 500 students, job seekers and workers for its “Survey on Perceptions of English and AI Skills in the Age of AI,” 78.2% of respondents said, “People with both English proficiency and AI skills will be ahead of those without them in their future careers and income levels.”
Some point out that basic English proficiency is essential even for using AI tools efficiently. Of the respondents, 65.2% believed that “people with English proficiency can use AI more effectively,” while 56.6% said that “those with insufficient English skills could fall behind in the race to use the latest AI tools or access global information.”
The findings also confirmed that advances in AI translation technology cannot fully replace the need for individuals to learn English. A total of 75.2% of respondents said that English proficiency remains important even as AI translation technology advances. The main reasons cited (multiple responses allowed) were “real-time communication (47.6%),” needed in settings such as in-person meetings and video conferences, and “understanding nuance, context and culture (42.6%).”
The synergy between the two skills was also highlighted in the job market. While 78.8% of respondents said that “AI skills affect one’s competitiveness in the job market,” 61.4% also said that “the importance of English in the job market will grow as AI technology advances.”
A representative of YBM’s Korea TOEIC Committee said, “This survey was conducted to examine perceptions of the relationship between English proficiency and AI skills in an environment where AI technology is spreading rapidly.” The representative added, “The results showed that many believe English proficiency remains important even as AI translation technology advances, and that having both English proficiency and AI skills will help improve competitiveness in finding a job and advancing one’s career.”  

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter