News
Will AI replace our need to master English? (Op-Ed published in Les Echos)
You read it everywhere: AI, and more specifically generative AI tools, risk replacing many professions. Writers, photographers, software engineers, lawyers… all trades that must face a wave that is as worrying as it is fascinating.
Professions related to language learning and translation are on the front line of this surge.
In this context, what will become of language learning in general, and English in particular? Will this dependence on AI and LLMs (Large Language Models) make learning English optional?
Mastering AI means mastering English
A recent survey*, conducted among 1,325 HR decision-makers from 17 countries (including France), shows exactly the opposite…
74% of HR decision-makers surveyed in France believe that the integration of AI increases the need for English proficiency. Globally, this figure rises to 81%, perhaps reflecting a lag in perception in France.
But why this increased need for English?
On average, 90% of the HR directors surveyed agree on these 4 explanatory factors:
- The use of an ever-growing variety of AI-powered tools;
- The need to verify the accuracy of AI-generated information;
- The need to craft effective prompts;
- The evolution of responsibilities brought about by AI-enabled automation.
Strengthening our English skills to stay in the race
Year after year, international benchmarks paint the same picture: France suffers from a persistent lag in English, both in education and in the workplace.
Let us remember: mastering English is a driver of growth on two fronts. First for employees, whose employability is strengthened. Then for the country, for which English acts as an engine of growth for our exports.
Faced with accelerating global collaboration and the exponential adoption of AI within our companies, the practice of English — and therefore its assessment — must be strengthened, to make it a strategic asset.
The report also highlights the question of assessment, which remains a sensitive point, particularly in France. While 89% of HR decision-makers consider English more strategic than it was 5 years ago, only 21% currently require a certification for all new hires. 54% plan to do so within five years.
Should there be a mandatory English level at the end of secondary education?
The report finally shows that countries which have established a minimum English level at the end of secondary school achieve better results in the workplace.
Thus, globally, 83% of employers whose government imposes a minimum English level report being very satisfied with their employees' ability to develop new business partnerships, compared to 76% among those not subject to this requirement. Other positive effects are observed on productivity and customer satisfaction.
It would be worthwhile for France, which does not have such a practice, to open this substantive debate on the role of public authorities in language training and the certification of future workers.
So, should we strengthen our English practice in France?
As the first among us might say: "for sure!"
Laurence Carlinet, Secretary General of ETS EMEA
*The TOEIC Global English Skills Report is a report based on an online survey conducted among 1,325 HR decision-makers in 17 countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, from September 30 to October 10, 2025.