The English Divide.

Most Puerto Ricans may not speak the world’s language of business ‘very well,’ but at least they want to.

You’ve probably heard of the Digital Divide, or the significant gap between workers and citizens able to easily work with computers and digital devices, and those who can’t. With so many jobs nowadays demanding digital skills, the divide has essentially locked a high number of Puerto Ricans out of the labor force.

The same goes for the island’s huge English Divide, thoroughly documented by the CARIBBEAN BUSINESS Aug. 30 Front-Page story, which showed that as the rest of the world moves rapidly, even relentlessly, toward English proficiency, the island remains painfully stuck in an abysmal lack thereof.

The story points to U.S. Census Bureau figures revealing that 81.1% of the population ages 5 & older speaks English less than “very well”—86.5% in rural areas, precisely where unemployment is highest and the labor-participation rate is lowest.

Both divides, in fact, contribute to making the participation rate difficult to raise. At a historic low of 39.2%, it ranks among the very lowest in the world.

The good news is that, at least when it comes to English, a large majority of Puerto Rico residents agrees this is the wrong path and wants it to change.

When asked in the latest Gaither International, WOSO Radio, CARIBBEAN BUSINESS weekly poll whether they “believe learning English is essential for professional success,” 71% answered they “completely agree,” while 17% said they “somewhat agree.”

“This means 88% of the total agree with the notion that English proficiency is a major contributor when it comes to career success,” said Gaither Vice President Beatriz Castro. “On the other hand, 8% maintain a neutral position, saying they ‘neither agree nor disagree,’ while 2% ‘somewhat’ or ‘completely’ disagree on the subject.”

The poll questioned 1,484 people in face-to-face interviews, or a representative sample of adults in Puerto Rico, and had a statistical margin of error of ±2.84.

A majority that big means the results were “pretty much across the board,” she added, but “there are some distinctions regarding demographics. For instance, respondents with higher education levels are likelier than those with low education levels to agree on English being essential for success. Similar tendencies can be seen regarding incomes, where islanders with higher incomes are likelier than those with low incomes to agree with the statement.” 

For more information at http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com