site.btaEurobarometer: Majority of Bulgarians See Biggest Benefit from English Language for Personal Development

For a majority of 57% of Bulgarians, the biggest benefit from knowing the English language is for their personal development. 10% of Bulgarians say the same for Russian, 14% for German and 5% for French, according to a Eurobarometer poll made public Tuesday by the European Commission. 

In comparison, EU-wide the benefit from knowing the English language as a foreign language is recognized by 77% of people, up from 14% for German, 3% for Russian and 13% for French. 

When asked to choose for their children as a foreign language to learn, 81% of Bulgarians and 85% in the rest of Europe pick English, while Russian is the choice for 7% in Bulgaria and 2% in the other EU countries.

Most commonly, EU citizens say that speaking a foreign language is useful for work abroad (51%), or for finding a good job (42043%), for understanding people from other cultures (41% in Bulgaria and 45% in  the EU). There are more pronounced differences when it comes to the usefulness of knowing a foreign language for travel abroad (42% EU-wide and 31% in Bulgaria), for business trips (40% EU-wide and 31% in Bulgaria), for study abroad (37% EU-wide and 31% in Bulgaria).

One in three Bulgarians and nearly half of the other Europeans (47%) say that they can carry a conversation in English. 14% of Bulgarians and 3% in the rest of the EU can engage in a conversation in Russian; 3% and 11%, respectively, in French; 5% and 10%, respectively, in German

Most commonly, Europeans use a foreign language online or to watch a film. One in two people EU-wide and one in three Bulgarians speak a foreign language when they go on vacation abroad. 15% of Bulgarians and 28% EU-wide use a foreign language to read a book and read news. 7% of Bulgarians and 12% EU-wide use a foreign language to learn.

For 39% of Bulgarians, there aren't enough reasons to study a foreign language and 28% say they have no time for that. One in five Bulgarians say that it too expensive.

In remarks on the occasion of the release of the new Eurobarometer figures, EU Education and Youth Commissioner Iliana Ivanova said, as quoted by the EC, that Europeans recognize the value of studying foreign languages and knowing foreign languages is important for mutual understanding.