MANILA, Philippines -- There has been a “substantial" improvement in Filipinos’ proficiency in the English language, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

Results of the March 30-April 2 survey of the SWS showed an “apparent recovery” -- based on the respondents’ own assessment of themselves -- in the locals’ ability to read and write English, compared to the results of a similar survey in March 2006.

However, their ability to speak and think in English has not fully recovered, according to SWS head Mahar Mangahas.

About 76 percent of 1,200 voting-age adults surveyed said they could understand spoken English, 11 percentage points higher than those polled in March 2006.

About three-fourths of respondents, or 75 percent, said they could read English while 61 percent of respondents said they could write English, compared to 2006 figures of 65 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

Less than half of respondents (46 percent) said they could speak English while 38 percent said they could think in English, clearly an improvement over 2006 survey results of 32 percent and 27 percent.

The same survey also showed a marked improvement in the English competency of various occupational groups: non-agricultural/unskilled, 77 percent (from 60 percent in 2006); non-agricultural/skilled, 80 percent (72 percent); non-agricultural/entrepreneur, 80 percent (72 percent); agricultural/operators, 65 percent (45 percent), clerical/administrative/sales/community workers, 87 percent (80 percent), professional/technical/managers, 90 percent (82 percent); and not working, 77 percent (66 percent).

The March 2006 survey showed a decline in all aspects of English proficiency, most notably in Filipinos’ ability to speak English.

In September 2000, about 77 percent of Filipino adults said they understood spoken English, another 65 percent said they could read the foreign language, 48 percent said they could write English, 32 percent said they could speak the language, while 54 percent said they could think in English.

In the latest SWS survey, eight percent of respondents said they were not competent in any way when it comes to the English language, a decline of six percentage points over the 2006 figure.

According to SWS, self-assessed English competence was high in the National Capital Region where almost nine out of 10 adults (86 percent) said they could understand spoken English; three out of four (77 percent) said they could read English; two out of three (68 percent) said they could write English; three out of five (62 percent) said they could speak English; half or 51 percent said they could think in English while a low two percent they were not competent in the language.

English competence was also higher in urban compared to rural areas.

In urban areas, 81 percent of adults said they could understand English compared to only 71 percent in rural communities.

Among socio-economic classes ABC, 82 percent of respondents said they could understand the language compared to 80 percent and 66 percent in the D and E classes.

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