Sweden tops in 2nd-language English

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STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- An international education organization based in Switzerland said Sweden is the top English-speaking country for people who speak English as a second language.

Education First said its study, which tested nearly 2 million people in 54 countries for their skills with English as a second language, found Sweden was the most proficient followed by Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland and Norway, The Local.se reported Friday.

"We are extremely proud that Swedes are the best in the world at English," said Mats Ulenius, the head of Education First's Swedish office.

"One of the factors of our success is that we begin with English education already in lower school. Another is that we are exposed to a lot of English as we travel a lot, our TV programs aren't dubbed and we use the Internet a lot," Ulenius said.

"For an export-driven country like Sweden, good English is extremely important. The report has also shown that English is a key factor for economic welfare. A better handle on English goes hand-in-hand with higher income, more export, a good innovation climate, and better business."