How do you say, "I think I'm lost" in Norway?
Easy. You can say, "I think I'm lost."
The Oslo daily newspaper Aftenposten reports that a two-year, 44-nation study of language ability found that Scandinavians are best in the world at using English as a second language -- and that Norwegians are best of all.
"Norwegians are world champions in English," the Aftenposten headline reads.
Education First, which operates more than 400 language schools and offices in 50 countries, sponsored the study.
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"Nobody masters the English language better than Norwegians among those countries that don't have English as their first language," said Morten Davidsen, who leads EF's Norway office.
Next in line: the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Like Norway, they are small, rich and northern European, and they all boast strong educational systems. They also are countries with languages that aren't widely spoken in the rest of the world, which puts a premium on learning a second or third language.
"The research shows that countries that spend much time and resources on the upbringing and education of children have stronger English-speaking abilities among adults," Davidsen told Aftenposten.
"We see that Norwegian youth understand that good language skills can open many doors, and many therefore choose to take some of their schooling either in England or the United States to learn English well."
To read the Aftenposten report -- in Norwegian -- go to http://tinyurl.com/3bpvaoq
