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The economic returns to proficiency in English in China

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  • Wang, Haining
  • Smyth, Russell
  • Cheng, Zhiming

Abstract

We examine economic returns to proficiency in English in China using two waves of the China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey (CLDS). We find positive earnings returns to proficiency in English. We find considerable heterogeneity in the economic returns to proficiency in English across age groups, coastal and inland provinces, levels of education and occupation. We find that the returns to proficiency in English are higher in the coastal region, higher for women and evidence of education-language and skill-language complementarity. We also see differences in the economic returns to English between urban and rural residents and between rural-urban migrants and urban locals. Our findings help to explain why the demand for learning English is so high in China, as well as having implications for the Chinese government at a time when it is re-evaluating the importance attached to learning English in the curriculum.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Haining & Smyth, Russell & Cheng, Zhiming, 2017. "The economic returns to proficiency in English in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 91-104.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:43:y:2017:i:c:p:91-104
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2017.01.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Antonio Paolo & Aysit Tansel, 2019. "English skills, labour market status and earnings of Turkish women," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(4), pages 669-690, November.
    2. Jacek Liwiński, 2019. "The wage premium from foreign language skills," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(4), pages 691-711, November.
    3. Cheng, Zhiming & Wang, Ben Zhe & Jiang, Zhou & Taksa, Lucy & Tani, Massimiliano, 2020. "English Skills and Early Labour Market Integration: Evidence from Humanitarian Migrants in Australia," GLO Discussion Paper Series 672, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Trannoy, Alain & Tubeuf, Sandy & Yalonetzky, Gaston, 2021. "Measuring educational inequality of opportunity: pupil’s effort matters," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    5. Zhiming Cheng & Ben Zhe Wang & Lucy Taksa, 0. "Labour Force Participation and Employment of Humanitarian Migrants: Evidence from the Building a New Life in Australia Longitudinal Data," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-24.
    6. Mingzhi Hu & Yulu Yang & Xiaofen Yu, 2020. "Living better and feeling happier: An investigation into the association between housing quality and happiness," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 1224-1238, September.
    7. Dovì, Max-Sebastian, 2019. "Does higher language proficiency decrease the probability of unemployment? Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 1-11.
    8. Zhou, Yonghong & Zhu, Rong & Zheng, Xian, 2020. "Second language skills and labor market outcomes: Evidence from the handover of Hong Kong," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    9. Yang, Mian & Yang, Fuxia & Sun, Chuanwang, 2018. "Factor market distortion correction, resource reallocation and potential productivity gains: An empirical study on China's heavy industry sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 270-279.
    10. Song, Yang, 2018. "Intended and unintended effects of student performance measurement reform in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 133-152.
    11. Vera A. Adamchik & Thomas J. Hyclak & Piotr Sedlak & Larry W. Taylor, 2019. "Wage Returns to English Proficiency in Poland," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 276-295, September.
    12. Cheng, Zhiming & Wang, Ben Zhe & Jiang, Zhou & Taksa, Lucy & Tani, Massimiliano, 2020. "English Skills and Early Labour Market Integration of Humanitarian Migrants," IZA Discussion Papers 13728, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Cheng, Zhiming & Wang, Ben Zhe & Taksa, Lucy, 2017. "Labour Force Participation and Employment of Humanitarian Migrants: Evidence from the Building a New Life in Australia Longitudinal Data," GLO Discussion Paper Series 106, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    14. Antonio Di Paolo & Aysit Tansel, 2019. "“English skills, labour market status and earnings of Turkish women”," AQR Working Papers 201901, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised Jan 2019.
    15. Mauro Mediavilla & María-Jesús Mancebón & José-María Gómez-Sancho & Luis Pires Jiménez, 2019. "Bilingual education and school choice: a case study of public secondary schools in the Spanish region of Madrid," Working Papers 2019/01, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    16. Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2019. "Health outcomes, health inequality and Mandarin proficiency in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-1.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; English proficiency; Education; Wage; Human capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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