PISA 2022: Why Taiwan Ranks Top 5 But Still Struggles With English | 為什麼台灣英文排名遠不如學測成績？

本文重點：PISA 2022測驗中，台灣英文閱讀表現優異，但職場英文口說（英文口說練習）與實際溝通能力卻明顯不足。為什麼台灣學生可以通過英文考試，卻無法流利表達？本文深入分析台灣英文學習的核心問題，以及真正提升英文能力的方法。

What PISA Actually Measures | PISA 實際上測量什麼

PISA measures reading comprehension — the ability to read and analyze a text written in the test language. For most participating countries, that means English. For Taiwan, it means Chinese.

PISA does not measure:

• Speaking fluency
• Listening comprehension in real conversation
• The ability to express ideas spontaneously
• Cross-cultural communication

This is not a criticism of PISA. Reading comprehension is a valuable skill and a reasonable proxy for academic ability. But it tells you almost nothing about whether a person can hold a conversation in English.

Taiwan’s high PISA scores are a measure of academic discipline and test-prep excellence. They are not a measure of English communication ability.

The EF EPI Gap | EF 英語能力指數的落差

EF Education First publishes an annual English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) ranking countries by real-world English ability. The methodology includes online English tests taken by adult learners and working professionals.

Taiwan’s EF EPI ranking is consistently in the “Moderate” band — ranked around 48th to 55th globally depending on the year.

Compare that to nearby countries:

• Singapore: Very High proficiency (#2–5 globally)
• Philippines: High proficiency (top 20)
• Hong Kong: High proficiency (top 25)
• Malaysia: Moderate-High proficiency (top 30)

Taiwan, despite its world-class academic scores, lags significantly behind regional neighbors on real English communication ability.

This is the PISA gap: high test scores, lower functional English.

Why Test-Prep English Doesn’t Transfer to Speaking | 為何應試英文無法轉化為口說能力

The reason comes down to how the brain learns language.

There are two types of knowledge:

Declarative knowledge — knowing เกี่ยวกับ something. Grammar rules. Vocabulary definitions. Translation equivalents. This is what Taiwan’s education system is extraordinarily good at building. Students can identify a passive voice construction, explain the difference between “affect” and “effect,” and translate a paragraph accurately.

Procedural knowledge — knowing how to do something automatically. Speaking is procedural. When you speak, you cannot pause to consciously recall a grammar rule. The language has to flow faster than conscious thought.

Test prep builds declarative knowledge. Conversation builds procedural knowledge. They are different cognitive skills, and one does not automatically produce the other.

This is why students who score well on English exams often freeze when speaking to a native speaker. Their declarative knowledge is excellent. Their procedural knowledge — the automatic ability to produce language in real time — was never systematically developed.

The Shadow Education Factor | 補習班的影響

The problem is deepened by Taiwan’s cram school system. Between 60% and 80% of Taiwanese students attend cram schools alongside their public schooling. The English cram school curriculum largely mirrors the exam curriculum: more grammar drills, more reading passages, more multiple-choice practice.

These programs improve exam scores. Research confirms this. But they deepen the same declarative knowledge that already dominates, without adding the procedural communication practice that students are missing.

Students who spend years in English cram schools often graduate with very high reading scores and significant anxiety about speaking.

What Actually Builds English Fluency | 真正提升英文流利度的方法

Language acquisition research is clear about what works:

1. Comprehensible input — listening and reading material just above your current level, in volume
2. Output practice — actually producing spoken and written English, regularly, with feedback
3. Spaced repetition vocabulary — learning words in context, revisiting them systematically
4. Reducing the affective filter — creating a low-anxiety environment where making mistakes is safe

Notice what is not on that list: grammar memorization, translation drills, or timed multiple-choice tests.

The good news is that Taiwan’s students already have a strong foundation. Your reading comprehension, your vocabulary base, your grammar understanding — these are genuinely useful. They accelerate language learning when paired with the right kind of practice.

What 18K English Does Differently | 18K 英文的不同之處

At 18K English, the curriculum is built around communication, not exams.

That means:

• Speaking-first lessons — you produce language from the first minute, not just read about it
• Real-world vocabulary — words and phrases you will use at work, while traveling, in daily life
• Grammar in context — understanding the logic of rules so you apply them automatically, not just on tests
• Conversation practice — regular practice with real feedback from experienced teachers

The goal is not a better score on your next English test. The goal is that the next time you walk into an English-language meeting or conversation, you can participate without freezing.

Taiwan’s PISA ranking already tells the world that you are academically capable. 18K helps you add the communication layer on top.

Explore our [conversation programs →] or start with our [free vocabulary resource →] to see how the approach works.

The Bottom Line | 結論

Taiwan’s top-5 PISA ranking is real and earned. It reflects genuine academic effort and capability.

But PISA measures what schools teach, not what life requires. English speaking — the skill that opens doors in international business, travel, and career growth — is not something PISA tests, and it is not something Taiwan’s education system is optimized to develop.

The gap between your exam English and your spoken English is not a personal failure. It is a predictable outcome of how the system is designed.

Closing that gap is what 18K English is for.