Measuring inequality in access to English across East Asia

Abstract

This study statistically examines disparities in access to acquiring English language proficiency (ELL-access gaps) in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, using nationally representative survey data and a model that assumes causal relationships of ‘social origins → English proficiency’. While previous studies have focused on the mere presence or absence of ELL-access gaps based on single-country case studies, this research adopts a cross-national approach to analyse both the magnitude and generational change of such gaps. Regression analyses reveal that all four jurisdictions exhibit non-negligible gaps related to parental education, with relatively smaller disparities in Japan and larger ones in China and Taiwan. These gaps have either persisted across birth cohorts or even shown some indications of widening among younger generations. Furthermore, a comparison between the 2008 and 2018 survey waves reveals no consistent pattern of period effects, suggesting that recent increases in inequality are more likely driven by cohort-based dynamics.