Indonesia's English Proficiency Index is Low, Patra Jasa Trains Their Employees with AI from ELSA Speak

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - English language skills have an important role for the hospitality industry to improve service to customers.

According to the Harvard Business Review, in Indonesia, only 0.3 percent of the 250 million population uses English as a first language, and only 30.8 percent have English skills based on Cudy Technology research in 2023.

This emphasizes the urgency of mastering English in the digital era for business success and customer satisfaction.

In response to this challenge, Patra Jasa, a business entity operating in the property, hospitality and multi-service sectors in Indonesia, has initiated steps to improve the English language skills of their employees.

In collaboration with ELSA Speak, they launched the English Community Program for employees on November 10 2023.

ELSA Speak is a world-class learning platform with artificial intelligence (AI) and voice recognition, which has been trusted by more than 57 million users from 190 countries.

In this program, ELSA combines interesting classes with native English-speaking tutors and AI technology.

Before starting the program, more than 200 Patra Jasa employees underwent an English language assessment test using AI technology from ELSA to determine their level of ability.

Patra Jasa's Learning and Development Manager, Andi Ryan, stated that English language skills have an important role in the services provided by the company.

"The English Community Program provides new experiences for us in developing foreign language competencies and of course improves the quality of human resources for employees," he said.

Within one month, this program succeeded in increasing the average English language proficiency score of Patra Jasa employees by 6 percent (from 62 percent to 68 percent).

This figure shows an increase of 1 English Proficiency Level from lower intermediate to intermediate level.

"The increase in the average score by Patra Jasa is extraordinary because it exceeds industry standards which generally start from 5 percent," said Yasser Muhammad Syaiful, Country Manager of ELSA Speak Indonesia.

According to one of the program participants, Sofyan M, the ELSA learning method is very flexible and easy to understand.

"Apart from that, the tutors were fun and high quality, so we felt our English skills improve quickly," added the man who works as a Learning and Development Analyst for Patra Jasa.

With promising positive results, it is hoped that this program will continue to have a positive impact on the company. Collaboration with ELSA Speak is not only expected to improve Patra Jasa's global position, but also to raise company standards globally.