A waiter serves customers at a restaurant on Laowaijie on Hongmei Road - it's not always as easy for foreigners to communicate with Chinese in this city. Photo: IC

A recent report by English First pegged Shanghai above Hong Kong in an index of English literacy, with the big city scoring 53.93 to Hong Kong's 52.70.

Some people have said this is good news for Shanghai as it aims to place itself as an international city open to foreign business and visitors.

However, this ranking was against the backdrop of an overall score of 49.41 for the Chinese mainland, earning it a "low proficiency" rating and ranking it number 12 out of 16 countries and regions in Asia.

The report also said the Chinese mainland remained "stagnant" despite its investments in English training.

The rankings were also based on test results for people looking to enrol in English courses, so the sample was rather narrow.

The Global Times took to the streets to ask expats of their experiences of getting by in English in Shanghai, and if they have ever been particularly impressed by the English proficiency of a local.

Tania Pitt, student, the UK

I've been traveling in China for three weeks now and the level of English in Shanghai is definitely better, at least in the bars and restaurants. But it is still difficult using taxis if you don't have an address written down. The subway is pretty easy, but buses are very challenging, unless someone tells you which stop to get off at. It's okay if you can plan your interactions.

I try to work out what may cause me a problem in my itinerary, and then look at my dictionary or ask the hostel staff to help with anything I think might be a problem before I go out. However, I still find myself struggling in more unforseen circumstances.

When I was on the Bund today, I was approached by a couple of young Chinese people who wanted to learn English. Unfortunately, I think they were from out of town and their English wasn't so good. I still tried to be polite though.

Marcus Lawrence, manager, the US

I wouldn't say the overall level of English in Shanghai is particularly good. However, I think you can get by without learning much, or any, Chinese, as the city is so international. Especially in the center. The big things, like renting an apartment, happen rarely enough that you can rely on local friends to help you out. When you go shopping you don't need to speak Chinese. Of course, I still think foreigners should learn the language, especially if they are here for a long time. But many don't get around to it, and you can see why.

I can't believe that Shanghai is above Hong Kong in English terms.

My favorite examples of speaking English with locals is definitely when there's an old person on the bus or in the park, who you assume can't speak English, but they learned it long ago and want to try it out with you. That's happened to me a couple of times.

James Whiting, marketing, the UK

I remember it was frustrating before I learned to speak Chinese. But it can be just as frustrating even when you can speak Chinese. When I was an English teacher, there was a great range of abilities in my class. Some of the kids were really good, pretty much fluent, even though they had never studied abroad.

I read that they are cutting down the requirements for English in the gaokao exam (the national college entrance examinations) - I hope this doesn't mean it is neglected as a subject. But because of the pressure kids are under, I fear that if it's not on the gaokao, then they won't put in the time to study it. Which will be a shame.

I find it funny seeing the way some foreigners assume that the Chinese people around them can't understand English, so they might be on the subway surrounded by Chinese people, and talking loudly and making observations about the people around them.

Stacey Bridge, teacher, Canada

There's no way Shanghai is above Hong Kong in terms of English, which is an official language in Hong Kong. At least in Hong Kong, you can get taxi drivers to understand you for the most part with simple English. There's no chance of that here.

You could find yourself in a shop here where no one speaks English, but in Hong Kong, even if the person you are dealing with can't speak English so well, there's always someone nearby who can help out.

My favorite interaction involving English in Shanghai was when I was complaining to some builders in my apartment building who had started work too early in the morning and woken me up. I was yelling at them in Chinese, and getting frustrated, so I swore in English. As soon as they heard that, they got angry and started swearing back in English. I think those were the only words they knew.

Steven Park, intern, the US

Shanghai is probably the best city for English on the Chinese mainland, but certainly not above Hong Kong. You can go into most convenience stores in Hong Kong and the clerk will speak English, but that's not the case here.

Also, things are more bi-lingual there, such as instruction booklets and contracts. It's just easier all around to get by there in English.

My favorite thing to do with locals speaking English in Shanghai is when you hear people throw random English words into their Chinese sentences. Sometimes it is because it is a technical term that is just easier to say in English, like "DVD."

But sometimes it is random or dumb, like when girls like to yell "Oh my God!" You can tell they can't speak any other English, and they probably don't even know what they are saying. They just try to show off.