1

Language Data from the American Community Survey

2

Overview

• Language data background

• Differences between the Census and the American Community Survey

• Accessing language data

• Language-Use website

• Other resources

– PUMS, DataFerrett, and Custom Tabulations

• Summary

3

Language Data Questions

4

Language Data BackgroundProcessing of Language Spoken at Home

• Language write-ins are coded to about 380 detailed language categories

• We use the standard classification list of 39 categories for detailed language groups

• Most tables collapse into the 4 major language groups: Spanish, Other Indo-European languages, Asian and Pacific Island languages, and all other languages

5

Language Data BackgroundQuestions Asked – Ability to Speak English

• English-speaking ability represents the person’s own perception about his or her English-speaking ability

• The Census Bureau does not define Limited English Proficiency or non-Limited English Proficient populations

6

Language Data BackgroundQuestions Asked – Ability to Speak English

• In 1982, the U.S. Census Bureau fielded the English Language Proficiency Survey (ELPS) and concluded that those who spoke English less than “very well” had some difficulty with the tests administered in the ELPS

• No study has been conducted to measure the performance of the ACS question on English-speaking ability since the 1982 ELPS

7

Language Data BackgroundQuestions Asked – Linguistic Isolation

• A linguistically isolated household is one in which no person age 14 years or over speaks English at least “very well.”

• That is no person age 14 or over speaks only English at home or speaks another language at home and speaks English “very well.”

8

American Community SurveyDifferences with the Decennial Census

• 2010 Census focus is on the count and basic demographics

• The sample data, historically collected on the “long form” in the census, are now collected throughout the decade in the ACS

• ACS samples about 3 million addresses each year

9

American Community SurveyDifferences with the Decennial Census

• The ACS provides yearly updates (1-year estimates) on socio-economic characteristics such as language use

• 3-year estimates will provide data for populations of 20,000 or more

• 5-year of sample are needed to produce estimates comparable to the 2000 Census long form sample products

10

American Community Survey Data Products Release Schedule

- Data products are released in the year following the single-year or multi-year period in which data are collected.

Data Product Population Size CY CY CY CY CY CY CY CYof Area 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1-Year Estimates 65,000+ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012for Data Collected in:

3-Year Estimates 20,000+ 2005-2007 2006-2008 2007-2009 2008-2010 2009-2011 2010-2012for Data Collected in:

5-Year Estimates All Areas* 2005-2009 2006-2010 2007-2011 2008-2012for Data Collected in:

* Five-year estimates will be available for areas as small as census tracts and block groups.Source: US Census Bureau

11

Accessing Language Data

• Demonstration on how a data user (you) can access the wealth of ACS data available from the American FactFinder (AFF) website

• You can use AFF for Census 2000, the ACS, the Puerto Rico Community Survey, and other surveys.

• Start at http://www.census.gov/

12

Other Resources

• The ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file website http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/index.html

• The ACS Custom Tabulation websitehttp://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/spec_tabs/index.htm

• The DataFerrett websitehttp://dataferrett.census.gov/

• The Language-Use websitehttp://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/lang_use.html

131313

For more information

Subscribe to “ACS Alert”http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Special/Alerts.htm

Visit the ACS/PRCS website:http://www.census.gov/acs/www

Contact by telephone: General Questions on the ACS: 1-800-923-8282

Questions on Language Data: 301-763-2464

Contact by email:General Questions on the ACS acso.users.support@census.gov

Questions on Language Data: Hyon.B.ShinATcensus.gov