Name of variable
6. The standard name for the variable is First Language Spoken.
7. There are a number of different names and definitions associated with the concept of first language. Terms such as 'Native Language' and 'Mother Tongue' are widely used internationally, however 'First Language Spoken' is more appropriate within the Australian context. 'First Language' is the term used in Australian government policy documents and is widely referred to in linguistic journals. The term is unambiguous, concise and clearly describes the concept. It is preferred to alternative word ordering (eg 'Language First Spoken') primarily because its meaning is clearer, but has the additional advantage of being more easily abbreviated to 'First Language' or 'First Lang' in table headings etc.
Definition of variable
Nominal definition
8. First Language Spoken is defined as the first language an individual masters during the language acquisition phase of intellectual development. This would generally be the language spoken in the home by the people who have raised the individual from infancy.
9. First Language Spoken is an attribute of the counting unit 'person'.
Operational definition
10. Operationally, First Language Spoken is defined as the language the respondent identifies, or remembers, as being the first language which they could understand to the extent of being able to conduct a conversation.
11. The issue of what constitutes a language is addressed in the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL), Second Edition, (ABS cat. no. 1267.0). Further references to ASCL in this standard are to the Second Edition unless otherwise stated.
Discussion of conceptual issues
12. Individuals who use non-verbal forms of communication make up at least one per cent of the Australian population. It should be noted that sign languages fall into two groups signed English/finger spelling and other sign languages such as Auslan. Signed English/finger spelling is considered to be another form of English and is treated as such. Auslan is regarded as a distinct language and individuals who report their first language as Auslan (or another recognised sign language) are considered to have a first language other than English.
13. The issue of how individuals who use non-verbal forms of communication might interpret the question, 'Which language did you first speak as a child?' was considered and the alternative question, 'Which language did you first learn as a child?' contemplated. However, it is considered there are likely to be problems involved with the interpretation of the word 'learn'. For example, it is possible that respondents may interpret the question 'Which language did you first learn as a child?' to mean a second language that they have formally learned at school. Furthermore, as ABS experience indicates use of the word 'speak' poses few response problems for people who use sign language, the question module proposed is, 'Which language did you first speak as a child?'
14. While there is some interest in the identification of respondents who claim to have spoken two languages as first languages for those studying changing language patterns, cultural affiliation or expected language proficiency, research suggests that dual first language speakers in Australia are likely to be rare and data produced from such a question may not be statistically viable. (For instance, preliminary data from the Adult Literacy Survey indicates that only about 1% of respondents claimed that they were dual first language speakers.) Therefore, the question modules used for this variable are not designed to measure dual first language speakers and should not be used for this purpose.
15. First Language Spoken is one of four language variables (the others are Languages Spoken at Home, Main Language Spoken at Home and Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home), one of which must be asked before a question on Proficiency in Spoken English. Proficiency in Spoken English identifies people who may potentially suffer a disadvantage as a result of a lack of competence in spoken English. The purpose of asking a language question before the proficiency question is to filter out those people who mainly speak English, as the purpose of the question is not to attempt to assess the spoken English capacity of the Australian population in general. Respondents are sequenced to the Proficiency in Spoken English question only if a language other than English is selected in the language question.
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