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Language Spoken at Home

Language Spoken at Home (LANP)

This variable records the main language other than English spoken at home.

The non-response rate for Language Spoken at Home (LANP) was 5.1% (5.7% in 2006). More information is available from the 2011 Census non-response quality statement.

Most of the data processed for LANP (89.8%) was captured automatically from mark box responses and the risk of introducing processing error using automatic mark box coding is considered minimal. The remaining responses, consisting mainly of written responses, were coded using a combination of automatic reading and coding processes (9.1%), and manual coding processes (1.1%). In a small proportion of cases (testing has indicated that this is less than 1.0%), respondents provided an incorrect number of responses (for LANP, respondents were asked to only mark one response). In these cases, responses were accepted in the order they appeared on the form and the extra responses were rejected.

The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL), Second Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1267.0) released in 2011, was used to code data for LANP. A minor review of this classification was conducted ahead of the 2011 Census. Changes were limited to: the name change of one narrow group, to more accurately reflect the languages within it; adding languages; removing some language names; amending the names of some languages; and adding appropriate entries to the expanded structure and coding index. The most significant changes were the addition of 48 new Indigenous Languages and 27 new non-Indigenous Languages. Additionally, 16 languages were renamed, deleted or re-described based on research and stakeholder recommendations. There were no changes to the broad level of the classification.

When completing their Census Form, some people provide responses which cannot be coded. In these instances, an 'Inadequately Described' code is allocated during processing. There was a reduction in these responses, which for 2011 comprised 0.04% of the data (decreasing from 0.05% in 2006).

There were minimal changes to the forms used to collect data in 2011 compared to the forms used to collect data in 2006. There was only one form change for the language question (question 16 on the Census Household Form), which involved the repositioning of 'Yes, Mandarin' and 'Yes, Vietnamese' in the list of mark boxes. This change to the form was a result of analysis of the 2006 Census.

More information on LANP is available in the 2011 Census Dictionary (cat. no. 2901.0).

Question 16 as it appeared on the 2011 Census Household Form

Image of question 16 from the 2011 Census
A text only version of this question is also available


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2011 Census Dictionary

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