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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS)


NAME OF COLLECTION

The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS)


OVERVIEW

The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) is designed to assess the levels of literacy skills in Australia, and to analyse the relationship between literacy skills and social and economic status. ALLS is part of an international study being coordinated by Statistics Canada and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and is a source of internationally comparative data on participation in adult education and training.

ALLS aims to assist in the development and evaluation of policies relating to literacy, lifelong learning and education and training. Information from the survey will be used by federal and state government departments with responsibilities for education and training; industry associations; academic researchers; and others.

ALLS collects data under the broad topics of socioeconomic and demographic information, language spoken, parental information, employment history, literacy and numeracy practices at work and in daily life, self-perception of reading, writing and numeracy skills, participation in education and learning in the last 12 months, general health and well-being, and use of information and communication technology. This information is supplemented by an assessment of five literacy scales. They include two literacy scales (prose and document), a single numeracy scale, and a problem solving scale through a series of exercises that respondents are asked to complete. A scale measuring health literacy proficiency will be produced as a by-product of the exercises used to measure the scales mentioned above. Data items contained within these topics are capable of being cross classified with Data items relevant to migrants and ethnicity.

The predecessor to ALLS - the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was first conducted in Australia in 1996 as the Survey of Aspects of Literacy (SAL). The 1996 survey reported only three literacy scales (prose, document and quantitative) of which only prose and document are comparable with the most recent survey.

The most recent ALLS was conducted between July 2006 and January 2007. This will allow comparison of 2006/07 literacy skill levels with those reported in 1996, and comparison of Australians' literacy skills with those of other countries participating. Data from the 2006/07 ALLS are expected to be released in October 2007.


DATA DETAIL

Data items relevant to migrants and ethnicity

• Country of birth
• Year of arrival in Australia

• Language first spoken
• Main language spoken
• Proficiency in spoken English
• Self-perception of current reading and writing skills in non-English language first spoken
• Self-perception of current reading and writing skills in second non-English language first spoken

• Age learned to read, write and speak English
• Self-perception of current English-speaking skills
• Age attended English language classes
• Length of English language classes
• Provider of English language classes
• Languages spoken well enough to converse in
• Language usually spoken at home
• Language in which most at ease