Name of variable
6. The name of the variable is Proficiency in Spoken English.
Definition of variable
Nominal definition
7. The variable Proficiency in Spoken English is defined as the ability to speak English in every day situations.
8. Proficiency in Spoken English is an attribute of the counting unit 'person'. That is, it is an attribute of an individual as opposed to a family or household.
Operational definition
9. Operationally, the variable is defined as the self-assessed level of ability to speak English, asked of people whose first language spoken was a language other than English or who speak a language other than English at home.
Discussion of conceptual issues
10. This variable was formerly called 'Proficiency in English', a name which implied a measurement of all aspects of proficiency: speaking, listening, writing and reading. However, in ABS collections this variable has only ever been a measurement of spoken English proficiency and therefore 'Proficiency in Spoken English' is a more accurate label.
11. A purpose built instrument such as the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR) can be used to directly measure a subject's proficiency in English. The ASLPR now renamed to International Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ISLPR) examines proficiency in four aspects of communication: speaking, listening, writing and reading. There are 12 levels of rating from 0 to 5 including intermediate 'plus' or 'minus' levels. A zero proficiency rating is given to those unable to function in the spoken language and a five is given to speakers with native-like proficiency whereby a person's proficiency is judged to be equivalent to that of a 'native speaker of the same socio-cultural variety'. Obviously, social surveys cannot measure proficiency in spoken English with the same degree of precision as a formal test. An answer to the question 'How well do you speak English?' will depend on how the respondent interprets the question. Respondents whose spoken English ability enables them to do the shopping and manage many everyday transactions may consider that they speak English very well even though they may not be able to hold a social conversation in English. Conversely, more exacting or self-critical respondents may consider that they do not speak English well in spite of the fact that they can communicate with near native proficiency.
12. ABS pilot testing of this question prior to the 1981 Census examined the issue of the degree of correspondence between self-assessed proficiency and a formal test using an abbreviated version of the ASLPR. Although there was a discernible trend for respondents with higher ratings to understate their ability, there was an overall correspondence between the numbers with low ratings and those reporting their ability as Not Well or Not at All. This indicates that the variable provides a reasonably reliable measure of the number of people who may be in need of targeted services.
13. In most ABS surveys, a question on Proficiency in Spoken English is asked only of respondents whose first language spoken was a language other than English, or those who speak a language other than English at home. This is because the variable is used primarily to identify people who may suffer a disadvantage as a result of a lack of competence in spoken English. However, in the 1996 Aspects of Literacy Survey, a question on Proficiency in Spoken English was asked of the whole population. As the Aspects of Literacy Survey did not filter out native English speakers and had a different set of response categories, the output is not comparable with other surveys.
14. A related data item 'English Language Capacity' has been collected in ABS Special Supplementary Surveys and Monthly Population Surveys to help resolve data quality issues or assess the need for an interpreter to assist with the interview. In these surveys the interviewer is asked to state whether the interview was conducted: fully in English, easily or with difficulty; partly in languages other than English; or fully in a language other than English. As is the case for Proficiency in Spoken English, there are problems associated with this approach because it relies on a subjective (in this case the interviewer's) assessment of how well the respondent speaks English. Although normally only an input data item, 'English Language Capacity' was available on request as an output variable from the 1992 Survey of Families in Australia.
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