Appendix A - Explanatory Script - Proficiency in Spoken English
Australia’s main language is English. However, past Censuses have shown that over three million Australians spoke a language other than English at home.
Language questions are asked in Australia to learn which other languages are spoken and how well English is spoken. Data from responses to these questions make it easier to plan for English teaching programs and for translation and interpreter services.
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. The question aims to collect the data based on the self assessed view of respondents about how well they can conduct a conversation in English about every day things. There are four levels of self assessed proficiency in spoken English:
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