1264.0 - Language Variables, 1997  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/11/2008   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All  

Standard question module

36. There are two standard question modules for Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home:

      • The Question Module for Detailed Data elicits the most detailed responses and data on Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home.
        There are two alternatives for the Question Module for Detailed Data which may be used, depending on space and cost considerations:
          • Alternative one: a set of 'most likely' languages with tick boxes and a 'Yes, Other -please specify' response category for writing a language not specified in the tick box list;
          • Alternative two: a tick box for 'No, English Only' and a 'Yes. Other - please specify' write-in category.
        Alternative two is more compact but will incur additional coding costs.
      • The Question Module for Minimum Data contains only the tick box options 'No, English only' and 'Yes, Other' and therefore does not collect details as to which language other than English is spoken.

Question module for detailed data

Alternative one

37. This standard question for detailed data for the variable Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home is recommended for all household-based surveys and other statistical and administrative collections designed to collect extensive data on main language other than English spoken at home. It provides detailed information about the language background of the Australian population, in addition to identifying those respondents who may suffer disadvantage associated with a lack of English competence.

38. The standard question module for obtaining detailed data for the variable Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home is as follows:



Q1.
        [Do you] [Does the person] [Does (name)] speak a language other than English at home?
        (If more than one language, indicate the one that is spoken most often.)
No,
    English only
Yes,
    Italian
Yes,
    Greek
Yes,
    Cantonese
Yes,
    Arabic
Yes,
    Mandarin
Yes,
    Vietnamese
Yes,
    Spanish
Yes,
    German
Yes,
    Hindi
Yes,
        Other - please specify: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

38a. A computer assisted interviewing (CAI) module for standard language variables has been developed. This module includes four standard language questions including the standard question module for obtaining detailed data for Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home and can be found in the Blaise instrument: - see Appendix A for information on how to install and run this module. If you require assistance please contact the Assistant Director of Data Management, Dissemination and Survey Support on extension 6680.

38b. To use the CAI module for obtaining detailed data for the variable Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home please inform Data Management, Dissemination and Survey Support at the question specification stage of survey development by including a statement to that effect in your question specifications.

39. Instructions are included for those respondents who speak more than one language, other than English, in the home. For self-enumerated surveys, respondents are instructed to indicate the language other than English spoken most often and to mark one box in the checklist or to write in one response where tick boxes don't apply. For interview-based surveys, an interviewer could use a prompt like "Which of those languages [do you] [does the person] [does (name)] use most often?" if a multiple response is given after asking the question.

40. The list of languages provided with this question module has been included primarily on the basis of the statistical significance of these languages in the Australian context. Approximately 90% of Australians speak at least one of these languages and the use of this list ensures compatibility across collections and minimises coding costs. Cantonese and Mandarin are both included to ensure that the response 'Chinese', for example, is not erroneously coded to one or the other. It will be reviewed periodically as different languages assume a greater or lesser significance in the Australian context as a result of changing migration patterns.

41. The 'Yes, Other' category is included for those people who speak a language in the home that is not offered in the list as a response to the question. 'Please specify' is added to the 'Other' category and a space is provided for respondents to write in their language.

42. Each language response to the question will need to be matched to an entry in the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL), Second Edition, Coding Index (see Coding Procedures in Classification and Coding).

Alternative two

43. If there is a need for detailed information but space constraints are an over-riding consideration then the tick boxes can be deleted (except the tick box for 'No, English only'), leaving the 'Yes, Other - please specify' option for respondents to write in their language. If this is done, however, there will be significant additional coding costs since each response will need to be matched to an entry in the ASCL coding index (see Coding Procedures in Classification and Coding).

44. This is only likely to be appropriate in small scale data collection activities and in cases where data entry of verbatim responses is an administrative requirement or where optical character recognition data capture technologies are used, allowing automatic matching of response data with index entries. The question module would be as follows:



Q1.
        [Do you] [Does the person] [Does (name)] speak a language other than English at home?
No,
    English only
Yes,
    Other - please specify language: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Question module for minimum data

45. The standard question module for minimum data for the variable Main Language Other than English Spoken at Home is as follows:



Q1.
        [Do you] [Does the person] [Does (name)] speak a language other than English at home?
No,
    English only
Yes,
    Other

46. This question is suitable for administrative collections or for surveys where there is no requirement for detailed language data or which have space constraints. It is primarily recommended as an identifier of those respondents who may require assistance to access services and information because they may possess inadequate English language skills. Owing to its lack of detail, this module is a far less precise measuring device for the identification of language usage.


Standard input categories

Input categories for detailed data

47. The standard input categories for Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home are the base level units of the ASCL and are represented by their four-digit codes. For operational reasons, residual categories and codes and supplementary codes also exist to enable 'not elsewhere classified' and 'inadequately described' responses to be processed within a collection coded at the four-digit level. Full details regarding the standard classification and code structure, residual categories and codes, and supplementary codes can be found in the ASCL.

Input categories for minimum data

48. The standard input categories for the Question Module for Minimum Data are:

      • English only
      • Other language.


Previous PageNext Page