1. The development of Australia as a multicultural society and the subsequent wider interest in constructing statistical profiles of particular ethnic or cultural population groups has, over the years, increased the need for quality language data.
2. To meet this growing need, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has incorporated language questions in a range of social statistical collections and has developed standards for a number of language variables for use both within and outside the organisation.
3. Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home identifies languages, other than English, which are spoken within the home. Data on languages spoken in the home are regarded as an indicator of 'active' ethnicity and language use, and are useful for the study of inter-generational language retention. The availability of such data may help providers of language, welfare and community services to effectively target the geographic areas or population groups that need those services.
4. The variable Main Language Other Than English Spoken at Home has been endorsed by the Ministerial Council of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs as one of the four Minimum Core Indicators of the standard set of indicators for use in measuring cultural and linguistic diversity. The set is to be progressively implemented in administrative and service settings to provide data to determine, measure and monitor service needs (access and equity requirements), and to provide a measure of cultural diversity in its broader sense.
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