English Proficiencies & Acquisition
English Proficiency Levels
English language proficiency for these 1.8 million taxpayers varies greatly.
Except for the elderly, most immigrants here acquire a functional level in spoken English; and, generally their second language proficiencies relate to work.
However, degrees of difficulty in English reading comprehension remain a chronic barrier to accessing complex and critical public information,
just as it is for native English speakers who acquire a second language.
Levels of Need for Language Access Among Constituencies
The levels of need for translated information access among today's culturally diverse population varies.
These variables depend on immigrant / refugee status, English bilingual education background, and socio-economic status, among other determinants.
Prioritizing translated public information is based on considerations of both raw population numbers and the language groups' arrival context and circumstance.
Prioritizing specific language translations is based on Needs Assessment determined by Public Sector departments in concert with Constituent Public input.