LibGuides: Engaging Diverse Voices through Research &amp; Resources: Language

Key Definitions

Language

“As a number of scholars have indicated..there is…link between language and the formation of identity. The process of building a self entails the construction of a (more or less coherent) narrative about one's life...identity formation is inseparable from the learning of language; to be a self is not to be separate from others but to be a successful narrator, one who skillfully draws upon social and symbolic materials to present a story applauded by others in the community.”

Source: Encyclopedia of Identity

U.S. Census & Data Collection

"Language use, English-speaking ability, and data on limited English-speaking households are currently collected in the American Community Survey (ACS). In the past, various questions on language use were asked in the censuses from 1890 to 1970. The three questions below were asked in the census in 1980, 1990, and 2000 and are the same questions asked in the American Community Survey.

a. Does this person speak a language other than English at home?

b. What is this language? (For example: Korean, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese)

c. How well does this person speak English?

Very well
Well
Not well
Not at all"

Federal agencies, organizations, local governments, and private enterprises rely on American Community Survey language data to determine how and where to provide language assistance service. Knowing languages spoken in a community, in combination with information about housing, voting, employment, and education, helps the government and communities identify needs for services for people with limited English-speaking ability.

One of the main purposes of collecting information on languages is for Voting Rights determination. "

-Source: U.S. Census Language Data

Keyword Suggestions

Keep in mind that some words that were commonly used in the past have since become outdated or even offensive. You may encounter these outdated terms in your research, and you may even need to use them in your own searches in order to get a complete view of your topic, especially if your topic is historical in nature. However, please be careful about using these words yourself, especially if you do not identify as part of the community that you are researching.

Terms marked with an asterisk (*) are considered offensive by some people and should only be used for self-identifying or quoting someone who explicitly self-identifies using that term.

Click on the terms below to see related keywords.

Language (general)