Language Proficiency

More than 300 different languages are spoken in the United States. Among the 47 million U.S. residents who speak a language other than English, most speak Spanish. Yet many states have passed English-only laws so that public services and state forms are less accessible to individuals who have limited English proficiency. In addition, a politically active effort exists to make English the official language of the United States.

Language proficiency can be defined as the ability to say what you want to say in the manner you want to say it and to be comfortable that you said it appropriately. Language is not merely the expression of words; rather, it integrates reading comprehension, writing ability, verbal comprehension, expressive ability, and cultural knowledge.

Immigrant children enter the school system and are exposed to the English language daily. Typically, they learn English more quickly than the older adults in their families, thus placing the children in a position where they must translate and interpret for their family members. These “language brokers” often participate in an adult world because they have more familiarity with the language and are expected to know the culture better. Although the children may be willing to translate for their family members, the stress on these children is apparent. Some of the sensitive information the child brokers may present challenges to the family structure or oppose cultural norms.

Linguistically diverse children are at high risk for school failure and dropping out. Although English as a second language programs have been implemented, backed by research that demonstrates the benefit of instruction in the child's native language with a gradual increase in English, these bilingual programs continue to be under assault politically. There has been a strong push to assess children with limited English proficiency with the least biased language assessment available. However, alternatives such as renorming assessments or modifying existing standardized tests come with consequences.

Language is a salient marker of ethnic group membership as well as one's level of acculturation or assimilation. Because those who speak English in the educational system and in the social environment gain certain privileges, many families have adopted an English-only rule. This suppression of the native language shifts not only the interaction of the family but also the acculturation process, identity development, and passage of cultural knowledge from generation to generation as each is exposed to a different level and degree of language.

Language is a barrier to acquiring appropriate social services, including education, health, and mental health services. The process of acculturation and learning English as a second language is stressful and can prompt a person to incorporate negative or maladaptive coping strategies. In accordance with the American Psychological Association's 2002 Ethics Code, mental health treatment should be delivered in the client's primary language. In this way, interpreters, translators, and bilingual clinicians are able to deliver services to this underserved population. However, to date, there are no language-proficiency guidelines to monitor the quality of services to populations with limited English proficiency.

[Page 290]The advantages of becoming bilingual and bicultural have been documented. The dominant U.S. population will no longer be dominant in a few years. It is time that English speakers no longer fear limited English speakers'use of their native language or their voice.

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