Language Use and English-Speaking Ability

The ability to commu-nicate with govern-ment and private serv-ice providers, schools,businesses, emergencypersonnel, and manyother people in theUnited States depends greatly on the ability to speak English.In Census 2000, as in the two previous censuses,the U.S. Census Bureau asked people aged and over if they spokea language other than English at home.Among the 262.4 mil- lion people aged 5 andover, 47.0 million (18 percent) spoke a language other than English at home.

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