Limited English Proficiency - ESL Needs

147,180 adults 18 years and older in Central Texas struggle with the English language.

SOURCE: 2008 American Community Survey

This American Community Survey data aims to represent people who self-report speaking English less than “very well.”  The information is collected through the Census, however many non-native residents and speakers do not respond to the Census, for fear of legal repercussions related to their immigrant status.  For reasons like this, the figures above are more than likely higher than what is depicted.

The young non-English speaking population is growing.

45,477 students in the five Central Texas county schools do not speak English in their homes.

SOURCE: Texas Education Agency PEIMS 2008-2009 Year Core Report

For a student to qualify for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) status in Texas public schools, the student’s family must report speaking a language other than English at home. Given that older immigrants tend to be less English proficient than their children, the LEP statistic is a strong indicator of the need for English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in Central Texas.

Why should we care? CLICK HERE to see the negative impacts of low literacy and limited english proficiency skills on your community.