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Projects
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Demographics: Elders in Massachusetts |
English-Speaking Ability
The population of Massachusetts is
composed of individuals from many ethnic groups, including sizable
numbers of first-generation Americans. As such, the distribution of
English-speaking ability is an important demographic characteristic.
Especially for older individuals, the ability to communicate in
English may have implications for access to services and resources
that may contribute to their quality of life.
The distribution of English-speaking
ability among Massachusetts seniors was very similar to that for the
United States as a whole in 2000. In this age group, 83% of
Massachusetts residents spoke English only with the other
17%--representing about 141,000 older individuals-speaking a
language other than English at home. Most of these individuals speak
English as well, but about 8% report that they do not speak English
"very well." More than 16,000 Massachusetts seniors do not speak
English at all. Moreover, 40,000 older individuals, or about 5% of all
Massachusetts seniors, live in households that are "linguistically
isolated." A household is linguistically isolated if everyone in the
household reports some difficulty speaking English.
English Proficiency, Massachusetts
Population Aged 65 and Over, 2000
Percentage in the Labor Force
by Age and Sex, Massachusetts and the United States, 2000
| English Proficiency |
Massachusetts
Percentage |
| Speaks English Only |
83% |
| Speaks English Very
Well |
9% |
| Speaks English Well |
3% |
| Speaks English Not
Well |
3% |
| Speaks No English |
2% |
Source: United States Census Bureau, 2002, Census 2000 Summary File
3 (SF 3), Sample Data, Table P19.
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