English acquisition rates are high among immigrants who come to the United States as children and rise across the generations.[source]
Almost 80 percent of first-generation (foreign-born) children from Mexico and 88 percent from China speak English "well" or "very well."
Among the second generation, 92 percent of Latinos and 96 percent of Asians are English proficient and many are bilingual in their mother tongue (85 percent of second-generation Latinos and 61 percent of second-generation Asians).
By the third generation, 72 percent of Latinos and 92 percent of Asians speak English only.
High rates of immigration have increased the number of recently arrived, first-generation adults with limited English skills.
In 2002, among adults aged 18 to 64, over 17 million immigrants spoke English very well, over 7 million spoke it well, close to 6 million did not speak it well, and more than 2.5 million did not speak English at all.[source]
Many limited English proficient (LEP) adults are relatively recent immigrants, with 60 percent arriving in the United States over the past ten years.[source]
In 2000, about 2 out of 3 working-age adults (ages 18-55) who did not speak English at home were foreign-born (19 million of 29.4 million).[source]
In 2000, about 9 out of 10 working-age adults who were very limited English proficient were foreign-born (6.5 million of 7.4 million).[source]
One-third arrived in the United States since 1995, and 59 percent arrived since 1990.
More than half (57 percent) were from Mexico.
Three-quarters spoke Spanish at home. Fourteen percent spoke Asian languages.
Half had a ninth-grade education or less.
Sixty-two percent had children, compared to 36 percent of all U.S. households.
English ability is linked to higher wages and economic opportunities.
Nearly two-thirds of low-wage immigrant workers do not speak English proficiently.[source]
Immigrants who speak English fluently may earn 17 percent more than those who do not, after adjusting for socioeconomic factors such as education and work experience.[source]
In 1999, only 26 percent of refugees who did not speak English were employed, compared with 77 percent of those who spoke English well or fluently.[source]
LEP speakers face additional barriers to economic mobility and integration.
Almost half of LEP adults have nine years or less of education, and 64 percent do not have a high school degree.[source]
LEP workers in Los Angeles and New York were twice as likely as other immigrant workers to lack legal status.[source]
About 60 percent of permanent residents eligible to become citizens may have difficulty taking the naturalization exam because they are limited in English.[source]
The demand for English classes far exceeds the supply.
In 2002-2003, nearly 1.2 million adults attended English-as-a-Second- Language (ESL) classes, representing 43 percent of all enrollees in adult education.[source]
Shortages of ESL courses exist in many other communities.[source] For example, Massachusetts has more than 180,000 residents on waiting lists for ESL classes, with an average wait of six months to two years.[source]