This project studies English language acquisition among Hispanic immigrants and native citizens, relating skill to various social factors. It advances such studies partly through use of an actual measure (rather than subjective estimate) of English skill, and partly through focusing on social factors such as family and friends as facilitators of acquisition. Other factors whose impact are measured include amount of schooling, opportunities to use Spanish outside the home, and several aspects of culture. The study advances demographic understanding of how language patterns develop in the U.S. Results should have application in designing immigration policies and educational programs.
