Immigrant Literacy: Self-Assessment vs. Reality
By Jason Richwine June 2017
Jason Richwine, PhD, is an independent public policy analyst based in Washington, D.C., and a contributing writer at National Review.
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To measure the English ability of immigrants in the United States, researchers often rely on the opinion of the immigrants themselves. For example, the Census Bureau asks foreign-language speakers, "How well [do you] speak English?" and gives them four choices: "very well", "well", "not well", or "not at all". Answers are highly subjective, as speaking English "well" might mean anything from basic comprehension to near fluency. For objective data, this report turns to a direct test of English literacy administered by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The results raise concerns about the magnitude and persistence of low English ability among immigrants.
http://cis.org/Immigrant-Literacy-Self-Assessment-vs-Reality
