Person—preferred spoken language, code (ASCL 2016) N[NNN]
Data Element Attributes
Identifying and definitional attributes | |
Metadata item type: | Data Element |
|---|---|
| Short name: | Preferred spoken language |
| METEOR identifier: | 666375 |
| Registration status: | Commonwealth Department of Social Services (retired), Standard 20/06/2018 |
| Definition: | The language (including sign language) most preferred by the person for communication, as represented by a code. |
| Context: | Health and welfare services: An important indicator of ethnicity, especially for persons born in non-English-speaking countries. Its collection will assist in the planning and provision of multilingual services and facilitate program and service delivery for migrants and other non-English speakers. |
| Data Element Concept: | Person—preferred spoken language |
| Value Domain: | Language code (ASCL 2016) N[NNN] |
Value domain attributes | ||
Representational attributes | ||
| Classification scheme: | Australian Standard Classification of Languages 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Representation class: | Code | |
| Data type: | Number | |
| Format: | N[NNN] | |
| Maximum character length: | 4 | |
Collection and usage attributes | |
| Guide for use: | The ASCL has a three-level hierarchical structure. The most detailed level of the classification consists of languages which are represented by four-digit codes. The second level of the classification comprises narrow groups of languages (the Narrow group level), identified by two-digit and three-digit codes. The most general level of the classification consists of broad groups of languages (the Broad group level) and is identified by one-digit codes. The classification includes Australian Indigenous languages and sign languages. For example, the Lithuanian language has a code of 3102. In this case 3 denotes that it is an Eastern European language, while 31 denotes that it is a Baltic language. The Pintupi Aboriginal language is coded as 8713. In this case 8 denotes that it is an Australian Indigenous language and 87 denotes that the language is a Western Desert language. Language data may be output at the Broad group level, Narrow group level or the language level of the classification. Also, significant languages within a Narrow group can be presented separately with the remaining languages of the Narrow group aggregated. The same principle can be adopted to highlight significant Narrow groups within a Broad group. |
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Source and reference attributes | |
| Submitting organisation: | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
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Data element attributes | |
Collection and usage attributes | |
| Guide for use: | This may be a language other than English even where the person can speak fluent English. |
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Source and reference attributes | |
| Submitting organisation: | Australian Government Department of Social Services |
Relational attributes | |
| Implementation in Data Set Specifications: | Demographics Cluster Commonwealth Department of Social Services (retired), Standard 20/06/2018 |