New Report: Language Landscape Survey

During the fall of 2022, the Early Learning Alliance and Help Me Grow North Texas developed an online survey to determine how their partner organizations serve children and families who do not speak English.

The Context

In the eleven years between 2010 and 2021, Texas had the largest growth of any state in the United States, with 4.3 million new residents. The state’s 17% population growth far surpasses the national growth percentage of 7.3 percent. The population of Tarrant County also grew by 17%, with 2.1 million residents in 2021 compared to the 1.8 million who lived there in 2010.

The racial and ethnic demographics of Tarrant County also shifted during these eleven years. In 2021, the largest racial or ethnic group in Tarrant County was the white (non-Hispanic) group, which had a population of 928,782. Between 2010 and 2021, the Hispanic/Latino population had the most growth, increasing from 486,057 in 2010 to 642,801 in 2021.

Tarrant County is becoming a more diverse place to live. In 2021, the white (non-Hispanic) group made up 43.7% of the population, compared with 51.8% in 2010.

Additionally, more than a quarter of Tarrant County residents 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home. By far the most common non-English language spoken is Spanish. In 2021, more than 20% of the people who live in Tarrant County were native Spanish speakers.

The Survey

The survey was emailed to 46 organizations (6 members of ELA, 20 members of HMGNTX, and 20 members of both ELA and HMGNTX) with a 39% response rate overall.

The survey asked questions regarding: 

• the languages spoken by the populations each organization serves, 

• the extent to which and how each organization provides translation and interpretation in different languages, and

• the challenges faced by each organization with accessing and delivering translation and interpretation of their materials and services.

The Findings

The vast majority (94%) of survey respondents reported that they serve clients who do not speak English. The most common language, other than English, spoken by organizations’ clients was Spanish, followed by Vietnamese and Arabic. Although most organizations do provide services and materials in a language other than English, these are primarily only in Spanish. Almost half (44%) of respondents indicated that their organizations face barriers in addressing their interpretation and translation needs, including insufficient funding, insufficient translation and/or interpretation services in the community, and lack of knowledge on how to connect with those services.

View the full report here.