The Ability of European Immigrants to Speak English

The ability to speak English on the part of the foreign-born popula? tion of the United States is a matter of paramount importance in con? nection with the problem of Americanization. In order that the immigrant groups may participate fully in the life and activities of the natives, or even of the older immigrant groups which have already adopted the language of the land as their medium of expression, it is essential that they learn to use the language of this country. It will be shown in the following pages that the necessity of learning to speak English confronts about 90 per cent of the European immigrants who come to the United States and that the problem is one which affects primarily, if not wholly, the first generation of immigrants. The data on ability to speak English in the censuses of 1900 and of 1910 have been analyzed in this article with a view to finding out the status of the foreign-born population in regard to ability to use the English language.