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45 percent of Koreans have limited English proficiency

May 29, 2014

According to the Census Bureau, limited English proficiency is defined as those who speak English “less than very well” and applies to those older than 5 years of age. (Illustration – Paulsoon Kim)

Koreans have the third-highest percentage of limited English proficiency among Asian subgroups in the U.S., a study says.

Forty five percent of Koreans have limited English proficiency, the Center for American Progress said in a study released Tuesday.

The study examined U.S. Census Bureau data collected from 2008 to 2012.

According to the Census Bureau, limited English proficiency is defined as those who speak English “less than very well” and applies to those older than 5 years of age.

Vietnamese was ranked as the group with the least proficiency, with 53 percent, followed by the Chinese at 46 percent.

Asian Indians and Filipinos, both with 22 percent, were found to have the most proficiency.

In addition, 29 percent of Korean households use only Korean at home, the study said. It showed that about 1.13 million people speak Korean at home.

Koreans again ranked third in the highest percentage of household linguistic isolation, behind the Vietnamese and Chinese population. The entire Asian population average was 20 percent.

Meanwhile, 19 percent of Koreans in the U.S. have a high school diploma, 20 percent have some college education, 34 percent have a bachelor’s degree and 18 percent have a postgraduate degree, the study said.