#3732. ‘Home language’, ‘Main Language’ or no language: Questions and answers about British Sign Language in the 20XX British censuses

September 2026publication date
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Journal’s subject area:
Language and Linguistics;
Linguistics and Language;
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Abstract:
The formulation of questions, their linguistic expression, and the responses elicited may all be seen as indexical of societal positioning. Thus in each questionnaire the sign language question was contextualized differently, and was open to comparison by respondents with the questions about other, more prominent languages. We conclude that while the ‘home language’ question produces a more realistic picture of the extent of BSL use, neither question is sufficient to reveal the complexity of the repertoire of many bi- and multilinguals. More generally, the wording of questions about principal language may crucially affect the responses of users of minority languages.
Keywords:
Bilingualism; British sign language; Census; Minority languages; Sociolinguistics of sign languages

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