Get Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ) - Bville

The purpose of the home language survey (HLS) is to determine the primary or home language of the student. This information is essential in order for schools to provide meaningful instruction for all students.

The Home Language Survey is designed to help teachers gather and record useful information about the language(s) children have been exposed to in their home environments and the language(s) children use at home and at school.

Most school districts use a home language survey at the time of enrollment to gather information about a student's language background and identify students whose primary or home language is other than English.

Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ) and HLQ Guidance Qualified personnel must be available to determine if a language other than English is spoken at home.

OCR- and DOJ-approved home language survey questions: 1) What is the primary language used in the home, regardless of the language spoken by the student? 2) What is the language most often spoken by the student? 3) What is the language that the student first acquired?

Use the wording “main language spoken at home” as opposed to “mother tongue” or “primary language.” In our experience, this wording is the easiest to translate and helps to ensure that this questions focuses on language, and not ethnicity. Include a list of answers with as many local languages as you know.

Home Language Survey (HLS) When a child first enrolls in a California public school, the school will provide a questionnaire called the HLS for parents to complete.