Social Locations – Language
Equity Framework > Social Locations > Language
Region, social class, historical contexts, relationships, and other factors influence language. Toronto is home to a large and diverse population speaking more than 200 different languages. According to Census information, 42.5% of Torontonians have a mother tongue other than English or French. In addition, 4.5% of Torontonians do not have knowledge of either official language [1].
The ability to speak the local language is an important determinant of health [2]. For example, Torontonians who do not speak English experience barriers participating in community and civic life. This includes accessing public and community services, finding employment, and achieving a decent standard of living [3].
To learn more about to child and family well-being disaggregated by parental and student language, please visit the Equity Analysis Toolkit page on Raising the Village.
References
- City of Toronto (2022). 2021 Census: Language. Available from: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/868f-2021-Census-Backgrounder-Language-FINAL.pdf
- Fuller-Thomson E, Noack AM, George U. Health Decline Among Recent Immigrants to Canada: Findings From a Nationally-representative Longitudinal Survey. Canadian journal of public health 2011;102(4):273-80. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21913582/
- Social Planning Toronto (2018). Talking Access & Equity: A Profile of City of Toronto Residents Who Speak Neither Official Language, July 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/talking_access_equity