<p>I would like an adult to help me figure this out. So i am a U.S citizen and i was born here but does that make my native language English? My parents were born in a different country and and they can't speak English and only spoke another language to me at home. I started learning English when i started PreK. Does that mean my first language is not english? Or do i have to put English as my native language because of the fact that i was born here? Or is my native language both English and another language? This is relevant when it's asked on college applications and i'm not sure what to put.</p>
<p>If you have the same facility in speaking, reading, and writing your parentsā language and English, them just state that you are bilingual in English and _____.</p>
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<p>Native language=first language
See
[First</a> language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=āhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_language]Firstā>First language - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Unlike many countries, the U.S. does not have an official national language. So even if that was what they were asking for, there would be no right answer. But what they mean by ānative languageā is your first language, your mother tongue, the language you learned from birth. If thatās a language other than English, then thatās what your should put.</p>
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<p>Yeah but on the application it asked, Is English my native language? yes or noā¦ I Just donāt know what to put because of my situation. I guess that means i have to put yes?</p>
<p>Your ānative languageā is normally considered to be the language you speak best, which may not be the first language you learned. If you report a language other than English as your native language on a college application, you may be required to submit TOEFL scores to document your proficiency in English.</p>
<p>From the Wikipedia article that 4kidsdad quoted:</p>
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<p>You are obsessing too much. They just want to know if you are fluent in English, or whether you will need to take ESL classes.</p>
<p>Oh okay thanks!</p>
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<p>Iāve also heard of first language being the first language you learn after the language you first learn, with that language being called āMother tongueā or āNative language.ā</p>
<p>If you went to school in the US I think itās assumed your native language is English. Students from the US are not usually (or ever?) expected to take a TOFFEL exam or anything. Additionally, I think there are other conditions where you are considered to be a native English speaker.</p>
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Some colleges are pretty strict with language requirements for non-native speakers. Hereās SUNY Stony Brookās policy:</p>
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<p>[Stony</a> Brook University - Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=āhttp://www.stonybrook.edu/ugadmissions/intl/criteria.shtml]Stonyā>http://www.stonybrook.edu/ugadmissions/intl/criteria.shtml)</p>
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<p>Unless you were living in a bubble, you started learning English from the day you were born. Just watching TV, listening to songs, listening to the radio, you were picking up English.</p>
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<p>The two things to consider here are 1. if you put your parentsā tongue as ānativeā you may get to take TOEFL/IELTS (yikes) and 2. whether you can pull the time honored trick of taking your own language (placement test) for credit :)ā¦</p>
<p>(#2: some schools donāt allow bilingual kids to test out of language classes in their native or 2nd languageā¦ A few of my Elbonian friends did take Elbonian 101/102 placement test before the university woke upā¦)</p>
<p>If it happens to be a CLEP or AP language, and you happen to be going to a college that accepts CLEP or AP for credit, be sure to test out of and earn credit for your language.</p>
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<p>However, student is not an international student , so this does not apply to him or her.</p>
<p>OP is way over thinking this as the answer is right on his/her transcript/school records. </p>
<p>Since Op lives and went to school in NY, when s/he was first enrolled in school, parents had to fill out a home language survey.</p>
<p>If parents home language was not english student was automatically tested for proficiency in english. </p>
<p>Is student was not proficient, s/he was placed in ESL/Bilingual education (which is a mandated service). </p>
<p>Student would be programmed for ESL services. If student is higher level ESL, s/he would be programmed for ESL and English simultaneously.</p>
<p>Student remains in ESL until student test out on NYSESLAT, which is given each may.</p>
<p>Question is, are you now or have you ever been designated as ESL student?</p>
<p>If yes, than English is not considered your first language.</p>
<p>If you were in ESL, have you passed the NYSESLAT, which will demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing and speaking english? I know that this can b very frustrating to some students who onder why they are designated as ESL when they can read and write in english and are performing well in their classes. However, you are mandated to remain in ESL until you test out.</p>
<p>If you did not pass, you would be programmed for ESL on your current program (you can get information from GC), you will get another opportunity to take the exam in May.</p>
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<p>sybbie719,</p>
<p>Over th course of my time here at CC, I have seen post from US-born and entirely US-educated students who have been required to present TOEFL or other English proficiency exam scores because the place they were applying to caught wind of the fact that they had a different home language. My friendās daughter who was adopted from another country before she had begun to speak, was also required to take her collegeās English proficiency exam. Knowing this kind of stuff in advance, I was able to be sure that my own bi-lingual Happykid ticked the Native-English box on her college app.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there is no easy way to predict which institutions will require proficiency exams.</p>
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<p>So, my advice would be that the OP carefully investigate the English proficiency policies at the colleges an universities on his/her list, and then determine which answer is best in his/her situation. If checking Native means not having to shell out the money for an otherwise unnecessary TOEFL, my vote here is with b@r!um and turbo93.</p>
<p>IMHO the OP native language is English and I am pretty sure the C-AP has a section for a different language being spoken at home?
There is a true difference between speaking another language at home and being proficient (writing and reading as a native).</p>
<p>Good Luck to you :)</p>
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<p>I would suggest that all bilingual students put English as their first language to avoid being forced to take TOEFL as admission requirement.</p>
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<p>I agree with GMT, donāt over thing it and ask yourself if you have been in English speaking schools your entire life, speak English with your friends, use English except when you are with your parents, chances are you speak, read and write like a ānativeā even though your parents speak to you in a different language at home or when you are with them.</p>
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<p>2education makes a good point. There is more to a native language that speaking it at home. My youngests attend a dual-language school. In the younger grades, they split their day half with an English speaking teacher, and half with a Spanish speaking teacher. This is to allow the kids to speak both languages every day at school.</p>
<p>Many of the parents of these children speak Spanish, and very little English. Many of her classmates speak Spanish at home, but they are not really fluent - they speak enough to get by communicating with their parents, but are not comfortable speaking in the classroom setting. Their home language is Spanish, but their Primary language is English - and they should list English as their native language.</p>
<p>To the OP - in which language do you normally think? If you were to read a math question (so all numerals, no words), in which language do you read it? If I hand you an instruction manual in 10 different languages, which do you turn to immediately? These are all indicators of your dominant language, and if that is English, you should feel confident it listing it as your native language.</p>
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