<p>By first language, does it mean primary language (English) or first language learned (something else). I'm absolutley fluent in english and it is my primary language (I'm a heavy reader), but my first language (and the one I speak at home) is something else (I'm fluent in it conversationally and can read a little but not that well). So which do I put at my first language?</p>
<p>Generally, first language refers to your native language. The one you speak at home with your parents.</p>
<p>I find that slightly odd because it asks for first language and language spoken at home but not primary language…it makes it seems as if I’m not proficient at english.</p>
<p>I was in the exact same situation as yours this time last year and had the exact same questions. Unable to find an answer, I ended up putting down English as my “first language” since it was the one I spoke best, and assigned the other language as “the language spoken at home”. It was only after I had already submitted all of my applications that someone told me that the common app itself actually defined “first language” somewhere right on the application — I think it was as “the language you spoke first”. I don’t think it really mattered in the end though: it was obviously from my application that I moved to the U.S. and that English was not the language I spoke first, but I was accepted at almost all of the schools I applied to anyway.</p>
<p>Hmmm, what about if you only speak English at home, but your parents speak to you in another language?</p>
<p>Thanks for answering! It’s quite ridiculous that they didn’t bother adding one more space for “primary” language. I was born outside the country but moved here before gradeschool, so it should be obvious that english was my primary language. I guess I’ll let my essays and test scores should probably display my knowledge of english.</p>
<p>When you think about it first language and language spoken at home is kind of redundant since normally people learn their first language from their parents and speak that with them at home.</p>
<p>oh, and ModelCX8, then you would put down english (because it is the language you speak at home).</p>