What are the essential questions on the home language survey?

• A. What language is spoken in the home most of the time? and What language does the student speak most of the time?
• B. What is the student's favorite subject? and What is the parent's language?
• C. What language was used in prior schooling? and What nation is the family from?
• D. What language do you speak at home when communicating with teachers?

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is to identify a student’s language background so the school can determine if language support is needed. The best choice asks two straightforward questions: what language is spoken in the home most of the time, and what language does the student speak most of the time. These two items together reveal both the home language environment and the student’s dominant language use, which is exactly what the survey is trying to capture to guide English language development services and instructional planning. Other options introduce details that aren’t directly tied to language exposure or proficiency—like favorite subject or the parent’s language—or focus only on school interactions, which don’t reliably indicate the student’s overall language background.