Language

• Around 70% of the Indian community here would originate from northern central India and are generally Punjabi or Hindi speakers. There would be 2 nd and 3 rd generation members of this community as well as elderly first generation.
  
  
• Around 30% would be from southern India and would speak a range of other languages including Tamil, Kannada, Kanta, Malayala, Marati, Oriya and Telugu. Most migration took place in the 70s and 80s. More recently there have been migrant workers arriving to work in the fields of nursing and information technology.

• There are high levels of English in the Indian community with 60% of people proficient in both spoken and written English and just 20% at an intermediate level. Around 20% speak and write basic English.
  
  
• There are slight differences between men and women, with men marginally more likely to have proficient English.
  
  
• 30% of the overall community are second generation, 67% first generation. 3% of the community are majority ethnic indicating mixed marriages. For first generation speakers, around 55% are proficient in English, and a further 20% intermediate. This means around 25% of first generation Indians have basic English. Of the second generation the vast majority are proficient in English with a minority (10-15) at an intermediate level.
  
  
• Around 20% of the overall community are 56 years old and above. The elderly in general have much lower levels of proficiency in English.
  
  
• There is a correlation between English proficiency and the type of work undertaken. Over 90% of Indian professionals are proficient in English; in business and trader employment the figure is around 45-50%.
  
  
• Education levels: 21% have been educated to primary level, 32% to secondary and 46% at third level.
  
  
• Employment profile : 8% are in business; 29% professionals; 24% students, 21% undertake housework ; 9% retired and 9% other.
  
  
• Second generation: The vast majority of second generation Indians will not read and write any language except English.They are likely to speak an Indian language in the home, it is unlikely that it will be learned in its written form.
  
  
• Service users from this community may require an interpreter (especially with regard to the older generation).