Chicago Language Map

[Gibert Chisholm]

Theofficial language of Illinois is English. Nearly 80% of the population speak English natively, and most others speak it fluently as a second language. The forms of American English spoken in Illinois range from Inland Northern near Chicago and the northern part of the state, to Midland and Southern dialects further downstate. Illinois has speakers of many other languages, of which Spanish is by far the most widespread. Illinois's indigenous languages disappeared when the Indian population was deported under the policy of Indian Removal.

English is Illinois's official language. Illinois was one of the first states in the United States to pass an official language law, though its first official language was not English but "American". In 1923, Representative Washington J. McCormick of Montana had failed to pass a bill in the United States Congress declaring "American" to be the official language of the United States. Following the bill's failure, Senator Frank Ryan introduced a similar bill to the Illinois General Assembly.[1] The bill passed with the support of Irish and Jewish politicians in Chicago, who, by rejecting the term "English", wanted to show their opposition to British policies in Ireland and Palestine, respectively.[2] In 1969, another act of the General Assembly replaced "American" with "English."[3] Meanwhile, the term "American language" survives in some legislation from the period.[4] Unlike official language laws in many other states, the statute in Illinois is purely symbolic, having the same status as laws naming state symbols like the state bird and state fossil.[5]

The English of Illinois varies from Inland Northern in the northern part of the state, to Midland and Southern further south. The Northern Cities Vowel Shift is advanced in Chicago and its vicinity, and some features of the shift can be heard along The St. Louis Corridor, a southwestern extension of the NCVS stretching from the Chicago area to St. Louis.[6] The distribution of dialect features reflects the origins of early English-speaking settlers: Inland Northern predominates in areas first settled by people from New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Germany; Midland and Southern are spoken in areas settled by people from the southern United States.[7] African American Vernacular English is also spoken in parts of the state.

In the colonial period, the Miami-Illinois language was spoken throughout the territory of the modern state. Jacques Gravier, a missionary at Starved Rock, wrote the first French-Illinois dictionary in 1700; Jean Le Boullenger wrote another in 1725.[10] Other indigenous languages at the time of statehood in 1818 included Potawatomi, Sauk-Fox, and Ojibwe. These languages disappeared from Illinois when the U.S. carried out Indian Removal, culminating in the Black Hawk War of 1832 and the 1833 Treaty of Chicago.

French was the language of colonial Illinois before 1763, and under British rule remained the most-spoken language in the main settlements of Cahokia and Kaskaskia. Many French speakers left Illinois after it came under U.S. control following the Illinois Campaign of 1778, but Illinois was still a bilingual territory for several more years before the flood of Anglo-American settlers overwhelmed the old communities.[11] By the time of statehood in 1818, French was in decline for matters of politics and government.[12] Colonial French died out in Illinois but survived as Missouri French in some communities across the Mississippi River.[13] The 2010 census reported 34,938 French speakers in Illinois, 0.29% of the population.[8]

This summer, the University of Chicago Language Center is offering a pair of courses targeted towards language instructors and scholars that aim to shake up the language classroom. Both courses will run during the summer, and promise to be miniature online courses...

The University of Chicago Language Center participated in an exhibit at the 27th annual Conference of the National Council on Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL). The conference, which took place from April 18th until the 21st, is held annually in order to...

The individual City Departments are in the process of soliciting community comments on language access efforts to better assess their effectiveness. If you have any feedback or questions about accessing City services in non-English languages, please call 311 or send an email to officeofne...@cityofchicago.org.

Students in the College are required to possess understanding of more than one culture and to demonstrate competence in a language other than English. The diverse, multilingual, international student body at UChicago can satisfy the Language Competency Requirement in a variety of ways, among them language study, study abroad, and proficiency testing. But completing the requirement is just the beginning. Language learning and language proficiency represent functional, real-world skills that broaden and deepen all student learning at the University. These skills not only enhance engagement and performance across all disciplines, they also promise heightened opportunities as students pursue academic and professional careers beyond campus.

Earn these certificates in multiple foreign languages taught in the College by passing the Practical or Advanced Language Proficiency Assessment. Language proficiency tells you and others what you can do with language in the real world, how your language ability meets real-life objectives, not a textbook or syllabus, and how your language ability can serve you in your professional or academic career.

Starting a new language? Eager to gain high proficiency in a language you know? Studying a language in the Summer can accelerate your learning, making it possible to skip over courses or course sequences when the academic year begins.

The Language Placement Test from Emmersion Learning is a language proficiency assessment aligned to national language standards as determined by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). It is used to ensure that students are placed appropriately in language courses in order to communicate in a World Language.

All CCC Language courses fulfill the CCC Human Diversity requirement toward degree. Language coursework 104 and above are IAI/GE and may be applied toward the CCC Humanities requirement for your degree. For further information about how languages fit your goals, your major, and your degree, speak with a CCC advisor.

There is no credit awarded for the Language Placement Test nor is it judged on a pass/fail basis. These scores help to determine which courses are most appropriate for your current language level. And it only takes about 20 minutes to find out.

It is recommended that you take the test right before registering for a language class. It can be completed in the Testing Center at the same time you take other CCC placement exams. Language Placement Test scores are valid for one year. Students are required to re-take the Placement Test if previous scores are more than a year old.

Take the placement test on your own (using the link for your language of study below (You will be redirected to the Emmersion Learning website testing in the chosen language), or in the Testing Center of any of the seven City Colleges.

The Testing Center staff or your Academic Advisor may direct you to a faculty member for an aural/oral assessment with a faculty expert for your language to verify the placement. This faculty advising piece may take place in person at the college, or by phone.

Not all languages (such as Japanese or Polish) are available through True North. Your advisor will direct you to the appropriate faculty advisor for placement in any languages not available from Emmersion Learning.

Applicants to the graduate schools and divisions of the University of Chicago, regardless of citizenship, must either meet one of our waiver criteria (below) or submit proof of English language proficiency. This policy applies to all* graduate programs; the score level required for admission varies by program. Only the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic tests are accepted as proof of proficiency.

TOEFL or IELTS score reports are valid for two years and scores will be considered expired if the test was taken more than two years prior to the application deadline. If you send us a score and it expires prior to the deadline you are applying under, you will need to send a more recent score. Photocopies or PDFs of TOEFL or IELTS Score Reports will not be considered valid or accepted in lieu of an official score report.

University of Chicago downloads IELTS scores that have been transmitted to our e-download account. Please contact your test center and request that your scores be sent to the following IELTS e-download account:

*Note: This policy does not apply to the Chicago Booth School of Business, the Law School, or the Pritzker School of Medicine. Please consult with the relevant admissions websites for more information on the policies of each of these schools.

- CLC computers are equipped with the latest software, such as Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Acrobat Pro, etc.

- Our computers are formatted to switch between multiple language fonts. Many have software installations for specific language needs, like the Mellel word processor for Hebrew and Arabic.

- We offer onsite training for the use of the equipment and computer software.

This national conference is dedicated to all aspects of the teaching of foreign languages, and is free for UIC participants. Presenting at/attending the Chicago Language Symposium is a great opportunity for UIC LCSL graduate students.

CPS Dual Language Programs are currently offered in select neighborhood schools, charter schools, and magnet schools. Students in DLE Programs include those identified as English Learners (ELs), non-English Learners (non-ELs), or heritage language learners.

Two-way dual language programs aim for a 50:50 balance of ELs/heritage language learners and non-ELs in the classroom. If this ratio cannot be met, each language group should account for at least one third. Students serve as language models to each other as they acquire the second language. Like one-way programs, two-way dual language programs provide instruction in two languages and include a mix of ELs, non-ELs, and heritage language learners in the same classroom.

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