New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the majority of immigrants and others who speak non-English languages in their homes also are very proficient in English.

In a new Census Bureau report, the government calculated that 58.2% of U.S. residents age five and older who speak a language other than English at home speak English “very well” and another 19.4% speak English “well.”

The percentage who speak English “less than very well” increased from 8.1% in 2000 to 8.7% in 2007, but stayed at 8.7% in 2011, according to the report. Also, those speaking a language other than English at home went up from 17.9% in 2000 to 20.8% in 2011.

Of the 60.6 million people who spoke a language other than English at home in 2011, 62% (37.6 million) spoke Spanish, the Census Bureau found.

The Census Bureau estimated that more than 300 languages are spoken in the United States, including 134 Native American languages.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn MorE:

New Census Bureau Interactive Map Shows Languages Spoken in America (U.S. Census Bureau)

Language Use in the United States: 2011 (by Camille Ryan, U.S. Census Bureau) (pdf)

One of Five in U.S. Speak Language other than English at Home (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)