Speaking the Same Language: Effective Techniques for Reaching Spanish-Speaking Households in a Mail Survey
Saida Mamedova
American Institutes for Research
Andrew Zukerberg
National Center for Education Statistics
Reaching non-English speaking households is a challenge for many surveys, especially those conducted by mail. Unlike telephone surveys, where the interviewer can immediately identify a language issue and route the case to an interviewer that speaks the respondent's language, a mail survey must identify ways to target the household prior to contact. As part of the transition from a telephone administered to a mail self administered design, the National Household Education Survey (NHES) has conducted a number of experiments to look at optimal ways to identify and reach Spanish-speaking households. The issue of correct identification of the language spoken in the household is especially acute for the NHES, as it is a two-phase study, where sampled households are screened with a simple household roster to determine the presence of eligible children. If eligible children are present, within-household sampling is performed to select a reference child. The household is then sent a longer and more complex topical survey. The screener is used to determine the language of the topical survey. In the 2007 NHES administration, 4.8 percent of screener interviews were conducted in Spanish. This paper examines the results of experiments designed to: determine the best questionnaire approach to reach Spanish-speaking households; determine if there is a 'backfire' effect whereby response in English-speaking households is suppressed by the inclusion of Spanish language materials; and to identify the most effective mailing strategy to maximize identification of Spanish speakers.
