U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Community Capacity Development Office

Supporting

Limited English Communities
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

Alberto R. Gonzales

Attorney General

Regina B. Schofield

Assistant Attorney General

Office of Justice Programs

Home Page

www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Community Capacity Development Office

Office of Weed and Seed

Home Page

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo

NCJ 210506

July 2005

Office of Justice Programs

Partnerships for Safer Communities

www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Supporting

Limited English Communities
Supporting Limited English Communities 

Introduction 

The Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 

requires all recipients of federal financial assistance from DOJ to 

comply with federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the 

basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. This 

includes discrimination of people with limited English 

proficiency (LEP), which refers to persons who do not speak 

English as their primary language and who have a limited ability 

to read, speak, write, or understand English. 

Executive Order 13166, titled “Improving Access to Services for 

Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” requires that the 

federal government and grant recipients take reasonable steps to 

ensure that people with LEP have meaningful access to the 

programs, services, and information they provide. This is 

especially important because of the nation’s changing 

demographics. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2010, 

people of Hispanic origin will comprise 15 percent of the 

population; the Asian community also is expected to increase 

steadily.1 

DOJ is requesting that its funded agencies and programs develop 

creative solutions to respond effectively to the needs of 

culturally and linguistically diverse groups. A first step in this 

direction is to develop awareness and knowledge of and skills 

related to linguistic competency. Linguistic competence is the 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

capacity of an organization and its personnel to communicate 

effectively with persons with LEP, those with low literacy skills 

or who are not literate, and individuals with disabilities. 

Linguistically competent organizations must have policy, 

structures, practices and procedures, and dedicated resources to 

support this capacity.2 

Serving Individuals With LEP in Weed and 

Seed Programs 

In a continuing effort to provide effective and efficient customer 

service to Weed and Seed grant recipients, the Community 

Capacity Development Office (CCDO), of DOJ’s Office of 

Justice Programs, conducted a survey to determine the extent to 

which people with LEP are being served in Weed and Seed 

communities. CCDO reviewed demographic profiles for each 

Weed and Seed site to find sites with a foreign-born population 

of 5 percent or more. Of more than 300 Weed and Seed sites, 

156 met the criteria and were asked to participate in the LEP 

self-assessment survey. These grantees were given 10 days to 

return the survey; 73 sites, or almost half, responded. 

LEP Survey Results 

Sites were asked to list the language groups and languages 

spoken in their communities. Other than English, Spanish was 

the predominant language spoken at the most sites. Vietnamese, 

Pacific Island dialects, Chinese dialects, Korean, and Russian 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

were also fairly common. Site coordinators at 69 sites identified 

resources needed to provide language-accessible services; most 

(67) had already put resources in place. Many sites (58) had 

employees who spoke a language other than English, and 52 of 

these sites used employees as interpreters. A relatively small 

number of sites provided formal training to employees on how 

best to serve LEP individuals. 

Many Weed and Seed sites use outside translation resources. 

More than half of the 73 responding programs (46) use 

community volunteers, and others indicated that they use oral 

interpretation services (29), written language translation services 

(24), government agencies (13), and telephone interpreter lines 

(12). Most programs that use informal interpreters, such as 

family members and children, use them only in urgent situations 

or to convey general information (e.g., directions to the office). 

Thirty-four sites indicated they had translated all or most vital 

program documents, and 16 had translated some of them. 

Almost one-third (22) of the responding sites indicated that 

additional resources were needed to ensure that LEP persons 

have access to these materials. 

Innovative Practices 

The CCDO survey highlighted many Weed and Seed programs 

that are developing promising strategies to support their LEP 

residents. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

Northwest and Southwest Trenton, NJ 

Staffing policies require that the receptionist, one senior staff 

member, and at least one employee at each Safe Haven site be 

bilingual. In addition, all requests made by Spanish-speaking 

clients are reviewed and, if necessary, a supervisor follows up. 

Brownsville Westside, TX 

Weed and Seed project staff are required to speak Spanish, 

which eliminates the need for interpreters. Project staff members 

also assist the school system with parent/teacher/student 

meetings. 

Seattle, WA 

Weed and Seed project staff are bilingual and able to 

communicate with residents in their own language. Outside 

resources such as telephone interpreter lines, community 

volunteers, and written language services also are used. 

West Oakland, CA 

In addition to using outside translation services, the program has 

a 24-hour, multilingual tip line. Callers leave anonymous voice 

messages about criminal activity, which are retrieved regularly. 

The information is used to help reduce illegal drug and nuisance 

activities in Oakland neighborhoods. The tip line is equipped to 

take calls in English, Spanish, and Chinese. 

The Colfax Corridor 

This site serves a very diverse community in Aurora, CO. The 

program has developed comprehensive services for non-English 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

speakers in its target area. Half of the Weed and Seed project 

staff speak Spanish. In addition, the Inter-Cultural 

Communications Network of Aurora, a group of interpreters and 

translators, assists with other language needs. All written 

materials are translated into Spanish and will likely be translated 

into Korean, Russian, and Ethiopian in the future. 

Aurora conducts extensive outreach through its Building Unity 

in the Community program. The program’s 10 components 

include a Neighborhood Watch program for Spanish speakers to 

engage them in crime prevention and public safety efforts. Some 

of the more innovative features of the Building Unity program 

are described below. 

• House calls are available to residents who are concerned 

about crime or quality of life issues in their immediate area. 

Representatives from the outreach program and the police 

department meet with residents to design and implement 

problem-solving strategies. 

• Lifelong Learning is designed to improve the language and 

life skills of non-English speakers. The Aurora Community 

College’s Language Center and Workforce Development 

Center, located close to the Weed and Seed site, offer 

approximately 70 noncredit English language classes and 

four Spanish-language GED preparatory courses each year. 

• Coffee with Parents is hosted monthly or quarterly by 

public elementary and middle schools in Aurora. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

Information on city services and other topics is provided to 

parents of students. 

• Cross-cultural mediation is available through a Weed and 

Seed networker who is certified in dispute resolution. 

• Emergency response education. A Weed and Seed 

networker is trained as a Community Emergency Response 

Team member and educates the Spanish-speaking 

community on how to respond in case of a natural disaster 

or other emergency. 

• Welcome to America is designed to help newly arrived 

immigrants more successfully integrate into north Aurora 

neighborhoods by providing information on responsibilities, 

rights, and resources. 

Developing LEP Programs 

DOJ established and oversees the Federal Interagency Working 

Group to disseminate information about serving persons with 

LEP. The working group developed a Web site (www.lep.gov) 

to provide guidance, compliance information, and resources 

regarding language access issues for federal agencies, agencies 

receiving federal grants, and communities. The following 

sections of this report summarize many of the tips and tools 

suggested on the Web site. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

Self-Assessment 

According to DOJ guidelines for providing services to people 

with LEP, the first step in developing LEP programs is to 

conduct a self-assessment for planning purposes.3

 Descriptions 

of the assessment’s four components are found below, along 

with related questions that sites might pose to themselves. 

Demography 

Sites should assess the number or proportion of persons with 

LEP in the eligible service population. The greater the number 

or proportion of this population, the more likely that languageaccessible services are needed. 

• Has your organization developed a demographic profile, by 

primary language spoken, of the population served or likely 

to be served by your programs and activities? (If not, the 

U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov/) and the U.S. 

Department of Education (www.ed.gov) are good sources 

for this information.) 

• Is your organization working with any community-based 

organizations that are familiar with the language needs of 

individuals either participating in your programs and 

activities or to whom you provide services or otherwise 

encounter? 

Frequency of Contact 

Sites should assess how often LEP individuals come into contact 

with the program. The more frequent the contact, the more likely 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

that enhanced language services are needed. Programs should 

track this information to determine what types of language needs 

exist. 

• Does your organization have a process for surveying, 

collecting, and/or recording primary language data for 

individuals who participate in your programs and activities? 

• What categories are used in collecting data? Where do the 

data reside? Who can access the data? 

Importance 

Once languages have been identified, sites should look at the 

nature of the programs, activities, or services offered. The more 

important the program or the greater the possible consequences 

of contact with the LEP community, the greater the need for 

language-accessible services. 

• Do you require people to fill out applications or consent 

forms, be interviewed, or perform another activity (1) prior 

to participating in any of your programs and/or activities, (2) 

to obtain some benefit, service, or information, or (3) to 

participate in a higher level program? 

• Do you conduct programs or activities that have serious 

consequences, either positive or negative, for participants 

(e.g., consequences to their health, safety, economic 

situation, environment, educational goals, housing, 

rehabilitation)? 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• How do delays in service provision or participation in your 

programs and/or activities affect participants (e.g., the 

participants’ economic situation, educational goals, health, 

safety, housing, ability to assert rights, transportation costs)? 

Resources 

Sites should identify the resources available for the programs 

and services needed. The level of resources needed and the costs 

associated with providing them will determine what type of 

language assistance is provided. 

• Have you identified the resources needed to provide 

meaningful access for people with LEP? Are those resources 

currently in place? 

• Is there a staff member in your organization assigned to 

coordinate LEP-related activities? 

• Have you identified the points of contact when people with 

LEP interact with your organization? Is language assistance 

available at these points? 

• How many employees in your organization speak a 

language other than English fluently? Which languages? 

• What percentage of the total number of employees in your 

organization are bilingual and able to assist people with LEP 

competently? 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

Tips on Identifying Resources 

•

•

•

or translator. 

•

•

•

(

Determine which types of services are appropriate (e.g., 

interpreters, translators, bilingual individuals). Consider the 

strengths and weaknesses of each approach. 

Identify or hire bilingual staff and provide training on a regular 

basis. If possible, collaborate with community groups or 

universities that can provide assistance on an as-needed basis. 

Identify situations (e.g., those with legal or criminal 

implications) requiring the services of a professional interpreter 

Obtain translated materials from different programs or offices 

with similar missions (e.g., police, courts). 

Share among offices within the organization. This allows 

existing translations to be easily modified and saves on limited 

resources. 

Consider contributing the LEP program tools developed to a 

larger inventory of resources, such as a database or Web site 

e.g., www.lep.gov). 

• Do employees in your organization act as interpreters? If 

you use outside sources, which types of interpreter services 

do you use (e.g., contract interpreters, telephone services, 

community-based organizations, language banks)? 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• For which languages other than English are outside sources 

of interpreters most commonly used? 

• Are minors used as interpreters? If so, under what 

circumstances, and how are issues such as competency, 

appropriateness, and confidentiality assessed? 

• If additional resources are needed to ensure meaningful 

access, have you identified the cost of those resources? 

• Are there any limitations in resources (dollars and 

personnel) that could affect the provision of languageassistance services? 

• Have you explored all available options to ensure the 

provision of language-assistance services? 

Devising a Language Assistance Plan 

After conducting the self-assessment to determine language 

needs, organizations should devise a language assistance plan. 

Comprehensive plans should include the following five steps. 

Identify People With LEP 

Document the information obtained in the self-assessment. 

Take Language Assistance Measures 

Describe to staff how language assistance will be provided. For 

example, describe— 

• Types of language services available. 

• How to obtain those services. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• How to respond to LEP callers. 

• How to respond to written communications from people 

with LEP. 

• How to respond to people with LEP directly (i.e., face to 

face). 

Train Staff 

It is essential that all organization staff are able to provide 

meaningful access to information and services for people with 

LEP. As such, organizations should include training to ensure 

that: 

• Staff know about LEP policies and procedures. 

• Staff in contact with the public are trained to work 

effectively with interpreters. 

Notify LEP Persons 

Organizations should notify the public, in all appropriate 

languages, that they provide language-accessible services. Some 

ways of accomplishing this objective include— 

• Posting signs in intake areas and other entry points. 

• Publicizing in outreach documents (e.g., brochures, 

booklets, outreach and recruitment information) in 

appropriate languages. 

• Working with community-based organizations to inform 

their constituents. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• Using a telephone voicemail menu with the most common 

languages encountered. 

• Including notices in local newspapers in languages other 

then English. 

• Advertising on non-English language radio and television 

stations. 

• Speaking at or notifying school and religious organizations. 

Monitor and Update the Plan 

Changes in demographics, types of services, or other needs will 

require an annual reevaluation of the plan. One good way to 

evaluate is to seek feedback from the community and assess 

potential modifications based on that feedback. 

Working With LEP Individuals 

Staff members who direct interested individuals to services play 

a critical role in serving people with LEP. Programs should 

identify how these first receivers should interact with people 

with LEP and which language-accessible resources should be 

immediately available. For example, sites that do not have 

bilingual staff as first receivers should be able to provide the 

public with language-appropriate telephone access. Translated 

notices can also simplify the communication process. In 

addition, DOJ suggests the following: 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• Create a convenient and accessible point of entry for the 

largest language minority group in the community (e.g., 

dedicated telephone number). 

• Do not make assumptions regarding an individual’s first 

language. 

• Use language identification flashcards (also known as “I 

Speak___” cards) so that persons with LEP can identify 

their native language. 

• Consider providing language assistance, even if an 

individual’s English appears adequate. 

• Learn how to use an interpreter effectively. For example: 

 Use short simple sentences that are free of idioms and 

avoid compound phrases, double negatives, and so 

forth. 

 Always address the individual in the first person and 

look at them, not at the interpreter, when conversing. 

 Be creative and patient when asking questions. Feel free 

to use pictures to communicate when needed. 

 Assume that some questions will have to be repeated. 

 Do not expect the interpreter to “fill in the blanks.” 

• Be aware that excluding a person with LEP during long 

conversations with English-speaking individuals can convey 

negative messages. Wait until an interpreter is present to 

explain the communication. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• Be familiar with different modes of interpretation and the 

context in which each is appropriate (e.g., simultaneous 

interpretation, consecutive interpretation, sight translation). 

• Consider and plan for the possibility that a person with LEP 

may also have a disability. 

Other Considerations 

In addition to linguistic competency, individuals and 

organizations need to develop cultural competency so that they 

are able to respond effectively to all of their clients’ cultural 

needs. To do this, program staff need to learn about the cultural 

beliefs, values, and needs of the populations they serve. Five 

essential elements contribute to a program’s ability to become 

more culturally competent. The program should (1) value 

diversity, (2) have the capacity for cultural self-assessment, (3) 

be conscious of the dynamics inherent when cultures interact, 

(4) institutionalize cultural knowledge, and (5) develop 

adaptations to service delivery that reflect an understanding of 

diversity between and within cultures. These five elements 

should be reflected in attitudes, structures, policies, and 

services.4 

Outreach is a key component of ensuring access to LEP 

programs. DOJ suggests that program staff meet with ethnic 

community leaders, post information where appropriate, use 

translated materials to publicize access efforts, and work with 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

other organizations to conduct joint outreach campaigns. Also, 

staff should attend community meetings and provide forums 

during which LEP communities can discuss their needs.5 

Conclusion 

Providing linguistically appropriate services to individuals with 

LEP is required of federally funded programs, including Weed 

and Seed sites. Moreover, Weed and Seed sites are often located 

in diverse areas where multiple languages are spoken by 

residents. As language diversity in the nation increases, so does 

the need to respond appropriately and effectively. Although the 

issues surrounding language access are complex, many valuable 

resources exist to assist in the process of assessing needs, 

developing a language assistance plan, identifying resources, 

and working effectively with residents. 

The following online resources may assist in developing LEP 

programs. Weed and Seed sites can also request technical 

assistance from CCDO on how to develop and implement 

language-accessible services. 

• DOJ’s LEP Web site: www.lep.gov. 

• DOJ’s Final Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance 

Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against 

National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English 

Proficient Persons (2002): 

www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/lep/DOJFinLEPFRJun182002.htm. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

• DOJ’s self-assessment questionnaire: 

www.lep.gov/selfassesstool.htm. 

• Flashcard identifying different languages: 

www.lep.gov/ISpeakCards2004.pdf. 

• Census 2000 Brief: www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr29.pdf. 

• Tips on how to choose an agency for translation and/or 

interpreter services: 

www.calendow.org/reference/publications/pdf/cultural/HO 

WTOCHOOSEALANGUAGEAGENCY030703.pdf. 

• Tips for working with community interpreters: 

www.diversitycoalition.org/uploads/83/42/Working_With_ 

Comm._Interpreters.pdf. 

• “Increasing Access to Services for Limited English 

Proficient Persons” (National Immigration Law Center 

article): 

www.nilc.org/immspbs/la/Language_access_issue_brieffinal.pdf. 

• Sample language access policy (Community Legal 

Services, Inc., Philadelphia, PA): 

www.clsphila.org/PDF%20folder/LAP_Policy_%20CLS_ve 

r6.pdf. 

• National Center for Cultural Competence’s Web site: 

gucchd.georgetown.edu/nccc/index.html. 

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Supporting Limited English Communities 

Notes 

1. U.S. Census Bureau. 2004. U.S. Interim Projections by Age, 

Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin. Washington, DC: U.S. Census 

Bureau. Data retrieved June 16, 2005, from 

www.census.gov/ipc/www/usinterimproj/natprojtab01a.pdf. 

2. Goode, T., and Jones, W. 2000 (rev. 2002). Definition of 

Linguistic Competence. Washington, DC: National Center for 

Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child 

and Human Development. Maternal and Child Health Bureau. 

2002. Strategic Plan FY 2003–2007 (Draft). Rockville, MD: 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health 

Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child 

Health Bureau. 

3. U.S. Department of Justice. 2002. Language Assistance SelfAssessment and Planning Tool for Recipients of Federal 

Financial Assistance. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Justice. Retrieved June 16,2005, from 

www.lep.gov/selfassesstool.htm. 

4. Ccampinha-Bacote, J. 1994. The Process of Cultural 

Competence in Health Care: A Culturally Competent Model of 

Care. 2d ed. Cincinnati, OH: Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates. 

5. Ibid. 

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obtained by calling

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