Language Use Data Platform
Helping you make data-driven decisions about language and communication in your programs
Contribute
Help us close the gap on language use data by collecting, sharing and contributing data to our platform.
Download pre-written and translated questions about language use for surveys and assessments, plus resources and advice to help you collect and use the data in your programs
Submit a dataset for inclusion in the platform
Collect, use and integrate language use data in your work
Brief: The 2021 multi-sector needs assessments should collect data on the languages of affected people
Read the brief in English or French.
This brief argues that MSNAs are a critical opportunity to strengthen the evidence base for effective and accountable humanitarian response plans. It provides recommended language and communication questions, and key considerations on how to include them in MSNAs.
Five easy steps to integrate language data into humanitarian and development programs
Data on the languages of affected people is as important for meeting their needs as data on their age and gender. This tool is a quick reference guide to your options on how to use language data at different stages of planning and delivering aid programs.
Blog: Language data fills a critical gap for humanitarians
Learn how language use data informs more effective and inclusive programming
Global literacy map by gender
Why we need to collect data on the languages of crisis-affected people (PDF)
This infographic highlights the challenges we face when we fail to incorporate language data into humanitarian decision making. In order to address those challenges, we propose four key questions to include in all humanitarian data collection efforts.
View the infographic in English, Congolese Swahili, French and Lingala (Facile).
MSNA language data can help humanitarians communicate better with affected people (PDF)
This brief summarizes key language and communication findings from the 2019 Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment in northeast Nigeria. It illustrates the potential for large-scale surveys of this kind to fill critical language and communication information gaps throughout the humanitarian sector.
Blog: When words fail: audio recording for verification in multilingual surveys
Rapid guide to localizing and translating survey tools
The words between us: How well do enumerators understand the terminology used in humanitarian surveys?
This report demonstrates that languages is not a routine consideration in survey design. It concludes that enumerators often do not understand the words they must translate in surveys.