MLM Data Tool / Language profiles in Manchester / Bengali

Language profiles in Manchester

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Bengali

Language Bengali
Language name transliterated Bangla
Language name original script বাঙালি
Distribution Bangladesh, India
Estimated number of speakers worldwide 200m
Language classification Indo-European; Indo-Iranian; Eastern Indo-Aryan; Oriya-Gauda-Kamrupa; Gauda-Banga
Related to which languages Hindi, Urdu, Panjabi
Distinctive features in sounds Retroflex sounds (articulated by moving the tongue towards the back of the hard palate); aspirate sounds (require bursts of breath for pronunciation); many diphthongs (combining two vowels in a single syllable) and back vowels (tongue is located very far back in the mouth)
Distinctive features in grammar Words are inflected; the verb appears at the end of the sentence; location expressions (‘for’, ‘to’) follow the noun; ergative language
Writing system Eastern Nagari script – Bengali alphabet
Status Official language of Bangladesh, regional language in India
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in England & Wales (Census 2011) 221,403
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in Greater Manchester (Census 2011) 16,946
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in City of Manchester (Census (Census 2011) 3,114
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in Greater Manchester as percentage of total in England & Wales (Census 2011) 8%
Number of persons identifying as “main language” in City of Manchester as percentage of total in England & Wales (Census 2011) 1%
Proficiency in English, self-reported in City of Manchester (Census 2011)* Can speak English very well (33%), Can speak English well (35%), Cannot speak English well (27%), Cannot speak English (5%)
Distribution in City of Manchester (Census 2011) Longsight (939), Rusholme (626), Ardwick (265), Burnage (161), Gorton South (153)
Distribution in Greater Manchester (Census 2011) Oldham (8,501), Tameside (2,116), Rochdale (2,006)
First language of pupils in Manchester schools (2015) 1,380
Distribution in City of Manchester schools (2015) Birchfields Primary (188), St Agnes C.E. Primary (134), Levenshulme High School (106), Stanley Grove Primary Academy (100), St John’s C.E. Primary (83)
Total interpreter requests in Manchester’s GP practices (2014/2015) 632
Library loans (2012/2013) 2,950
Library acquisitions (2012/2013) 411
M-4 interpreter requests (2012/2013) 910
Dialects of the language used in Manchester Sylheti
Other home language common among speakers Urdu; Arabic as liturgical language
Supplementary schools

*Percentages rounded to nearest whole number