Data Update 1

 1. What dataset will you use for your final report? 

I will use a dataset by Statistics Canada titled, "Self-rated ability to speak or understand an Indigenous language by First Nations people living off reserve."


2. Describe the dataset. What kind of data does it contain?

This dataset contains information about how well Indigenous peoples living off reserve, speak an Indigenous language. The dataset can be split by province or territory, Indigenous identity (First Nations, Inuit, Métis, or other) age of respondents, and gender of respondents. Something important to note is that this data is self-rated, and all responses to how well the respondent speaks the language are of their own belief. The data is presented as both the original numbers and percentage points in reference to the total Indigenous population of the geographic area one is evaluating. Lastly, it is not obvious at first glance but there are subheadings for for rating ability to speak an Indigenous language. The first question asked to all respondents is whether they speak an Indigenous language or not, and then they do on to describe their speaking ability if they said yes.


3. Is there anything about your data that you don’t understand?

Something I didn't fully understand at first were the headings the "Low" and "High" 95% confidence interval. However, Statistics Canada provided the explanation. A 95% confidence interval means if this survey were repeated, everyone would find the same results 95% of the time, or 19 out of 20 times. Some numbers or estimates are marked with an "E," meaning the data should be used with caution. The larger the difference between the lower and higher confidence intervals, the larger the variability, meaning the estimate should be used with caution.


4. What are some questions you hope to answer with your data? 

Some questions I hope to answer with this data set include:

  1. Which age groups has the highest rate of being able to speak an Indigenous language "very well or relatively well?"
  2. Which part of the country has the highest rates of Indigenous peoples (off reserve) who can speak an Indigenous language "very well or relatively well?"
  3. Which Indigenous group (off reserve) (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) have the most language speakers?
  4. Are more women or men Indigenous language speakers? What is the difference between the two rate?

Comments

  1. Sarah AdrianOctober 10, 2024 at 4:48 PM

    Hi Sukhmani, I think you chose a really interesting dataset! I've heard that many indigenous peoples do not know their indigenous languages and I think it will be interesting to see as you stated in your questions, which group has the highest rate of speaking an indigenous language. One thing I think would be interesting to explore is how has the rate of being able to speak an indigenous language changed over time? For example from 2020 to 2022? Overall, I think this will be a great dataset for you to work with.

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  2. Shayan BahadorOctober 12, 2024 at 11:52 AM

    Hi Sukhmani, I really like your topic! You’ve chosen a very insightful dataset that touches on the important topic of Indigenous language preservation, and your description is clear and thorough. Your questions are well-formulated and focused, addressing key aspects like age, geography, and gender in relation to language speakers. One potential area for improvement would be to explore a question that compares trends over time, if applicable, which could reveal whether Indigenous language retention is improving or declining.

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  3. Suneet GillOctober 13, 2024 at 9:07 PM

    Your data set is very interesting, Sukhmani! You do a great job at breaking down your data, especially by describing how it is self-rated, there are parts which should be used with caution and the fact that respondents had the opportunity to expand on their speaking ability. For your second question, you can specify what you mean by "which part of the country," as there are some regional categories that can be broken down further, such as the Prairie provinces. Great work!

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  4. Yuliia TurbinaOctober 13, 2024 at 10:12 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Yuliia TurbinaOctober 13, 2024 at 10:12 PM

    Hi, you did a great job explaining the dataset, especially pointing out how it’s self-rated and split by different groups like age and gender. This makes your analysis more detailed and interesting.
    It might be helpful to explain more about why the confidence intervals matter for your data. That way, your readers can better understand why they should be careful with some of the estimates.

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  6. Tamryn KennedyOctober 13, 2024 at 11:25 PM

    Hi Sukhmani! Your explanation of the confidence interval was very clear and concise, and I thought you posed very interesting questions. This is absolutely a very relevant and intriguing topic especially with discussions about truth and reconciliation. One suggestion for your next data update, as stated in previous comments, would be to explore more questions that analyze trends over time.

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