【摘要】 文章论述了语言文字使用情况调查的含义，介绍了本世纪以来国内、外语言普查和抽样调查的一些重要情况。国外的语言普查一般是结合人口普查进行的，抽样调查的规模也不大。重点介绍了美国、法国、日本、联合国教科文和中国在这方面所做的一些工作。目前正在中国开展的语言文字使用情况调查是有史以来国内、外最大规模的语言文字使用方面的抽样调查，因此做好这次调查意义十分重大更多还原

【Abstract】 This paper gives a definition to the survey of language situation, an outline of language census and survey sampling at home and abroad. In foreign country, language census generally was a part of census, and survey sampling always used smaller samples. Languages surveys in American, France, Japan, China are mainly discussed. The World Languages Report project approved by UNESCO is recommended. Conclusion says that the program, Surveying Language Situation in China is the largest scale of survey sampling in world history.更多还原