'A fair go for all?' Australia's language-in-migration policy

As the power of tests lies in their uses, language tests that are used to assess immigration eligibility exercise enormous power. Critical Language Testing calls for exposing the power of tests by examining the intentions of introducing tests and their effects on individuals and society, especially...

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Published inDiscourse (Abingdon, England) Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 836 - 850
Main Authors Hoang, Ngoc T. H., Hamid, M. Obaidul
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.11.2017
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Australia
Case Studies
Critical Language Testing
Discourse Analysis
Economic Factors
Eligibility
Employment Potential
English (Second Language)
Foreign Countries
Foreign policy
High Stakes Tests
IELTS
immigrant voices
Immigrants
Immigration
Immigration policy
Impact studies
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Language Planning
Language policy
Language proficiency
Language skills
Language Tests
language-in-migration policy
Migrants
National Security
Policy analysis
Policy formation
policy impact
Power Structure
Psychological Patterns
Scores
Second Language Learning
Semi Structured Interviews
skilled migration
Skilled occupations
Skilled Workers
Social Integration
Standardized Tests
Testing
Well Being
Australia
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Summary:As the power of tests lies in their uses, language tests that are used to assess immigration eligibility exercise enormous power. Critical Language Testing calls for exposing the power of tests by examining the intentions of introducing tests and their effects on individuals and society, especially from the perspective of test-takers. This case study investigates the rationale for and impact of a particular language-in-migration policy in Australia, drawing on the experiences and perceptions of two skilled migration applicants. One of them was successful and the other unsuccessful, essentially on the ground of their language test results. Insights from the study challenge prevalent discourses about language tests and social integration, employability, economic efficiency, and national security. The article makes some policy recommendations for making the use of language tests more beneficial for immigrants and immigrant-receiving societies in a globalised world that has witnessed unprecedented flows of immigrants.
Bibliography:Refereed article. Includes bibliographical references.
Discourse; v.38 n.6 p.836-850; December 2017
ISSN:0159-6306
1469-3739
DOI:10.1080/01596306.2016.1199527