The politicisation of English language proficiency, not poor English itself, creates barriers
- Written by Ingrid Piller, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Macquarie University
The Australian government is considering yet another English language test for migrants. The rationale for the proposal is the prospect “Australia will be home to one million people who do not speak English well or at all by 2021”, as Human Services Minister Alan Tudge claimed.
In particular, he suggests today’s migrants are less...