Squirrel

The USCIS is planning to change the citizenship test, and the English language bit will become more of a proper test. Applicants will have to talk about 2 photos and write about another, answering questions.

If they apply this test to those whose first language is English, such as Brits, Aussies and Canadians (and knowing the Americans, they will) would you feel patronised and insulted?

I would. Very.

Manc

not really, it's their ball they can play with it how they see fit.

effi

Not really, whatever it takes. When my husband did his test last Oct and they came to the 10 questions bit, he only had to do a couple. The woman tester said to him "obviously you can read and understand english". I guess it is such a struggle for some people to get to that point that they are just about ready to do anything for it all to be over.

Squirrel

So you don't think it's pointless? Surely even USCIS can tell a country where English is the native language from one where it isn't? Still nothing would surprise me with this lot.

NC Penguin

Even though someone's first language might be English, that doesn't mean their comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and grammar is automatically better than a non-native.

It's better to test all would be citizens on the same criteria.

nxylas

Not everyone with British (or presumably Canadian, Australian etc.) citizenship has English as their first language. Even some people born in the UK to non-anglophone parents grow up hearing nothing but their parents native language until they start school, the parents' attitude being that "the schools will sort them out". I once worked with an English woman who was married to an Iranian who was determined to speak nothing but Farsi to her baby for the first 5 years of his life, her idea being that the school would teach him English and he would grow up fully bilingual. She left before I had the chance to find out whether her theory worked in practice - I suspect he grew up a deeply confused kid!

doctor scrumpy

Who says the questions will be in English ? They will probably be in american, a different langauge entirely.

edwords

What'cha tawkin' 'bout?

Yorkieabroad

Brother in law did that with his kids - living in the US, spoke only chinese until they went to school. Chinese at home, at church, at playgroups, lived in a chinese area etc etc. Then went to school and wondered what the hell was going on - people speaka different language! They'd heard a bit on tv, but that was it. Must have been a tough few weeks at school, but doesn't seem to have left any real scars - he's 10 or 11 now, fully bilingual. Guess it was a bit easier for his younger siblings, but it still seems pretty brutal to me. We're trying to bring ours up with both languages from the start, but we're probably going to struggle cos we're not disciplined enough to strictly segregate the 2 - ie we both speak a bit of both languages to the kids, so they're more likely to confuse the 2 until they're a bit older. But it does seem more..."humane"....


As for the original question, surely the interviewing officer will have some flexibility to exercise common sense? They skipped half the questions in my interview because they looked at me and said "no worries on that, or that or that". would have loved to have seen the questions they skipped...

Manc

You didn't ask me if it was pointless, which I agree it totally is.

You asked if I'd be insulted, which I wouldn't be.

Having to take my driving test again was pointless, but I wasn't insulted.

supernav

those tests are such a formatlity waste of time.

Has ANYONE in this entire country FAILED a naturalization and told to go home and forget about it and stay on your gc forever?

They're like DMV tests. 10 mins before -- you memorize how many feet you're supposed to park from the curb. And 2 days later -- you've already forgotten about it. Totally pointless.

-= nav =-

Lion in Winter

And here I was thinking you were supposed to park close to the curb. Just goes to show, you can't trust a foreigner.