So now the Liberals want migrants to pass an English test.

[i-need-a-martini]

Mr Morrison said the English language and jobs for immigrants, not festivals, were the keys to ensuring Australia's prosperity and unity. Australia needed more than a one-off snapshot of immigrants' English proficiency and follow-up tests could ensure language skills did not remain static.

With a big shift from permanent immigration to temporary visas, Mr Morrison said: ''There is a great opportunity to have a series of barriers, if you like - a temporary entry [test], a permanent residence and potentially even citizenship, if people want to have that conversation.'' When prompted, he would not not commit to making English a precondition for citizenship.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/morrison-harks-to-integration-20130717-2q4m...

Another Liberal politician who's mouth spews forth gardbage before his brain cogs start working.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@spotweldersfriend wrote:
....cobber 🙂

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Now there is a word you don't hear often these days.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@cat_mioux wrote:

Of course I wouldn't expect a non English speaking person to have to learn English to get into Australia. But I would expect if a person is applying for citzenship they should be able to pass a basic English language test.

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I agree cat.

But it isn't quite so simple and that is the reason I used my mother as an example. She tried so hard and spent years in classes but in the meantime she married, held jobs (in English speaking factories), had children and generally got on with her life.

For some learning another language is more difficult than it is with others. As I said, my father picked it up immediately and I have never spoken to him in his native language. Not so for my mum and that has always been a regret for her.

But as he was well and truly settled, should she not have applied for citizenship? Should she have been sent back to Italy?

If Morrison had done his homework instead of pandering to voters, he would know that most migrants come here with a decent smattering of English and then choose, through various excellent programs set up by the government and through communities, to improve their English via language classes.

[icyfroth]

It's rather a short-sighted view to demand first generation migrants speak english or else. The longer view is that they live and work here, pay taxes and produce the next generation, who of course will have no trouble speaking english and are mostly bi-lingual anyway.

[lakeland27]

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@icyfroth wrote:

It's rather a short-sighted view to demand first generation migrants speak english or else. The longer view is that they live and work here, pay taxes and produce the next generation, who of course will have no trouble speaking english and are mostly bi-lingual anyway.

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 Like.

[spotweldersfriend]

Tambien estoy de acuerdo.

[***super_nova***]

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@cat_mioux wrote:

Of course I wouldn't expect a non English speaking person to have to learn English to get into Australia. But I would expect if a person is applying for citizenship they should be able to pass a basic English language test.

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It is quite possible that a person can pass basic English test (like the woman mentioned above who to work in the PO had to pass the 'public service test') but may not be able to speak or understand the spoken Australian.   🙂

Just as I can pretty much read and understand basic written Russian, but when I listen to a speech I can only pick up the odd word here and there. 

But as already mentioned above; some people find learning language easy, others find it much harder, and there are some who find it impossible.  It is such huge task; if you look at a dictionary and realise that to speak another language you need to learn all these words.  And not only to learn the meaning of words, you have to learn to recognise them when somebody speaks to you.  It is hard.  But so many of the arrivals from Afganistan and middle east speak English well enough to pass a test anyway.

[cherry*135]

Why not fund English lessons for non English speaking people who arrive here?

They do.

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) provides free English language courses to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants.
Participants can also make new friends and learn about Australia, its people and customs.

[cherry*135]

Often in migrant families decades ago, the mother never worked outside the home, and didn't  bother learning good English language skills.. they managed to get by with shopping etc, because their husband and children had learnt English.

I remember quite a few families where the mothers were fairly reliant on their children when English needed to be spoken.

It is also very hard for older people to learn a new language...they may be retired and don't need to speak English for employment purposes. 

There are a lot of migrant families near where I live. They moved to Australia  in the 50's and 60's to work in the steel mill.

[*mrgrizz*]

funny how they don't bother to learn the language but work the money out pretty fast

[the_great_she_elephant]

Most countries' coinage is based on the decimal system, so it's not hard to figure out. I know even the American kids who went to school with me found pounds shillings and pence a nightmare.