Barrier or Entitlement? The Language and Citizenship Agenda in the United Kingdom

Abstract

In the United Kingdom (UK) there are two ways for applicants to fulfil the requirement to show their knowledge of English language and life in the UK: they can take a computer-based citizenship test or attend an English class which includes citizenship teaching. This article describes the background to the test and the struggle to ensure that applicants with lower levels of English would not be excluded. It focuses particularly on citizenship classes and the tension between the framing by politicians of the test as an entitlement for migrants which ensures access to their full set of rights, and the experience of the testing regime by those affected by it.

Notes

¹This has recently been taken up enthusiastically by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown who has called for an Institute of Britishness, a British day and a British Bill of Rights, in contrast to 2002/3 when notions of national identity were played down in policy rhetoric.

²Taken from a focus group interview with students on an ESOL citizenship course in London, from an informal study I carried out in 2007. The study was a pilot for a larger study to be carried out in 2008–9. The students were mainly from Commonwealth countries such as Nigeria, Bangladesh and Pakistan or refugees from Somalia and Iraq. There was also a female spouse from Morocco, a male spouse from Santo Domingo and a woman from Poland.