Language Testing in the Context of Immigration and Citizenship: The Case of the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium)

Abstract

In this article we focus on two specific cases illustrating how similar issues have been addressed differently. Flanders, a federal state of Belgium, and the Netherlands share Dutch as an official language, yet remarkable differences in assessment traditions and policy development exist between them. These differences are most obvious with regard to language testing in the area of immigration and citizenship. We present the current language testing policies in both countries and describe the differences from historical, political, and societal perspectives.