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On (not) speaking English: colonial legacies in language requirements for British citizenship

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On (not) speaking English: colonial legacies in language requirements for British citizenship. / Fortier, Anne-Marie.
In: Sociology, Vol. 52, No. 6, 01.12.2018, p. 1254-1269.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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Fortier A-M. On (not) speaking English: colonial legacies in language requirements for British citizenship. Sociology. 2018 Dec 1;52(6):1254-1269. Epub 2017 Dec 12. doi: 10.1177/0038038517742854

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Bibtex

@article{ad8cee5a424548a2ab06e85f019982ba,
title = "On (not) speaking English: colonial legacies in language requirements for British citizenship",
abstract = "This article examines the colonial legacies shaping current language requirements for immigrants applying for settlement or citizenship in Britain. The article argues that common sense understandings of {\textquoteleft}national language{\textquoteright} and monolingualism/multilingualism were developed in the context of imperial expansion, the legacies of which resonate today in a disdain for multilingualism and other Englishes conceived as hampering cohesion. Put simply, other languages and other English are spoken here because English was there. Drawing on interviews with applicants and English teaching professionals, the article discusses how participants variously experience English language requirements. The analysis shows how the colonial legacies supporting the rise of English as a {\textquoteleft}world language{\textquoteright} cast it as the locus of a regime of audibility that establishes a hierarchy between {\textquoteleft}the English{\textquoteright} and the {\textquoteleft}anglicised{\textquoteright}. In today{\textquoteright}s Britain, the multilingualism of the other is not external and prior to Britain, but rather speaks volumes to and about contemporary Britain. ",
keywords = "Britain, citizenisation, citizenship, English language, language tests, linguistic imperialism, multilingualism of the other, regimes of audibility, other Englishes",
author = "Anne-Marie Fortier",
note = "The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Sociology,52(6), 2018, {\textcopyright} SAGE Publications Ltd, 2018 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Sociology page: http://http://journals.sagepub.com/home/SOC on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/ ",
year = "2018",
month = dec,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/0038038517742854",
language = "English",
volume = "52",
pages = "1254--1269",
journal = "Sociology",
issn = "0038-0385",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",
number = "6",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - On (not) speaking English

T2 - colonial legacies in language requirements for British citizenship

AU - Fortier, Anne-Marie

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Sociology,52(6), 2018, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2018 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Sociology page: http://http://journals.sagepub.com/home/SOC on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - This article examines the colonial legacies shaping current language requirements for immigrants applying for settlement or citizenship in Britain. The article argues that common sense understandings of ‘national language’ and monolingualism/multilingualism were developed in the context of imperial expansion, the legacies of which resonate today in a disdain for multilingualism and other Englishes conceived as hampering cohesion. Put simply, other languages and other English are spoken here because English was there. Drawing on interviews with applicants and English teaching professionals, the article discusses how participants variously experience English language requirements. The analysis shows how the colonial legacies supporting the rise of English as a ‘world language’ cast it as the locus of a regime of audibility that establishes a hierarchy between ‘the English’ and the ‘anglicised’. In today’s Britain, the multilingualism of the other is not external and prior to Britain, but rather speaks volumes to and about contemporary Britain.

AB - This article examines the colonial legacies shaping current language requirements for immigrants applying for settlement or citizenship in Britain. The article argues that common sense understandings of ‘national language’ and monolingualism/multilingualism were developed in the context of imperial expansion, the legacies of which resonate today in a disdain for multilingualism and other Englishes conceived as hampering cohesion. Put simply, other languages and other English are spoken here because English was there. Drawing on interviews with applicants and English teaching professionals, the article discusses how participants variously experience English language requirements. The analysis shows how the colonial legacies supporting the rise of English as a ‘world language’ cast it as the locus of a regime of audibility that establishes a hierarchy between ‘the English’ and the ‘anglicised’. In today’s Britain, the multilingualism of the other is not external and prior to Britain, but rather speaks volumes to and about contemporary Britain.

KW - Britain

KW - citizenisation

KW - citizenship

KW - English language

KW - language tests

KW - linguistic imperialism

KW - multilingualism of the other

KW - regimes of audibility

KW - other Englishes

U2 - 10.1177/0038038517742854

DO - 10.1177/0038038517742854

M3 - Journal article

VL - 52

SP - 1254

EP - 1269

JO - Sociology

JF - Sociology

SN - 0038-0385

IS - 6

ER -