An English Test for Immigrants?
05/26/2008
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At the Mexican university in which I work, I've recently been applying and grading TOEFL tests. The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a standardized English exam. In fact, it's the world's most widely recognized such exam. The TOEFL is used in many countries. In U.S. universities it's used as an entrance exam. Here in Mexico it's used in some institutions as an English placement exam.

So why don't we apply some sort of standardized English test to prospective legal immigrants to the U.S.A.? Since so many people want to emigrate to the U.S., why not be more selective? We could apply it to all prospective legal adult immigrants, or at least to all heads of families.

Of course, some would immediately cry "discrimination". But "discrimination" means "to make a distinction". So every immigration system discriminates. The current "family unification" system discriminates upon the basis of nepotism. So how about discriminating to select immigrants who already speak English?

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