From migrant to citizen: testing language, testing culture

In this examination of the Australian debate on citizenship tests in its historical and international context, linguists, lawyers and historians, political theorists and philosophers draw out themes of identity and cultural belonging underlying the political rhetoric of testing new citizens' knowledge of the language and culture of a nation. Divided into three parts, the book explores the historical background which Australian citizenship testing shares with other nations of the British colonies. It provides cross-national perspectives on citizenship by examining the proliferation of new tests for citizenship in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and in Australia. It also discusses philosophical implications and popular attitudes towards the new testing regimes by discussing debates about identity, values and nation and the implications for Australia and for the wider international community