The US citizenship test is being updated, which has caused concern among immigrants with limited English proficiency.
US Citizenship Test
According to The Associated Press, the new version, which is expected to be released next year, proposes adding a speaking section to assess English skills. This has caused concern because it may make the test more difficult for those who struggle with English.
Heaven Mehreta, an Ethiopian immigrant who recently became a United State citizen, expressed her concerns, saying, “For me, I think it would be harder to look at pictures and explain them…pronunciation was very difficult for me when I learned English.”
Shai Avny, who became a United State citizen last year, also worries about the new speaking section, saying: “Sitting next to someone from the federal government, it can be intimidating to talk and speak with them. Some people have this fear anyway.
When it’s not your first language, it can be even more difficult. Maybe you will be nervous and you won’t find the words to tell them what you need to describe. It’s a test that will determine if you are going to be a citizen. So there is a lot to lose.”
Aside from the speaking section, the proposed changes include making the civics section multiple-choice rather than oral short-answer.
This means that applicants must be familiar with all of the wars fought by the United States in the 1900s in order to select the correct answer.
According to Lynne Weintraub, a citizenship coordinator, this could make the test more difficult for people who struggle with English literacy, such as refugees, elderly immigrants, and people with disabilities.
The changes, according to the United State Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), “reflect current best practices in test design” and will help standardize the citizenship test.
Some, however, believe that these changes will make the test easier, such as Elizabeth Jacobs of the Center for Immigration Studies, who believes that a stricter test will ensure that new citizens integrate better into American society.
The proposed changes will be tested nationwide in 2023, and the results will be reviewed by an external group of experts before they are implemented, possibly by late next year.
The debate over the new changes has led to questions about the importance of a civics test in the first place. Corleen Smith from the International Institute of Minnesota wonders if it is necessary to know history and government facts to become a citizen, saying, “People that were born in the USA and are natural-born citizens — a lot of those folks don’t know many of these answers to the history of government questions.”
The concern is that the revised citizenship test will make it more difficult for immigrants with limited English skills to become USA citizens.
As the USCIS implements the changes, advocates and immigrants are hoping for a balanced approach that ensures a fair and accessible process for all.
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