Becoming a Citizen: Linguistic Trials and Negotiations in the UK (Advances in Sociolinguistics)

This book explores the process of acquiring UK citizenship and investigates how the naturalisation process is experienced, with an explicit focus on language practices. This ethnographically-informed study focuses on W, a Yemeni immigrant in the UK, during the final phase of the citizenship process. In this time, he encounters linguistic trials and tests involving the Life in the UK citizenship test, community life, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), adult education and the citizenship ceremony. The richness of linguistic data featured in this book allows for a nuanced portrayal of the complexities of becoming a citizen. This is especially so in the context of the UK's assimilationist form of citizenship which is reflected in the introduction of a citizenship test within a broader socio-political climate. Becoming a Citizen offers a detailed analysis of the linguistic process of naturalisation in the the UK and is relevant to scholars working in sociolinguistics, language policy, migration studies and ethnographic research. "Becoming a Citizen makes a unique contribution to the existing scholarship on citizenship processes by empirically investigating how the naturalisation process is experienced with an explicit focus on language practices. This ethnographically informed investigation focuses on W., a Yemeni immigrant in the United Kingdom during the last eleven months of the citizenship process. In this time, he encounters linguistic trials involving the Life in the UK citizenship test, community life, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) adult education and the citizenship ceremony. The richness of data allows for a nuanced portrayal of the complexities becoming a citizen, a particularly significant contribution since the UK's move towards an assimilationist form of citizenship, reflected in the introduction of a citizenship test within a broader socio-political climate which promotes the use of English. Drawing upon a wide range of theorists, from philosophy, psychology and linguistics, this book offers a detailed analysis of the process of becoming a citizen and makes an original contribution to the area of citizenship in language testing, sociolinguistics, sociology and ethnic relations."--Bloomsbury Publishing. "Becoming a Citizen makes a unique contribution to the existing scholarship on citizenship processes by empirically investigating how the naturalisation process is experienced with an explicit focus on language practices. This ethnographically informed investigation focuses on W., a Yemeni immigrant in the United Kingdom during the last eleven months of the citizenship process. In this time, he encounters linguistic trials involving the Life in the UK citizenship test, community life, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) adult education and the citizenship ceremony. The richness of data allows for a nuanced portrayal of the complexities becoming a citizen, a particularly significant contribution since the UK's move towards an assimilationist form of citizenship, reflected in the introduction of a citizenship test within a broader socio-political climate which promotes the use of English. Drawing upon a wide range of theorists, from philosophy, psychology and linguistics, this book offers a detailed analysis of the process of becoming a citizen and makes an original contribution to the area of citizenship in language testing, sociolinguistics, sociology and ethnic relations"-- Provided by publisher "Becoming a Citizen makes a unique contribution to the existing scholarship on citizenship processes by empirically investigating how the naturalisation process is experienced with an explicit focus on language practices. This ethnographically informed investigation focuses on W., a Yemeni immigrant in the United Kingdom during the last eleven months of the citizenship process. In this time, he encounters linguistic trials involving the Life in the UK citizenship test, community life, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) adult education and the citizenship ceremony. The richness of data allows for a nuanced portrayal of the complexities becoming a citizen, a particularly significant contribution since the UK's move towards an assimilationist form of citizenship, reflected in the introduction of a citizenship test within a broader socio-political climate which promotes the use of English. Drawing upon a wide range of theorists, from philosophy, psychology and linguistics, this book offers a detailed analysis of the process of becoming a citizen and makes an original contribution to the area of citizenship in language testing, sociolinguistics, sociology and ethnic relations"--Résumé de l'éditeur Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Citizenship and Language in the UK 2. Becoming 3. The Life in the UK Test 4. Ideological Becoming 5. ESOL and Becoming 6. The Citizenship Ceremony 7. Conclusion Notes References Index