Australian Citizenship Test (2 Viewers)

[Tulipa]

At 86 years old you can speak whatever language you choose. I wouldn't expect my grandmother to learn Japanese or French.

But do they live in France or Japan?

Have you ever been in a foreign country and not spoken a word of the language? It's terrifying in its isolation. Living there is even more so. You might have people who speak the same language as you but you can't go out by yourself and expect to survive.

 

[DownInFlames]

He was 41 when he came to Australia. Young enough to learn English.
Nobody is talking about 86 year olds, grow up. My example was to show how problematic it is to come to a country and not bother to learn the language. The woman in question didn't come here when she was 85, she came when she was at an age where she could have learnt enough English to make life easier for her and everybody else.

Absolutely.

Asking them to know about Australian sporting and political history that a lot of Australians wouldn't have a clue about is one thing, but language is pretty important. 40+ years is more than enough time to pick up on a language without going to classes or anything.

 

[campbellleo]

One woman I knew of who was 86 had to get her son in law to ring up Telstra over a bill discrepancy because she didn't speak English and Telstra refused to speak to him because they didn't have permission for him to act on her behalf.

Nobody is talking about 86 year olds, grow up.

 

[katie_tully]

If you read the rest of the post.

My example was to show how problematic it is to come to a country and not bother to learn the language. The woman in question didn't come here when she was 85, she came when she was at an age where she could have learnt enough English to make life easier for her and everybody else.

In reference to the 'nobody is talking about 86...', nobody is suggesting people who migrate to Australia at 86 should have to go out to intensive English classes. We're saying if you come to Australia and choose not to learn a basic level of English, you should not then expect special treatment because of your ignorance.

Begs the question though, what does an 86 year old migrant have to offer Australia?

 

[Azamakumar]

Way to take it out of context.

 

[katie_tully]

Anyway I want to know why everybody thinks a person over the age of 50 is incapable of learning another language.

 

[ogmzergrush]

Begs the question though, what does an 86 year old migrant have to offer Australia?

Help the plants grow, assuming they're not into cremation.

 

[katie_tully]

Help the plants grow

Cept we're in a drought
But I see what you did there.

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

Anyway I want to know why everybody thinks a person over the age of 50 is incapable of learning another language.

apparently there is actually a point past which it becomes very difficult to acquire a new language, like your brain physically can't do it or at least has great difficulty. the older you get the harder it is.

 

[Azamakumar]

apparently there is actually a point past which it becomes very difficult to acquire a new language, like your brain physically can't do it or at least has great difficulty. the older you get the harder it is.

Yes, if you have a debilitating disease. Apart from that I imagine there to be only physical constraints, at which point you wouldn't really be suitable for migration.

 

[DownInFlames]

apparently there is actually a point past which it becomes very difficult to acquire a new language, like your brain physically can't do it or at least has great difficulty. the older you get the harder it is.

It is more difficult because at about 18-25 or something like that your brain is at it's best for taking on new things, creative learning, insightfulness.
It's still very do-able to learn a new language at age 50 though. It might take a little longer but you can do it.

 

[JaredR]

It's about time we placed tighter restrictions on our borders.

To migrate to a country you must have some fond form of love for it. If you really love Australia, and if you really want to be Australian, you should at least be willing to read a small booklet and speak a level of english acceptable to survive in our English-speaking nation!

If you don't want to - go back to where you came from!

 

[banco55]

We shouldn't be giving 65+ people citizenship unless they have been permanent citizens for some time (which should presumably have given them an oppurtunity to learn the language). We'd have to be braindead to be adding more people to the pensions roll.

 

[sam04u]

It's about time we placed tighter restrictions on our borders.

To migrate to a country you must have some fond form of love for it. If you really love Australia, and if you really want to be Australian, you should at least be willing to read a small booklet and speak a level of english acceptable to survive in our English-speaking nation!

If you don't want to - go back to where you came from!

Learning to speak English and learning to read and write English are two completely different things. (The second being much more difficult and not as useful at an older age. I don't think your average senior citizen needs to do all that much reading or writing.)

Since when was reading and knowing arbitrary facts (like a national floral emblem) apart of being Australian?

 

[sam04u]

We'd have to be braindead to be adding more people to the pensions roll.

Yeah, most people aren't even suggesting that though. People over the age of 65 who are seeking to come to Australia usually will have family to support them. (However you have to remember that when you increase a population, so does the relative amount of pensioners.) eg; Imagine 100,000 Brits came to live here in Australia. If say a perentage of those people were over the age of 65 and were added to the "Pension Roll", that would be balanced out by those of working age.

 

[JaredR]

Since when was reading and knowing arbitrary facts (like a national floral emblem) apart of being Australian?

It's moreso a means of showing dedication and a true desire to become a citizen rather than the learning of arbitrary facts such as our national emblem.

 

[ssejamafone]

(3) What is Australia's national floral emblem?

- The banksia
- The waratah
- The golden wattle

............ i thought a waratah was a place..... or a bird...... i really have no idea about this question.... >_>"

i lol at being called 'australian' - i'm about the most un-aussie australian person you could meet. I'd probably only get 5 in this test....

 

[PrinceHarry]

What I am getting at is that we don't have some sort of moral highground to demand that people here speak our language. Sure, it makes it a lot easier for them, probably makes them more tolerant and open-minded, and I am sure it does wonders for the practicalities in life, but if they don't want to, we can't just tell them to fuck off.

We can tell them to fuck off if they don't want to fulfill the requirements imposed by the government to gain citizenship. Beggars cant be choosers. It is the prerogative of the government to impose restrictions and make new rules. This is our country, NOT theirs untill they gain their citizenship. If they do not even want to make such a tiny effort ; they don't deserve to be here.

 

[banco55]

Yeah, most people aren't even suggesting that though. People over the age of 65 who are seeking to come to Australia usually will have family to support them. (However you have to remember that when you increase a population, so does the relative amount of pensioners.) eg; Imagine 100,000 Brits came to live here in Australia. If say a perentage of those people were over the age of 65 and were added to the "Pension Roll", that would be balanced out by those of working age.

You are kidding yourself if you think the family will support them. Even among well off Australian citizens few could afford to support their parents. Plus they aren't going to pay their medicare bills when they inevitably get sick because they are old Your example assumes that we'd take a representaitve demographic slice from Britain. We need young workers so we really shouldn't be taking anyone over the age of 40. We'd be far better off taking 100000 25 year olds then taking 100000 45 year olds.

 

[ogmzergrush]

You are kidding yourself if you think the family will support them. Even among well off Australian citizens few could afford to support their parents. Plus they aren't going to pay their medicare bills when they inevitably get sick because they are old Your example assumes that we'd take a representaitve demographic slice from Britain. We need young workers so we really shouldn't be taking anyone over the age of 40. We'd be far better off taking 100000 25 year olds then taking 100000 45 year olds.

I think you might need to read the post you're replying to one more time.