Language, racist power & a possible future reading

[John E Richardson]

hi Linnea,

no, I couldn't get hold of the article. I might contact the authors
directly and see if they can forward it.
I also posted my original message to the Language and the New Capitalism
listserv and received the reply pasted below. Jaffer mentions another
article that may be of interes, but my library doesn't subscribe. Can
anyone on the list access this article?

best

John


FORWARDED MESSAGE:
These tests, Language Analyses of asylum seeker cases, have been around 
since early 1990s.  In fact, back in early 2000 I was involved in 
analyzing one of these tests (I hope this does not make me a 
“racist”!).  I am attaching two links on this issue if you’re 
interested in finding out more.  

1.
Concern expressed in 1998: 
http://www.fecl.org./circular/5304.htm

2.
A useful academic article:

http://www.leaonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15434311laq0104_2?cookieSet=1

Anne Reath (2004). Language Analysis in the Context of the Asylum 
Process: Procedures, Validity, and Consequences.  Language Assessment 
Quarterly: An International Journal, 1 (4), 209-233.

Abstract

In 1993, the language section of the Swedish Migration Board initiated 
the production of documents they called "language analyses" to aid in 
the processing of asylum seekers. Today, 11 years later, 2 privately 
owned companies in Stockholm produce these documents. These companies 
have produced language analyses not only for the Swedish Migration 
board, but also for the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and 
Indigenous Affairs in Australia, the Immigration Authority in Austria, 
the National Police Departments in Denmark and Finland, the Home Office 
in Great Britain, the Ministry of Justice in the Netherlands, the 
Migration Authority in Norway, the National Board for Refugees in 
Switzerland and the Refugee Status Branch in New Zealand. There are 
also government departments in other European countries (including 
Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands) that produce 
language analyses. Very little information about Language Analysis in 
the Asylum Process (LAAP) is readily available to the public. Questions 
concerning how it is done, how it is used, what its purpose is, the 
consequences of its use, and, finally and perhaps most important, how 
successful it is in fulfilling the requirements of those who make use 
of it have not yet been fully answered. The aim of this article is to 
shed as much light as currently available resources permit on these 
questions. It also argues that research into this field is essential to 
answer the questions more fully, and thereby allow governments and 
police authorities to make informed decisions about their use of such 
documents in the asylum process.

jaffer

John E Richardson
Dept of Journalism Studies
Sheffield University