"I volunteer with refugees and regularly witness the distress of highly skilled and qualified people failing the test on idiotic questions that most Britons couldn't answer. When simple facts can be found by a quick internet search, what is the point of wasting brain space by trying to memorise them? Much more salient to ask questions like: where can you legally ride an electric scooter? The maximum legal speed for an electric bicycle?"
"The refugees I know are curious about the things they see around them, like Halloween, red poppies in November and the origin of Christmas. Since many of them have escaped from wartorn countries, well before fireworks start exploding we cover Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night, Diwali, new year and other occasions when sudden, terrifying bangs and flashes can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder."
Volunteers witness refugees becoming distressed when highly skilled and qualified applicants fail citizenship tests because of obscure questions that many Britons could not answer. Simple factual information is easily searchable, so memorizing trivia wastes effort. Practical, everyday questions about electric scooters, e-bike speeds, driving documents, the living wage, library cards, road-crossing safety, food banks and current governing parties would better prepare newcomers. Refugees are curious about holidays, customs and local practices and benefit from guidance on events that can trigger trauma, appropriate conversational topics, friendly versus offensive gestures, and using weather as a safe opening topic.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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