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Even the keenest advocates of immigration agree that speaking the language helps migrants integrate. But they argue that the focus should be on helping them do so, not on overly ambitious targets many can never achieve. Many of Europe’s migrants today arrive with psychological problems born of fleeing war and catastrophe. Others work so hard that they struggle to find the time and energy for classes. Some are barely literate; answering fairly sophisticated written questions means first learning to read and write. When immigrants are told they must meet a highly demanding standard, many stop trying, say language teachers and researchers. They may then remain isolated in their ethnic communities, the only ones that will accept them.
即使是最熱衷的移民倡導者也認可，說當地語言有助于移民融入社會。但這些倡導者認為，重點應該放在幫助移民提高語言水平，從而融入社會這一點上，而不在于設立過于宏大而讓很多人無法實現的目標。今天，許多歐洲移民帶著逃離戰爭和災難而產生的心理問題來到這里。有些人工作認真努力，但卻沒什么時間和精力去上課。有些人幾乎不識字；回答相當復雜的書面問題意味著人們首先要學會讀寫。語言教師和研究人員表示，當移民被告知他們必須達到一個高要求的標準時，許多人停止了嘗試。他們可能會繼續隔絕在自己的種族社區中，畢竟這是唯一會接受他們的地方。
Ricky van Oers, a Dutch scholar affiliated to the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, explains the effects of raising the bar in her home country. Once, knowledge of the language was assessed in an informal conversation with a local official. When in 2003 written tests were introduced, successful applications fell by half. Since 2007 classes in Dutch have been left to a mix of state and poorly regulated private schools. Reaching the necessary level is estimated to cost 3,600 euros ($4,380) on average, generally paid by the immigrant. Today, new arrivals have three years to reach that standard—one admittedly more modest than in Denmark—or face being fined up to 1,250 euros and being barred from permanent residency and citizenship until the test is passed.
挪威西部應用科學大學的荷蘭學者瑞奇·范·奧爾斯解釋了其祖國抬高語言要求門檻造成的影響。申請者的荷蘭語掌握程度曾經依靠與當地考官的非正式談話來進行評估。2003年，荷蘭引入了筆試，成功申請的人數自此減少了一半。自2007年以來，荷蘭語課程一直由州立學校和監管不善的私立學校混合開設。達到必要的荷蘭語水平估計平均花費3600歐元（合4380美元），一般由移民自己支付。如今，移民有三年的時間來達到入籍所需語言標準（荷蘭入籍所需語言標準公認要比丹麥的要求更溫和），否則將面臨高達1250歐元的罰款，并被禁止獲得永久居留權和公民身份，直到考試通過。
Countries that introduce language tests for citizenship should make sure teaching is of a good quality (the students themselves are in a poor position to spot a dodgy operator). They should learn from Germany, which subsidises lessons so generously that they are practically free. Help people attend by ensuring child care if they need it. Provide incentives such as assistance with work placements. Presented with a feasible goal that can be reached with better skills, newcomers will work harder than when ordered to scale a distant peak that they can scarcely see.
引入入籍語言測試的國家應該確保教學質量良好（學生們自己很難識別不良教學機構）。這些國家應該向德國學習，德國對語言教學課程的資助非常慷慨，德國移民實際上是免費上課。如果移民者需要，國家還應該通過確保兒童看護，從而幫助他們上課。國家也應提供激勵措施，如協助安排工作。相比被命令著去攀登遙不可及的高峰，當移民者面對可以通過提高語言技能就能達到的可行目標時會更加努力。
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