Date:    Thu, 21 May 1998 11:07:05 +1000
<br>From:    Ross Chambers <maelduin[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OZEMAIL.COM.AU>
<br>Subject: Sri Lankan Taxi drivers
<br>
<br>Grant Barrett wrote:
<br>
<br><<The changes address what is seen in the government as the "Sri Lankan
<br>psychologist taxi driver syndrome" - a crude reference to the problems
<br>encountered by many skilled immigrants in finding work in their chosen
<br>fields.>>
<br>
<br>My acquaintance in this situation was a South African dental mechanic of
<br>Indian origins, who was only able to find work sorting mail--probably
<br>more difficult material to construct a phrase from!
<br>
<br>The list may be interested to know of a procedure which was practised by
<br>the Australian immigration authorities during the period of the "White
<br>Australia" policy.
<br>
<br>Those intending immigrants who were successful in reaching the port of
<br>entry, and who were suspected of not being "White," were required to
<br>demonstrate their literacy by sitting a dictation test. The language of
<br>the text was not specified, and failure and consequent expulsion were
<br>usually assured when, for example, testing Cantonese speakers in Gaelic.
<br>
<br>I'm pleased to say that this policy was abandoned 40 or 50 years ago,
<br>however Mr. Ruddock's statement shows the current government's attitude
<br>of restricting immigration numbers
<br>
<br>The dictation test may show another way that linguists can play their
<br>part in social engineering!
<br>
<br>Kind regards - Ross Chambers
<br>--
<br>
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<br>Ross Chambers           Sydney       Australia
<br>maelduin[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ozemail.com.au
<br>
<br>"L'Australia non e solo agli antipodi, e lontana da tutto,
<br>  talora anche da sa stessa."
<br>
<br>(Australia is not only  at the Antipodes, she is away from everything,
<br>sometimes even from herself)
<br>
<br>Umberto Eco
<br>
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