Portuguese proficiency assessment for citizenship in Brazil

ABSTRACT

This article aims at discussing the use of proficiency exams in international migration contexts, with a focus on naturalization processes in Brazil. More specifically, at analyzing the Brazilian legal provisions on this matter since the mid-twentieth century and at assessing the adequacy of instruments adopted in the country for proving proficiency in Portuguese in certain modalities of naturalization. Special attention is given to the Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners (Celpe-Bras), which has been misused in this context since 2018 and, as a consequence, has hampered the process of ordinary naturalization. Considering that the monolingual ideology underlying the proficiency requirement in question can hardly be legally overcome, we advocate for the development of a valid, reliable and practical test for this context. Based on a needs analysis of the target group (Silva, 2019) and in an expanded language education perspective (Cavalcanti, 2013), this test could contribute to the politicization of candidates and to the promotion of cultural and linguistic plurality. In order to potentialize positive washback, it should be integrated with a course of Portuguese as a Welcoming Language, fostered by a public policy at the national level, supporting the guarantee of the right to learn the official Brazilian language.

Keywords:
international migrations; naturalization; proficiency assessment; Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners (Celpe-Bras).