Say What? Foreign EPL Players Must Pass English Language Test
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Foreign Players Will Have To Take English Test
To Be Able To Play In Premiership Next Season |
Under new U.K. immigration rules, soccer players from outside the European Union (EU) "will be barred from joining" the English Premier League "unless they can speak simple English," according to Richard Ford of the LONDON TIMES. The new rules apply to "all skilled workers" from non-EU states. The government originally had planned to "insist that they understood English up to [a secondary school] level but this was changed amid fears that it would rule out too many players." The new stipulations mandate workers need to demonstrate an "ability to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases, to introduce themselves and others and ask and answer questions about basic personal details." U.K. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne: "Footballers earn enough money to pay for professional tuition" (LONDON TIMES, 5/7). In London, Nigel Morris reported workers must demonstrate a "basic knowledge of English before they are granted work visas lasting up to three years." The government has "acted to stem fears that new rules could affect foreign musicians and actors touring Britain," but they instead will be issued "short visas to cover the period of their visit." The exemption covers competitors in the 2012 London Olympics (London TELEGRAPH, 5/7).
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