WP130 Citizenship, securitization and suspicion in UK ESOL policy.

This paper looks at the increasingly strong links between security and English language policy in the UK, and it seeks to open a dialogue between sociolinguistics and security studies.? It outlines concepts related to securitization, focusing on the processes involved in turning a political issue into a matter of security, and it re-examines English language policy developments from 2001 to 2014.? Marking the beginning of a period of increased concern with security, the initial introduction of language tests for citizenship can be characterised as ?exceptional securitization?.? But this commitment to exceptional measures has gradually permeated to other entry and settlement requirements for migrants, and has affected other areas of English language education as well.? This subsequent process can be described as ?assembling suspicion?, and it has been accompanied by increased surveillance through the development of a ?ban-optican?.