Softer English test likely

The Australian government said yesterday it was prepared to relax its proposed English language test for new citizens as a compromise to get other tough new restrictions on attaining citizenship through Parliament. Immigration and Borden Protection Minister Peter Dutton said his conservative government was prepared to reduce its proposed English-language skill threshold from ‘‘competent’’ to ‘‘modest’’: a level of basic communication with many mistakes. The change would be from level six to five on the nine-level International English Language Testing System scale, he said. Language skills are not currently tested in the Australian citizenship process although some English is required.