Interrogating Trickster Discourse of Coloniality in Regimes of Language Testing 1

This chapter introduces the concept of ‘trickster habitus’ to read new meanings into subtle forms of global coloniality that are hidden behind the language of scientific ‘objectivity’, ‘impartiality’ and ‘fairness’ used to justify standardised language and citizenship testing for immigrants and prospective citizens. The argument is that though language proficiency tests are, to a degree, useful in informing measurement and assessment in a range of social and educational contexts, they do have a dark side that betrays the hallmarks of coloniality of power. The conclusion is that language testing regimes emerged out of and are sustained by imperatives of control, gate-keeping and the exercising of power in Western societies such as Australia.