【Punjabi Archives】

Call it a case of lost in translation if you like,Punjabi Archives but Australian English has given one Irish vet quite the headache.

Louise Kennedy, a vet who has been working in Queensland, Australia, but is originally from Wicklow, Ireland, failed an English fluency test despite being native in the language, according to the Irish Independent.

SEE ALSO: Ditch your keyboard in 20 languages with Microsoft's new dictation app

In Australia, skilled migrants need to complete an English proficiency test in order to apply for permanent residency.

Kennedy opted for the Pearson Test of English to prove her language ability, which has an oral component that is scored by a computer.

But to her surprise the oral part of the exam returned a 74, when she needed a 79 to attain the highest level in the test, which would have given her extra points on her visa application.

Via Giphy

"It was even such a pain to have to take the whole day of work to do the test and then be told I can't speak English," she told the newspaper.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Kennedy believes there is a fault with the voice recognition system used to score the test, who described it as "very, very easy."

Pearson, the company which runs the the test, told the Australian Associated Press that there were no problems with its computer-based tests or its scoring system. According to AAP, other providers of English tests in Australia all use human assessors.

It's not the only country looking to voice recognition to help aid with the migration process.

German authorities unveiled plans to use the technology in March to help identify and verify the dialects of asylum seekers, despite concerns that it wasn't perfect.

Fortunately for Kennedy, she has another visa to fall back on, which is more expensive than the skilled migrant visa she originally opted for. She's also been given the chance to take the test again.

But for future migrants, the eventual switch to automation in the visa application process could add more stress on what is already a not-so-easy affair.

Correction:An earlier version of this article stated 79 was the score needed to "pass." It is in fact the score to fulfill the highest level, Superior, in the test. 65 is the minimum score required by the Australian government.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This electric unicycle is actually way cooler than it sounds

---

Topics Immigration

• Shopping
• Life
• Deals
• Science
• Games
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Digital Culture

• The Permanent Vactioner
• Artist illustrates one famous movie quote each day for a year
• 10 daily apps to help caregivers take care of their loved ones
• Can GoPro win over normals with its new cameras and drone?
• The Ovid of Loserdom
• Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan to star in Paul Dano's directorial debut 'Wildlife'
• Kevin Garnett great calls it quits after 21 seasons
• Sick of police violence, black woman gets millions of views painting herself white
• Dr. Zuckerstein’s Monster
• 5 things we know about Snapchat's new Spectacles

• Apple iMac: The Computer That Saved the Company
• NASA discovered 7 Earth
• What should the Han Solo movie be called? Here are the best options.
• Blogger learns that it's never OK to talk down pizza
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for June 24, 2025
• iPhone users spent an average of $40 on the App Store in 2016
• The emails Republicans don't want you to see
• Adorably weird shruggie dog gets an equally weird Photoshop battle
• Milo Yiannopoulos' logo kind of makes him look like a failed DJ
• 'Rogue One' Blu

• Love, Actually
• The Facebook feature fueling the police brutality protests in America
• 27 times Kate Beckinsale's Instagram won the internet
• Indian court orders WhatsApp to not share user data with Facebook collected before Sept. 25
• Sweet, Sweet Existentialism
• Luna Lovegood reveals her Patronus on Twitter, and she's not happy
• Samsung Galaxy Note 2 catches fire on a plane in India
• Student suprises teacher with the shoes he's always wanted
• Whitewash
• Nest Cam Outdoor shows me the cat lurking outside my home

• The Norwegians Who Mistook Their Bus Seats for Muslims
• The Backstreet Boys are getting a Vegas residency, so start screaming
• 17 cats that are definitely plotting your death
• Student suprises teacher with the shoes he's always wanted
• Moving Targets
• Snapchat is just 'Snap' now
• 10 daily apps to help caregivers take care of their loved ones
• Charlotte knows it has faults, but wants the world to also know its charms
• This Is Not a Blip
• 17 cats that are definitely plotting your death