English-language Test Exemption

Hi,

I'm British and have been living in Laos for the last 7.5 years but now would like to move back to the UK with my Lao wife and two children and was looking into getting a settlement visa for my wife.

I've been working for a UK company while here and paying UK tax and NI and, while I left my job a few months ago, I can probably pass the financial requirements through savings and have absolutely no plans to claim any sort of benefits.

We have accommodation available for all four of us with my parents and can get a letter etc saying so.

We have been through the rigmarole of proving our relationship and proving that we have lived as a family with the kids via a huge wad of photos and other documents and so have finally got British passports for the kids.

However, my wife is not the sharpest tool in the box and would never pass the English language test. She's also far too shy (outside of the house anyway!) to sit and take such a test. I'm sure she'll learn it once we're there and surrounded by English but I don't think it likely beforehand.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience of ways to avoid the need for the test or the whys and wherefores of claiming exemption?

Thanks in advance for your help.