Reflecting connections with the local language: New Zealand English

Abstract

Speech-language pathologists focus on the details of their clients' communication difficulties. This is essential in order to carry out therapy appropriately. They often have less time to focus on the state of the language variety, for example Australian English or New Zealand English, in which they are doing therapy. Language variety becomes salient when a speech-language pathologist moves countries and adjustments must be made to his/her habitual clinical expectations. However the local variety can become no more than “background noise” if the clinician continues to practise within a local area. It is essential to examine the details of the local variety of our language in order to keep our perceptions honed and our connections current. This paper will reflect on connections between New Zealand and Australian varieties of English—their shared origins, similarities and differences and changes in progress. Relevance to speech-language pathologists will be emphasized. A sound file is provided (online at www.informaworld.com/ijslp) with a young NZ woman saying the NZE vowels in a /b-t/ framework and also each of John Wells' key words.

Keywords:

• New Zealand English
• Australian English
• sound change

Notes

*Inaugural Grace Gane lecture presented to the joint conference of the New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists' Association and Speech Pathology Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, May 2008.