Language Anxiety of Colonial Settler Group Members Learning an Indigenous Language: Pākehā Learners of te reo Māori

ABSTRACT

Te reo Māori (the Māori language) continues to be learned by Māori and Pākehā from Aotearoa New Zealand. The concept of language anxiety has been the topic of study by numerous authors due to its ability to interfere with second language production from cognition to output. For a group of Pākehā (New Zealand European) learners of te reo Māori, language anxiety appears to be tied to the impact of colonisation on Māori and the colonial history of Aotearoa. This study included 13 Pākehā participants, seven who identified as female and the remaining six who identified as male. The results of this study were divided into three major themes: fear of making linguistic errors in the presence of others, being Pākehā in Māori language dominant classrooms, and coping with language anxiety. Within this study, issues associated with learning an indigenous language as members of the colonial settler group contribute to language anxiety.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous language
• language anxiety
• Pākehā
• te reo Māori

Acknowledgments

I am grateful for the time that participants took to contribute to this study, and the views that were expressed. I also wish to acknowledge Paul Edwards, the research assistant who undertook interviews for this study. This study was enriched by Paul’s ability to relate and connect with participants. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.

Notes

1. Pākehā, who Huygens (2011) positions as Colonial Settlers who are learners of the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand will be referred to as Colonial Settler language learners (CSL2 learners).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Awanui Te Huia

Awanui Te Huia is a senior lecturer at Te Kawa a Māui (the School of Māori Studies) at Victoria University of Wellington: Te Herenga Waka in Aotearoa New Zealand. She lectures in te reo Māori, complimenting her research interests involving Māori language learners.