Language Practices, Preferences and Policies: Contrasting Views of Pakeha, Maori, Pasifika and Asian students

Abstract

Although the majority of New Zealanders speak English, and only English, the 1987 Maori Language Act and immigration from both Asia and the Pacific have had a significant impact on New Zealand society. Because increasing numbers of children are entering school with limited English language ability, students are arguably the group with the most exposure to New Zealand's changing social and linguistic demography. Yet little is known about how these emerging members of New Zealand society view the languages within their midst, and the effect of ethnicity on their views. This paper examines the language attitudes, preferences and language use of intermediate and high school students from various ethnic backgrounds. The findings point to a society where ethnicity plays a strong role in language preferences, and where students from the dominant ethnic group, New Zealand European, show conservative views on multilingualism. After discussing how these findings highlight issues of language diversification within the New Zealand context, we conclude that students can serve as a useful resource both for understanding language issues and for informing language policy in the New Zealand context.

Keywords:

• language attitudes
• language in education
• language policy
• New Zealand
• ethnic diversity