Pacific Islanders in NZ Losing their Mother Tonguen(fwd link)

[phil cash cash]

Monday, June 02, 2008 3:35 AM
Pacific Islanders in NZ Losing their Mother Tongue

There is concern for Pacific Islanders losing their mother tongue in New Zealand
due to a shortage of pre-schools for islanders.

An article by Simon Collins in the New Zealand Herald (nzherald.co.nz) states
that Pacific Islanders in New Zealand are slowly losing their mother tongue
with the details of the 2006 Census for Pacific peoples, published last week,
showing 'only 44 per cent of NZ-born Samoans can now speak Samoan, down from 48
per cent five years before and 'only 24 per cent of Tokelauans, 11 per cent of
Niueans, 6 per cent of ethnic Fijians and 5 per cent of Cook Islands Maori born
in New Zealand can now speak their parents' native languages'.

Tonga was the only exception registering 'an increase in the proportion who can
speak Tongan - up 1 per cent to 44 per cent'.

Access full article below:
http://solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=1870