[lg policy] New Zealand: New Zealand needs to rethink its language policy

Thu Jul 4 14:31:55 UTC 2013

Te reo may still face extinction
Last updated 06:20 04/07/2013

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OPINION: *New Zealand needs to rethink its language policy to make te reo
Maori a more equal partner of English, writes Nathan Albury.*

Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori (Maori Language Week) reminds us of the special
place our reo holds, and to consider what challenges we still face in
securing its future.

There is no doubt the work of our Maori communities, especially Maori-
medium education with backing from successive governments, has been a
linguistic achievement.

Next to Hebrew and Irish, the linguistic U-turn te reo has taken, is
internationally impressive.

But there is no room for complacency.

Our reo is still endangered and this year we anticipate the release of the
next Maori language strategy.

This follows the Government's promise of an extra $8 million for a new
Maori Language Research and Development Fund, increased funding for te reo,
and the reallocation of Teach NZ scholarships to boost the number and
quality of te reo-competent educators.

It's a busy year for language policymakers, but who exactly should language
policy be targeting? Should revitalisation of te reo focus solely on Maori
communities, or should all New Zealanders participate?

Surprisingly, our laws and policies are unclear on this point. Legislation
makes te reo an official language on par with English.

The Maori Language Commission prioritises naturalising te reo and upholds
that all New Zealanders should have the opportunity to become bilingual.

Maori Language Week itself hopes to foster a New Zealand-wide commitment to
the language.

However, actual policy implementation has focused explicitly on Maori
communities, often under the guise of community development.

For example, the Maori Language Commission explains that te reo "underpins
Maori cultural development which in turn, supports Maori social identity
and culture" and the role of non- Maori under the current Maori language
strategy is simply to show goodwill.

With that vision, building the pool of speakers of Maori will always be
limited. Nonetheless, it seems this exclusivity will continue: Maori
Affairs Minister Pita Sharples explained earlier this year that
revitalising te reo is paramount in efforts to promote Maori development.

Is it right that revitalisation policy not include work to foster te reo
proficiency among non-Maori? If we are to embrace the union of Maori and
non- Maori cultures, it surely seems a disservice to the Maori cause not to
demand a greater commitment from wider New Zealand.

This is not in the least because without positive and inclusive
interventions, te reo may still face extinction because the Maori
population has become a minority on its own whenua.

So, it seems only logical that all New Zealanders be subject to language
policy, but this has not yet happened.

Public service agencies still do not require te reo skills as a standard
condition of employment. The language test for migrants ignores te reo as
an official language of this country.

Only English remains a compulsory language in schools, leaving te reo - an
equally official language - to linger on the side.

Our language laws and policies are unbalanced, undermine te reo's
revitalisation, and assume te reo is only a matter for Maori.

This is understandable, because our politicians and policymakers discuss an
inextricable link between te reo and Maori identity as the impetus for
language policy.

Language can indeed be an important precursor to identity - this is a
sociolinguistic fact - but it need not be.

Despite the Maori cultural renaissance and a growth in people who identify
as Maori, proficiency in te reo is not increasing.

The simple fact is that Maori ethnic identity is less reliant on te reo
because Maori identity is now expressed through a much broader range of
avenues than ever before.

The age-old assumption that Maori need te reo in order to identity as Maori
needs revisiting and the revitalisation of te reo must be seen as a
responsibility of all New Zealanders.

This can be achieved by being brave and rethinking our language policy.

We need to update what we know about the value te reo holds among Maori,
and pursue more balanced and fairer language laws and policies.

This will not only better support te reo, but above all better reflect our
culturally rich contemporary Aotearoa.

This, I hope, is something the Maori language strategy 2013 will help us
achieve.

*Nathan Albury is a linguist with an interest in language policy.*

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/8876274/Te-reo-may-still-face-extinction

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