new zealand official languages english

It’s estimated that 14.6% of the population is of indigenous Maori origin, and many still speak the language. New Zealand Sign Language: New Zealand (with English and Māori) Noon: Senegal (a national language along with Balanta, Bassari, Bedik, Fula, Hassaniya, Jola, Mandinka, Mandjak, Mankanya, Safen, Serer, Soninke, Wolof, the official language is French) Northern Sotho: The Māori language is considered a national taonga (treasure) and is undergoing a revival. Nevertheless, English is the most widely spoken language in the country, with over 95% of the population using it in their everyday lives, compared with Māori (4.1%) and New Zealand Sign Language (0.5%). Currently, the Māori language is used in the media and in schools. It is essential that the language spoken by 96% of the people is recognised as an official language for use in all official papers and general communication. Learn the different pronunciation of some words. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand sign language. [16] New Zealand English has also borrowed words and phrases from Māori, such as haka (war dance), kia ora (a greeting), mana (power or prestige), puku (stomach), taonga (treasure) and waka (canoe).[17][18]. Though it doesn’t enjoy official status, English is the main national language of New Zealand. The majority of New Zealanders have a sound knowledge of English. English is the majority native language in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, an official and the main language of Singapore, and it is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. An Eastern Polynesian language, Māori is closely related to Tahitian and Cook Islands Māori. In fact, Maori and Sign Language are the only official languages in this country. English has never been granted official language status in the NZ laws, but it is used as a default official language due to its wide usage. In the 2018 census, the number of multilingual people was 946,275, or 20.6 percent of respondents who spoke at least one language. [4] It is the primary language used in parliament, government, the courts, and the education system. In the 1940s when Māori people moved out of rural areas and into the cities the Māori language began to decline and children were raised in English rather than Māori. One such place is New Zealand, where we speak a special language… [10] In New Zealand English the short ⟨i⟩ (as in kit) has become centralised, leading to the shibboleth fish and chips sounding like "fush and chups" to the Australian ear. This makes it the second most commonly spoken language in New Zealand. French, English, Sign Language Sign Language, English, Aborigine Maori, English, Dutch English, Sign - 7099965 [1] It has long been the predominant language and the de facto official language. [28] These minority foreign languages are concentrated in the main cities, particularly Auckland where recent immigration groups have settled. The country's varied topography and sharp mount… New Zealand sign language became a third official language in April 2006. The English spoken in New Zealand is much like British English and English from other commonwealth countries. It correctly states that New Zealand has three official languages namely: 'English along with Maori and New Zealand sign language.' Māori became an official language in 1987. Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of New Zealand. People have the right to speak Māori and New Zealand Sign Language in any legal proceedings. International English: A Guide to the Varieties of Standard English, 4th ed. All rights reserved. 18 likes. New Zealand has three official languages, English, Māori and sign language. However, English is the de facto official language of New Zealand and is the most widely spoken language in the nation. According to Ethnologue (as of 2017[update]), the largest groups are Samoan (86,400), Hindi (66,300), Mandarin Chinese (52,300), French (49,100) and Yue Chinese (44,600). Thus, Māori is the de jure official language of the country and can be used in legal settings. The country has three official languages, English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language. The New Zealand dialects have similar, but not identical, pronunciations to American and British words. The New Zealand accent can be difficult to understand, even for speakers of the English language. however, it was only in recent years that the Māori language gathered its widespread support. Sign language is used by 24,090 people. [7][8], New Zealand English is mostly non-rhotic with the exception of the "southern burr" found principally in Southland and parts of Otago. Nevertheless, English is the most widely spoken language in the country, with over 95% of the population using it in their everyday lives, compared with Māori (4.1%) and New Zealand Sign Language (0.5%). Most New Zealanders cannot believe that English is not currently an official legal language of New Zealand. - Greeting, how are you? This page is set up to support the cause of recognising English as an official language of New Zealand, alongside Maori and sign language. And actually, it’s not too dissimilar from Australian English. English is spoken by 95.9 per cent of people in New Zealand. [2] X Research source New Zealand English speakers will pronounce the word “data” like it is often pronounced in A… The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language—that … Many other languages are used by New Zealand's minority ethnic communities. Learning common differences in pronunciation will help you to communicate easily and avoid easy misunderstandings. The Māori language of the indigenous Māori people was made the first de jure official language in 1987. Around 96% of the population speak English (2013 Census). In the 2018 census, 22,986 people (0.5%) reported the ability to use New Zealand Sign Language. English is the main language, however around 4% (or 140,000) of people speak Te Reo. Trudgill, Peter and Jean Hannah. [21] As a consequence of this, many Māori came to view te reo Māori as a language without purpose and chose not to teach their children. The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. New Zealand English (NZE) is the variant of the English language spoken and written by most English-speaking New Zealanders. Copyright © 2025 New Zealand Immigration Concepts. [11] The words rarely and really, reel and real, doll and dole, pull and pool, witch and which, and full and fill can sometimes be pronounced as homophones. While English is the predominant language spoken in New Zealand, there are two actual official languages in New Zealand. English is the most widely spoken language in New Zealand and one of the official New Zealand languages. [2][3], English is spoken by 95.4 percent of the population. Māori became an official language in 1987. New Zealand is the only country in the world where Māori is spoken. New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. Since the 1970s, the language has undergone a process of revitalisation and is spoken by a larger number of people. We know this because Mr Mitchell’s bill is in English – something not possible if it was not already an official language. In 2010, a newspaper in NZ said that New Zealand was the 8th happiest country in the world. In early 2006 New Zealand became the first country to declare sign language as an official language. Māori became an official language in 1987 while in April 2006, New Zealand became the first country to declare sign language as an official language, alongside Māori. Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of New Zealand. It has become the world’s lingua franca. too young to talk). [22][23] Of the 185,955 people (4.0 percent of respondents) who claimed they could hold a conversation in Māori in the 2018 census, 86.2 percent identified as Māori, but, conversely, only 18.4 percent of Māori-identifying spoke te reo Māori. [25], New Zealand Sign Language, the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand, has been an official language by statute since 2006, by virtue of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. English is one of the most widespread languages of the world and derives its name from Anglia peninsular in the Baltic Sea. Attend our next Free Immigration & Job Hunt Webinar on the 20th or the 22nd of April. You can be an official language without having a law declaring a language to be official. You can find more information, answers to questions, or blogs relating to visas, job search, and investment in New Zealand. It is the official language in 58 sovereign states and recognised, if not spoken, almost everywhere else. There are still many Aboriginal languages, though they each are spoken by small numbers and their continued existence is threatened. [12][13][9] New Zealand English exhibits the near–square merger, so hair, hare, hear and here are homophones. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and more than 700 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). English is the first language of the majority of the population.. However, as Table 1 shows, in 2013 there far more people speaking English (3,819,969 people or 90 per cent of the total population) than Te Reo Māori (148,395 people or 3 per cent of the population). Almost the entire population speak it either as native speakers or proficiently as a second language. New Zealand is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Māori became an official language in 1987. [30] People could report more than one language, therefore percentages do not add up to 100. New Zealand has three official languages: English, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language. It’s heaps of fun. [1] The New Zealand English dialect is most similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with some key differences. English Language Recognition NZ, Greerton, Tauranga. [See Quintessa Sullivan’s contention on that point in the comments below. English language, a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family that is closely related to the Frisian, German, and Dutch languages. The langua… [24] No adult Māori alive in New Zealand today does not also speak English. Statistics include those who spoke no language (e.g. According to the 2013 Census, English and Te Reo Māori are the most widely spoken languages in New Zealand. [20] After the Second World War, Māori were discouraged from speaking their language in schools and workplaces and it existed as a community language only in a few remote areas. [30], The number and proportion of multilingual (people who can speak two or more languages) has continued to increase since the 2001 census. Despite its official status, the language continues to struggle against being lost. English is the first dominant and de facto language in the country as the majority of the population (96.1 percent) speaks and uses it for various purposes while the second most spoken language is Maori which is spoken by around 3.7 percent population. Nevertheless, English is the most widely spoken language in the country, with over 95% of the population using it in their everyday lives, compared with Māori (4.1%) and New Zealand Sign Language (0.5%). [29] In the 2018 census, 115,830 respondents who spoke at least one language did not include English as one of their spoken languages. Most people are probably under the impression that English is an official language of this county, however it was removed in 1987, when Te … The language has developed over 1,400 years and is now the second most learned language in the world. [5] Its official status has been presumed and is not codified in statute. All design features owned by NZIC. The Māori language of the indigenous Māori people has been an official language by statute since 1987, with rights and obligations to use it defined by the Maori Language Act 1987. New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) has been an official language since 2006. Howick local Gayleen Mackereth has started a petition to make English one of the three official languages of New Zealand. It is called being the de facto official language of New Zealand. (2002). In the 2018 census, the following languages were reportedly spoken by more than 0.1 percent of the population. Official Languages: Maori, English ; Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD) Form of Government: Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a commonwealth realm; Climate: Temperate with sharp regional contrasts; Total Area: 103,798 square miles (268,838 square kilometers) Highest Point: Aoraki/Mount Cook at 12,218 feet (3,724 meters) Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of New Zealand. Official languages English; Maori; New Zealand Sign Language 1 Official religion none Monetary unit New Zealand dollar (NZ$) Currency Exchange Rate 1 USD equals 1.418 New Zealand dollar Population (2020 est.) By the 1970s, the Māori language was close to extinction and therefore an effort was made to include the native language into the media and school curriculums. New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. English is one of the official languages of New Zealand, The other is Te Reo Maori - the Maori Language. The highest proportions of multilingual speakers lived in the Auckland (30.9%) and Wellington (21.2%) regions.[31]. English is the predominant language and a de facto official language of New Zealand. [14] Some New Zealanders pronounce the past participles grown, thrown and mown using two syllables, whereas groan, throne and moan are pronounced as one syllable. London: Arnold., p 24. A recent survey by the New Zealand government shows about 130,000 people speak some Māori in New Zealand. Here are just a few samples of specific words used in daily life in New Zealand: How's it going mate? OE - Overseas experience, long term holiday. At least 96 percent of New Zealand’s population speaks English as a native language. It is the official language of many countries and also one of the official languages in about In the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, Queen Victoria gave her word to the Māori that their language would be protected. What are the three official languages of New Zealand? English language - English language - Australian and New Zealand English: Unlike Canada, Australia has no concentration of a European language other than English within its borders. [15] New Zealanders often reply to a question or emphasise a point by adding a rising intonation at the end of the sentence. New Zealand in brief Destination New Zealand, a Nations Online country profile of the Land of the Long White Cloud or Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand. [26][27] It is legal to use it and have access to it in legal proceedings and government services. List of territorial entities where English is an official language, "2018 Census totals by topic – national highlights (updated)", "English language in New Zealand - Characteristics of New Zealand English", International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Fifth Periodic Report of the Government of New Zealand, "Analysis: Why English does not need to be made an official language", "NZ First submits Bill for English to be recognised as official language", "NZ First Bill: English set to become official", "English language in New Zealand – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand", "Māori Words used in New Zealand English - Māori Language.net", "Waitangi Tribunal claim – Māori Language Week", "The New Zealanders – Bicultural New Zealand", "Māori Language Week – Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori", "British influence ebbs as New Zealand takes to talking Maori", "Maori descent indicator and languages spoken (official and common) by age group and sex, for the census usually resident population count, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (RC, TA, SA2, DHB, urban rural indicator)", Governor-General gives assent to Sign Language Bill, "Number of languages spoken and birthplace (broad geographic areas) by age group and sex, for the census usually resident population count, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (RC, TA, SA2, DHB)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_New_Zealand&oldid=1015025749, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 30 March 2021, at 08:08. [1], New Zealand has immigrants from European, Asian and Pacific Island countries who have brought their languages with them. [6] In 2018, New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell introduced a bill to parliament to statutorily recognise English as an official language. English is an official language of New Zealand. New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. English is the common and everyday language, but other languages are also spoken, including Maori, which is New Zealand's second official language (spoken by the indigenous Maori people who constitute approximately 15% of the population). The second most common language is Maori, spoken by 4.1 per cent of the population. The Māori Language. Its language code in ISO and Internet standards is en-NZ. However, it’s worth noting that New Zealand English is about as distinctive from American or British English as the Australian variety. In New Zealand, the Maori Language Act 1987 granted an official status to the Māori language, an indigenous language of the country. In Kiwi English, you could eat brekkie in your sunnies and togs before tossing off your jandals and going for a swim. [9] It is similar to Australian English and many speakers from the Northern Hemisphere are unable to tell the two accents apart. [19] It can, for example, be used in legal settings, such as in court, but proceedings are recorded in English only, unless private arrangements are made and agreed by the judge. Although English is currently the most widely spoken language in New Zealand, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language both formally have special status under the law as official languages of New Zealand. It originated in England and is the dominant language of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. The majority of the population speaks English, since approximately 78% of the people are of European descent. 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