Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bilingual Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Bilingual and Multilingual Education

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Language and Education ((ELE))

Abstract

Bilingual education in the context of New Zealand is now over 30 years old. The two largest linguistic minority groups involved in this type of education – the Indigenous Māori and Pasifika peoples of Samoan, Tongan, Cook Islands and Niuean and Tokelauan backgrounds – have made many gains but have struggled in a national context where minority languages have low status. Māori bilingual programs are well established and have made a significant contribution towards reducing Māori language shift that in the 1970s looked to be beyond regeneration. Pasifika bilingual education by contrast is not widely available and not well resourced by the New Zealand government. Both forms continue to need support and a renewed focus at local and national levels.

This chapter provides an overview of past development of Māori and Pasifika bilingual education and present progress. For Māori, the issues relate primarily to how to boost language regeneration, particularly between the generations. Gaining greater support for immersion programs and further strengthening bilingual education pedagogies, particularly relating to achieving biliteracy objectives, are key. In the context of Pasifika, extending government and local support would not only safeguard the languages but has the potential to counteract long-established patterns of low Pasifika student achievement in mainstream/English-medium schooling contexts. Finally, the future of both forms of bilingual education can be safeguarded if they are encompassed within a national languages policy that ensures minority language development in the predominantly English monolingual national context of New Zealand.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    Pasifika is the term used to describe Pacific people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

References

  • Bell, A., Davis, K., & Starks, D. (2000). Languages of the Manukau region: A pilot study of use, maintenance and educational dimensions of languages in South Auckland: A report to the Woolf Fisher Research Centre. Auckland: Woolf Fisher Research Centre, University of Waikato.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benton, R. (1981). The flight of the Amokura: Oceanic languages and formal education in the South Pacific. Wellington/New Zealand: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berryman, M., & Glynn, T. (2003). Transition from Māori to English: A community approach. Wellington: New Zealand Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • García, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st century: A global perspective. Chichester/West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glynn, T. (2003). Responding to language diversity: A way forward for New Zealand education. In R. Barnard & T. Glynn (Eds.), Bilingual children’s language and literacy development (pp. 273–281). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, S. (2014). Pasifika kids lose language at school. Radio New Zealand, Wellington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, R. (2011). Rethinking English in Māori-medium education. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(6), 719–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, R., & May, S. (2013). Balancing the languages in Māori-medium education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In D. Gorter, V. Genotz, & J. Cenoz (Eds.), Minority languages and multilingual education: Bridging the local with the global (pp. 159–176). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hohepa, M., Smith, G., Smith, L., & McNaughton, S. (1992). Te Kohanga Reo Hei Tikanga Ako i Te Reo Māori: Te kohanga reo as a context for language learning. Educational Psychology, 12, 333–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Human Rights Commission. (2012). Te Waka Reo: Languages in Aotearoa 2004–2011. Auckland: Human Rights Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, K., & Ka’a, T. (1994). Māori education: A cultural experience and dilemma for the state – a new direction for Māori society. In E. Coxon, K. Jenkins, J. Marshall, & L. Massey (Eds.), The politics of learning and teaching in Aotearoa – New Zealand (pp. 148–179). Palmerston North: Dunmore Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, M. (2003). The Penguin history of New Zealand. Auckland: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotherington, H. (2008). Bilingual education in the South Pacific. In J. Cummins & N. Hornberger (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language and education: Bilingual education (2nd ed., Vol. 5, pp. 267–280). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowman, C., Fitzgerald, T., Rapira, P., & Clark, R. (2007). First language literacy skill transfer in a second language learning environment: Strategies for biliteracy. Set, 2, 24–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, S. (2010). Aotearoa/New Zealand. In J. Fishman & O. Garcia (Eds.), Handbook of language and ethnic identity: Disciplinary and regional perspectives (Vol. 1, pp. 501–518). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, S., & Hill, R. (2005). Māori-Medium education: Current issues and challenges. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism., 8(5), 377–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May, S., Hill, R., & Tiakiwai, S. (2004). Bilingual/Immersion education: Indicators of good practice. Final report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCaffery, J., & McFall-McCaffery, J. (2010). O Tatou Ō Aga’I I Fea/’Oku Tau Ō Ki Fe?/Where are we heading?: Pacific languages in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Alter Native: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 6(2), 86–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCaffery, J., & Tuafuti, P. (2003). Samoan children’s Bilngual language and literacy development. In R. Barnard & T. Glynn (Eds.), Bilingual children’s language and literacy development (pp. 80–107). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education. (2015). Māori language in education (2015th ed.). New Zealand: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mullis, I., Martin, M., Foy, P., & Drucker, K. (2012). PIRLS 2011 international results in reading. Chestnut Hill: TIMSS & PIRLS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, S. (2007). Achievement at Māori Medium and Bilingual Schools. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • New Zealand Human Rights Commission. (2008). Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Waka Reo Statement on Language Policy. Wellington: Human Rights Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2014). Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en

  • New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2008). Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Wellington: Learning Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2012). Pasifika education plan. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2014a). Glossary. http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/

  • New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2014b). Statistics: Pasifika language in education. http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/pasifika_education/schooling2/6044

  • New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2014c). Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI). http://www.tki.org.nz/

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD]. (2014). PISA 2012 results in focus. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parata, H. (2013). Community involvement key to saving Pasifika languages. Radio New Zealand, Wellington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peddie, R. (2003). Languages in New Zealand: Population, politics and policy. In R. Barnard & T. Glynn (Eds.), Bilingual children’s language and literacy development. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peddie, R. (2005). Planning for the future? Languages policy in New Zealand. In A. Bell, R. Harlow, & D. Starks (Eds.), Languages of New Zealand (pp. 30–58). Wellington: Victoria University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reedy, T., Dewes, C., Maxwell, K., O’Regan, H., Papa, P., Shortland, R., et al. (2011). Te Reo Mauriora: Te arotakenga o te rāngai reo Māori me te rautaki reo Māori. Review of the Māori language sector and the Māori language strategy. Wellington: Te Puni Kokiri.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royal Society of New Zealand. (2013). Languages of Aotearoa New Zealand (pp. 1–8). Wellington: Royal Society of New Zealand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spolsky, B. (2005). Maori lost and regained. In A. Bell, R. Harlow, & D. Starks (Eds.), Languages of New Zealand (pp. 67–85). Wellington: Victoria University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics New Zealand. (2014). Census. http://www.stats.govt.nz/census.aspx

  • Tamati, T. (2011). The trans-acquisitional approach: A bridge to English in Kura Kaupapa Māori. Pacific-Asian Education, 23(1), 91–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Te Puni Kokiri. (2006). Ngā Waiaro atu ki te Reo Māori. Attitudes Toward the Māori Language. Wellington: Te Puni Kokiri.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, W., & Collier, V. (2002). A national study of school effectiveness for language minority students’ long-term academic achievement. Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waitangi Tribunal. (1986). Findings of the Waitangi Tribunal Relating to Te Reo Māori and a claim lodged by Huirangi Waikerepumau and Ngā Kaiwhakapumau i te Reo Incorporated Society (Wellington Board of Māori Language). Wellington/New Zealand: Government Printer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waite, J. (1992). Aoteareo: Speaking for ourselves. Part A: The overview. Wellington: Learning Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, H., & Harkess, C. (2007). Senior Secondary Students’ Achievement at Māori-Medium Schools 2004–2006, Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, 180 Hillcrest Rd, Hillcrest 3240, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Richard Hill

Authors
  1. Richard Hill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Hill .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. City University of New York The Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA

    Ofelia Garcia

  2. Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Angel Lin

  3. Faculty of Education, University of Auckland Faculty of Education, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stephen May

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this entry

Cite this entry

Hill, R. (2016). Bilingual Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In: Garcia, O., Lin, A., May, S. (eds) Bilingual and Multilingual Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02324-3_23-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02324-3_23-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-02324-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation