Faculty of Arts
- Cook Islands Maori
- What is a Pakeha?
- Maori 1 2007
- Maori 2 2007
- Pacific Englishes
- Dutch
- Pasifika Communities 1
- NZ Europeans
- Census Wk 2.1
- Dutch
- Chinese
- Introduction
- Identity Lecture 1
- Language & Maintenance Shift
- Identity
- Census Wk 2.2
- Japanese
- Greek
- Language & Identity
- NZ Populations
- Course Outline
- NZ Europeans and NZE
- Tongan Community
- Lecture Topics
- NZ English
- NZ Greek Community
- Korean
- English Language & identity
- Maori Identity
- Pasifika Communities
- Europeans
- Links
- Korean II
- Niuean Community
- References
- Pakeha
- Assessment
- Maori Identity
- Readings
- Exam Preparation
- Asian Communities
- Globalisation
- NZ Regional Variation
- NZ Sign Language
NZ Wellington Community Anahina Aipolo Immigrated since 1964-
Aim: To describe language proficiency and language use patterns of the Tongan community in Wellington, as well as examining the prospects for Tongan language maintenance in New Zealand
Methodology
100 Tongans
49 males/51 females
Questionnaire
Demographic information
Language proficiency
Language usE
attitudes
Sample
96% born in Tongan
Most had lived in Wellington for less than 10 years
¾ were aged between 20-40
Language
Proficiency
98% highly proficient in informal Tongan
56% fluent in formal Tongan
English proficiency related to length of time in NZ, level of education
Language Use
Inner or expressive speech functions
Settings
Addressees
Code-switching
Language Attitudes
Tongan important for expressive and utilitarian purposes
Knowledge of Tongan taken for granted
Can Tongan be Maintained?
1st generation have a high linguistic ability in Tongan
Tongan used actively in many domains
Attitudes are generally positive
Resources available
Tongans live in close proximity
Contact with the homeland
Chain-migration
Language of Manukau Project -20 years later
97% speak Tongan
76% state that they understand everything in Tongan, 66% state they they can talk about anything in Tongan
English proficiency weaker
16% state that they understand everything in English, and 20% state that they can talk about anything in English
Language Use in Manukau
Tongan is used in all personal functions (different list)
Tongan spoken at home, in church, in public domains
Tongan used to grandparents
Tongan preferred language to spouses (71%)
