Language in the context of identity constructions in New Zealand
significance of Te Reo Māori for non-Māori learners
Zusammenfassung: Today's New Zealand is home to many ethnic groups. However, the idea of biculturalism that originates from colonial times and constitutes the two main groups - New Zealand Europeans and indigenous Māori - as equal partners still...
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Zusammenfassung: Today's New Zealand is home to many ethnic groups. However, the idea of biculturalism that originates from colonial times and constitutes the two main groups - New Zealand Europeans and indigenous Māori - as equal partners still lingers on. This concept greatly influences iden-tity constructions of members of both groups.During a fieldwork research project in Auckland I gained greater insight into those issues based on the investigation of motivations of non-Māori learning the Māori language. Only a little over 20 percent of the Māori population and around 4 percent of the total population are able to hold conversations in Te Reo Māori. New Zealand English is usually the language of all matters. So why would a non-Māori be interested in studying the ‘other’s’ language? While motivations for acquiring a language are usually connected to communicative reasons, this is not the case here. However, language also has symbolic functions.This thesis closely examines the significance of the Māori language for non-Māori learners in the context of identity constructions in New Zealand. Language thus becomes a symbol for a national identity that fosters feelings of togetherness as well as demarcation to other nations and between the groups
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