Maori English

The Maori language is the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand. Today, not all Maori speak the Maori language, and many Maori as well as non-Maori speak Maori English, the fastest growing of the main varieties of New Zealand English. This paper provides a background to the linguistic situation of the Maori populace in New Zealand, including the current revitalization of the Maori language and the increasing use of Maori English. Speech-language therapists working with Maori clients now see children who are monolingual speakers of standard New Zealand English or monolingual speakers of Maori English, young children who are being raised as bilingual speakers of Maori and English, and older people who are relatively fluent in Maori.