The proposed English Language Bill assumes a problem. In reality, English dominates public life while many heritage languages struggle to survive.
- Associate Professor in Linguistics, University of Waikato
Despite a lack of enforceable remedies, international experience suggests the proposed new ‘plain language’ law should improve official communications.
The grammar of persuasion can be subtle – but pro-lockdown tweeters tended to be more direct and less conciliatory than those they opposed.
Hashtags are infiltrating language well beyond their original use on Twitter — and linguists are struggling to define their role.
Usually, a minor language will adopt words from a dominant language, but NZ English bucks this trend. It has been borrowing a growing number of Māori words, not always to add meaning but to mark identity.
A New Zealand theatre company stages plays that blend spoken and sign language, giving audiences a chance to experience Deaf culture and identity.
Spoken language evolves differently and faster than written language, and there are good reasons why this is the case.
One of the distinguishing features of New Zealand English is how much it borrows from the indigenous Māori, with consequences for both languages.
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