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30 - Heritage Language Education Policies in New Zealand

from Part V - Heritage Language Education

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 December 2025

Piotr Romanowski
Affiliation:
University of Warsaw
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Summary

Despite the large number of languages spoken in New Zealand, the country does not have a unified national languages policy. Instead, a wide range of separate policies regulate the status and institutionalisation of different languages, which largely depends on which language communities are acknowledged and supported by the government. This chapter provides an overview of such policies that highlights the historical, political, and ideological complexities and disparities in current provisions to support NZ’s official languages (te reo Māori and NZSL), Pasifika languages, and other community-based heritage languages. We conclude with some remarks on the ongoing need for a comprehensive national legislative framework to enable recognition and educational support for all of NZ’s heritage languages.

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