As a bicultural nation, cultural and linguistic diversity has always been part of our educational landscape. Culturally and linguistically diverse students may be New Zealand-born or migrant students who understand or use languages other than English at home. A diversity of cultures, ethnicities and languages is an increasing part of the population in many regions and schools. It is important for schools to attend to the languages and other factors that make up these groups of students and families in our school community. There are wide-ranging migration stories to be heard, and being bilingual or multilingual is a strength to be highlighted.
English language learners are not a homogenous group. In a school enrolment process family situations will include children born in New-Zealand, as well as those born overseas.
Examples might include:
- New arrivals to NZ (with permanent residency or work visas) who can speak, read and write in their home language(s) fluently.
- Students who are new to NZ and can speak in their home language(s) fluently.
- New Zealand-born students whose family speak language/s other than English at home. Sometimes these children are not yet fluent members of their own home language community and gaining oracy and literacy in their home language(s) is usually dependent on family members. They are now starting in a (largely) English medium education system.
- Students whose family members are from different language backgrounds and a range of languages is spoken at home.
- Students whose family members are from former refugee backgrounds who may have experienced an interrupted education, speaking their home language but not able to read or write it.
- Students who have not yet become fluent members of their own home language community and are now starting in an English medium school.
- International fee-paying students who have chosen NZ for study.
The 2013 census reported 160 languages spoken in NZ on any given day, although some recent claims suggest it is now 197. (source to be verified) The Royal Society of New Zealand published a position paper in 2013, outlining the official position of languages in a ‘superdiverse’ NZ, with a focus on the complexity that languages play in all parts of education and policy (among other things.) Click here for this paper, ‘Languages in Aotearoa’.
The most common languages (other than English) spoken in NZ are: Te Reo Māori, Samoan, Mandarin, Hindi and Tagalog. Tatauranga Aotearoa/Statistics New Zealand now have a ‘NZ Place and ethnic group’ summary tool for you to look at your region.
https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz
There is a range of statistical data (in table form) also available at
https://figure.nz/chart/wEZovDx96Qdumctk
Wikipedia also has statistics of interest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_New_Zealand
Current statistics suggest that the number and proportion of multilingual people will continue to increase. Ministry of Education statistics are available about populations of students within the school sector. Data show that in November 2024, language support (ESOL) funding was provided to 83, 397 students across 1, 747 schools.
https://www.education.govt.nz/bulletins/esol-migrant-refugee-news/01-11-24
English for speakers of other Languages (ESOL) funding is provided to schools two times each year and enables them to respond appropriately developing supplementary language support options to those students new to learning in English.
Do you have a clear and visible picture of your school population and fine-tuned statistics about students’ languages and identities? What is the population story for your region?
School manager systems might provide the details you need, or identified staff can use the national ENROL system which contains useful data for schools. Some school leaders also keep a register, that is an overview or spreadsheet, which enables specific student variables and needs to be listed, and therefore brought into focus more clearly.
