Heritage Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia

This provides an overview of trends in heritage language research focusing on Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Each country has its own history of colonization, historical and contemporary policies affecting heritage language transmission, and current areas of interest and concern, and these are explored at the beginning of each country’s respective section as necessary contextual background. Then, the past and current research trends for heritage languages in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, respectively, are presented. This discussion, situated alongside a broad definition of “heritage languages,” includes both native and immigrant languages in each of the two countries. Aotearoa New Zealand’s more than 160 languages and Australia’s more than 360 languages are acknowledged and broadly discussed. Similarities and differences in research across heritage language groups (e.g., te reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language, Pasifika languages, Aboriginal languages, Torres Strait Islander languages, and immigrant languages) and across countries are presented, revealing which areas have been focused on as well as areas in need of future research.