Key themes of research in New Zealand English
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| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
 Origins of New Zealand English |
36 KB | |
| Māori English |
212 KB | |
| Pasifika English |
255 KB | |
| Regional variation in New Zealand English |
32 KB | |
| Phonology of New Zealand English |
177 KB | |
| The Language in the Playground Project |
306 KB | |
| Lexis and lexicography in New Zealand |
91 KB | |
| Māori lexical items in New Zealand English |
154 KB | |
| Rural New Zealand English |
64 KB | |
| New Zealand Boobslang |
14 KB | |
| Language in the Workplace |
104 KB | |
| Attitudes to NZ English |
102 KB | |
| Corpora of NZ English |
30 KB |
Sound files of NZ English
Think you know what New Zealand English sounds like? Here are some examples of the sounds of New Zealand English:
There are also some examples online of people trying to do a New Zealand accent, sometimes quite convincingly!
An American in New Zealand masquerading as a Kiwi (or is he?):
An actress attempting 21 accents in two and a half minutes:
Here, however, are some clips of the real thing:
A true blue Kiwi clearing up some misunderstandings about the New Zealand accent:
A New Zealander giving her take on the origins of the New Zealand accent:
Sometimes the New Zealand accent even makes the news in New Zealand:
A recent news item about changes in the New Zealand accent:
Lectures on NZ English
In 2005, sociolinguist Elizabeth Gordon gave a series of public lectures on New Zealand English, entitled:
Why do we speak the way we do? The development of the New Zealand accent;
'Afghans' and 'cheerios', 'kiwi' and 'iwi': the words we use; and
'A whirlpool of impure vocalisation': attitudes to New Zealand English.
You can listen to these lectures online
In September 2008, Elizabeth Gordon gave a further three public lectures on New Zealand English at Victoria University of Wellington, as part of the annual Ian Gordon lecture series:
I'll write a letter to the paper: the lay person's view of New Zealand English;
New Zealand English past and present: looking for the evidence;
The New Zealand accent: a clue to New Zealand identity?
NZ English in the media
Several New Zealand linguists publish columns on New Zealand English in the press. These include the weekly "Watch Your Language" column in the Dominion Post and a weekly column on language in The Press.
Click here for recent Watch Your Language articles relating to New Zealand English in the Dominion Post:
Click here for the weekly column on language in The Press:
The previous website on NZE has a page of sounds here: