Extralinguistic features of the development of modern English in New Zealand

Kazakova Irina Evgenievna ORCID: 0000-0001-7838-994X Lecturer, Department of Theory and Practice of Foreign Languages, Institute of Foreign Languages of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moskva oblast', g. Moscow, ul. Miklukha-Maklaya, 7, of. 552 irina_komleva@inbox.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The New Zealand region, despite its significant remoteness and isolation from the continental part, is influenced by global trends of globalization, the economic crisis and the stimulation of the processes of digitalization of society in the context of a two-year pandemic. These extralinguistic factors certainly affect all language levels of the New Zealand national version of English, but they manifest themselves differently in the northern and southern islands. The pace of linguistic changes in the national variant of the language and the formation of its territorial dialects is increasing from year to year due to a significant increase in the ethnic diversity of the population and increased mass media dependence during periods of severe restrictions and lockdowns, when maintaining interpersonal ties and information awareness became possible exclusively with the help of digital technologies.  Thus, the relevance of the research topic lies in the need to analyze the linguistic data of the New Zealand region in a rapidly changing language space with the identification of extralinguistic pressure factors at the present stage of the development of the national version of English in New Zealand and its variations.

To achieve this research goal, it is necessary to perform the following tasks:

- to study modern factors of linguistic influence to justify linguistic changes;

- to present a statistically determined ethnic picture of the two islands in New Zealand at the present stage;

- to assess the impact of the identified extralinguistic factors and the changing socio-ethnic conjuncture on the linguistic space of the south and north of New Zealand.

In the course of the work, such research methods as the method of comparative analysis, the method of statistical data processing, the method of analysis of cartographic and sociolinguistic data were used. The theoretical basis of this work is based on the research of A. R. Bekeeva, E. M. Grigorieva, S. S. Trifanova, R. I. Avanesov, M. N. Krylova, N. I. Tolstoy, L. Bauer, P. Tragill, E. Gordon, M. McLagan, J. Lewis, J. Hay.

The practical significance of the study is explained by the fact that the results obtained can contribute to research on the dialectology of New Zealand, competent linguistic forecasting within the framework of programs for the revitalization of indigenous languages, successful interpretation and translation activities in the fields of education, tourism, trade, intercultural communication and diplomacy.

The main part

Recent linguistic works in the framework of the study of the New Zealand national version of the English language highlight many specific aspects of its development in this region, considering both the historical retrospective as a whole and individual elements of the language system. Well-known linguists especially note the influence of the multiethnic environment of New Zealand on the linguistic levels of the national version of English, describing the appearance of local slang phrases within the substandard ^[8], unique lexicographic materials as a result of the influence of the Maori language ^{[4, 3]}, the originality of New Zealand toponymy ^[5] and the historical perspective of the evolution of English as a national variant in New Zealand ^{[2, 9, 11]}. R. I. Avanesov, N. I. Tolstoy and M. N. Krylova emphasize in their works the importance of observing the processes of language displacement and interaction of ethnolinguistic groups, whose dialect features of speech cause an increase in linguistic heterogeneity in the region under consideration ^{[1, 6, 7]}. Accordingly, the significance of research on the current position of lexical isoglosses in New Zealand is increasing.

The scientific basis of the ethnic composition and sociolinguistic position in New Zealand was laid by such world-famous linguists as L. Bauer, P. Trudgill, M. McLagan, E. Gordon, J. Lewis, J. Hay and others ^{[10, 12, 20]}, having predetermined the direction of in-depth research work for the decade ahead. The main ideas were laid based on the main factor - the geographical isolation of New Zealand, which naturally influenced the dynamics of land development, the scale of settlements, preferences of the population regarding living in the industrial north or agricultural south and favorable climatic conditions for expansion. As a result, linguistic peculiarities in the languages of the settlers due to the alienation of many villages and cities caused a strong linguistic differentiation in the context of historical consideration of the linguistic picture of New Zealand.

The modern stage is characterized by the geographical redistribution of ethnolinguistic groups on the territory of New Zealand. The northern and southern islands in the process of their study confirmed the dissimilarity of the language situation in the framework of the study of relevant aspects of the impact on the evolution of language:

1.   The exceptional national and historical identity of each island stands out: the settlement of Europeans with the prevailing majority of Britons, Australians and natives of the islands was uneven.  It should be noted that the territory of the North Island is divided into 9 districts, of which 2 are considered the most densely populated in New Zealand, and the South Island is 7. 3/4 of the total population of New Zealand live in the north and only 1/4 in the south. About 700 islands located in the waters of the southwestern Pacific Ocean are mainly inhabited by indigenous tribes, whose regular migrations to the mainland should also be taken into account in assessing the influence of various ethnic groups ^[16].

2. The specifics of the historical development of the two islands in relation to climatic zones are revealed:  industry and trade flourish in the North Island with a more comfortable climate, contributing to the expansion of cities and rapid land development, as well as greater pressure and oppression of the indigenous Maori population during colonization, while livestock and agriculture flourish more in the South Island with more fertile lands on the plains, where many immigrants preferred to stay from Scotland and Ireland. The settlement of the south proceeded at a slow pace due to more severe climatic conditions. However, the vast majority of all fertile lands are located on the Southern Island, where the cold south-westerly winds are restrained by the mountain range of the Southern Alps and a mild temperate climate is formed with heavy snowfall in winter. The North has a warm, subtropical climate and is located on a volcanic plateau, where the main industrial and energy complex with hydroelectric power plants and wind farms is concentrated.

3. The inseparable connection of economic interaction and the area of linguistic changes is established. New Zealand is recognized as an industrial country with a highly developed level of economic development, which allows it to actively develop cooperation with leading world powers. Australia, Japan, the USA and the UK have always been recognized as the main partners. Nevertheless, after Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, market availability for the New Zealand region was significantly limited. It was this circumstance that caused China's rapprochement with New Zealand within the framework of the concluded Free Trade Agreement in 2008 ^[13]. Analysts recognize 2021 as unprecedented in terms of trade turnover between these two countries (unlike Australia, which supported the opposition rhetoric regarding the PRC) ^[13]. Despite the geopolitical pressure and sanctions policy towards China, in the focus of strategic planning with an economic eye, the New Zealand government is making a huge bet on the further development of bilateral relations, which undoubtedly distances New Zealand from another important and influential partner - the United States. This contributes to an increase in migration flows from China to New Zealand, especially to the capital Wellington and the Auckland district. This cannot but affect the transformation of the language space in New Zealand. For example, 2/3 of those currently living in Auckland identify themselves with the natives of the Asian diaspora, mostly the PRC, which has significantly influenced changes in the language environment ^[16].

4. It is also worth noting the two-year period of restrictions imposed due to the fight against the global pandemic. The migration flow to New Zealand, according to the estimates of the government statistical report from March 2020 to November 2021, decreased by 74% and the net migration loss was approximately 4,000 people per year ^[17]. The main percentage of arrivals during this period belongs to representatives of the Asia-Pacific region. The program of revitalization of the national cultural heritage and the language of the Maori tribe suffered significantly due to the forced distance format of educational programs and the suspension of tourist flow, but the indigenous people received special support during this period, according to the financial report ^[17]. This confirms the Government's intentions to preserve the cultural and language revival programs that have shown their effectiveness in the last decade by all possible means.

5. Digitalization of New Zealand society has also been in the focus of linguistic assessment of influence factors. There is a sharp increase in digital traffic in 2020-2021 - more than 60% with interest in the content of Australia, the USA, Britain, China, as well as platforms in the language of the Maori tribe ^{[14, 17]}. Educational programs were carried out during this period exclusively in a distance format, especially when working with foreign students, according to the number of whom per capita New Zealand ranks second in the world after Australia.

Thus, the above factors cause dynamic changes in the linguistic environment of New Zealand over the past few years, changing at the same time the approach to their study with an emphasis on ethnolinguistic research.

The analysis of the ethnic picture of the northern and southern islands in the framework of this study showed fundamental shifts in the New Zealand ethno-linguistic space (Table 1) ^{[15, 16, 17, 20]}.

Table 1. Comparative characteristics of the redistribution of ethnolinguistic groups in the south and north of New Zealand.

The comparative assessment is based on official statistical data published by StatsNZ Tatauranga Aotearoa in New Zealand ^[15], and includes the period March 2013 (general population census), March 2018 (the time of the last officially conducted census of the New Zealand population) ^[16], November 30, 2021 (preliminary assessment of the share of population by major ethnic groups ^[18]. A small increase in the population permanently residing in New Zealand is recorded, which amounts to 266,800 residents (from 4,859,500 people in 2018; 5,126,300 people in 2021) ^[17].

There is a general trend of the developing demographic crisis due to:

- natural aging of the population (according to preliminary statistical forecasts, the number of residents over the age of 55 will increase to 30% of the total population by 2030 - which is about 5% growth over a decade with the numerical indicators unchanged in previous years) ^[18];

- the growth of ethnic diversity (Statistics New Zealand predicts a significant increase in the number of different ethnic groups in the ten-year perspective, especially the growth of migration flows from 18% to 58% from the Middle East, China, India, along with an increase in the indigenous population of the Samoan and Maori tribes, and only 11% increase in the number due to the local population who identify themselves with Europeans) ^{[16, 17, 18]};

- the special ethnic status of Auckland (there is a significant increase in representatives of the Asian diaspora by 13% in 2018, while the European category of residents has already decreased by 3%; the gap in this numerical ratio is expected to increase in favor of the Asian community; at the moment, two-thirds of all New Zealanders living in the capital are representatives of the Asian region) ^{[16, 20]};

- covid restrictions (contributed to the suspension of migration flows from outside, stimulating the percentage of demographic growth at the expense of the local European population and indigenous Maori tribes).

Thus, the background of growing cultural diversity and active interaction of numerous ethnic groups in New Zealand creates ideal conditions for dynamic linguistic differentiation.

Conclusions

According to the analysis of the data obtained, it was possible to identify new trends in the influence of extralinguistic factors on the New Zealand national version of the English language. A strong contrast between the north and the south was found in the statistical parameters of the redistribution of ethnolinguistic groups and, accordingly, the linguistic influence exerted on the linguistic space of New Zealand.  

There is an increase in the Asian linguistic group with the overwhelming majority of representatives of the Chinese diaspora and the indigenous population of the Maori tribe, which provokes significant linguistic shifts on the north island of New Zealand with a bias towards the national and cultural characteristics of China and Maori. The Auckland, Hamilton (Chinese language pressure) and Taranaki (Maori language pressure) districts are the most densely populated areas in the north.

The forecast for the future should note the increasing influence of the Chinese language on the New Zealand national version of English, as well as, with the stable implementation of programs to revitalize the culture of the indigenous Maori tribe, even greater interpenetration of two officially recognized languages in the northern territory of New Zealand - Te Reo Maori (the language of the Maori tribe) and the New Zealand national version of English.

The southern island, unlike the northern one, retains averaged statistical indicators for ethnolinguistic groups with an insignificant increase in the European group, which indicates a more stable linguistic situation with a lower percentage of the appearance of derivative forms in English. The districts of Wellington and Christchurch turned out to be the most attractive for immigrants, creating favorable conditions for language differentiation in the future. As a result, new language variations in the south of New Zealand will occur mainly due to internal ethnic migrations and the general digitalization of society, however, in the conditions of increasing migration flows from outside, the language situation may radically change.

The next population census is expected in March 2023 with the clarification of the data on the ethnic composition of the population of New Zealand, which will make appropriate adjustments to the further study of the sociolingual situation and will subsequently help to adjust the linguistic forecast of the development of the New Zealand national version of English for the next decade.