ABSTRACT
The status and presence of heritage language (HL) education in New Zealand varies widely across the country, depending largely on the degree to which each language community is recognized and/or supported by the national government, particularly by the Ministry of Education. This chapter focuses on the largest HL-speaking community in New Zealand—Pasifika. In addition, particular to the context of the current chapter, empirical studies in Pasifika language schools have shown that continued support for Pasifika languages is of great importance for HL maintenance. Over the course of enrollment in the Pasifika immersion preschool centers, the children steadily developed increasing verbal and literacy proficiency in both their HLs and English, without detriment to either language. Alongside discussions of language education in New Zealand, the very visible discourse of New Zealand's responsibility is routinely found, occurring in both unofficial and official documents and campaigns surrounding the issue of government support for the teaching, learning, and maintenance of Pasifika languages.
