Language, migration and continuity of being : notions of migrant language proficiency and self-concept among multilingual migrants in Aotearoa-New Zealand

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dc.contributor.authorWalker, Ute Gerda
dc.date.accessioned2010-09-22T21:55:12Z
dc.date.availableNO_RESTRICTIONen_US
dc.date.available2010-09-22T21:55:12Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.description.abstractMigration entails adjustment and change, a process crystallized in the way language use patterns, proficiencies and identifications change. Although migrants are often bi/ multilingual, their language proficiency tends to be associated with fluency in the host language. Such a monolingual approach is fundamentally at odds with the ethnolinguistic diversity in migration contexts and has prevented a more holistic approach to the dynamic realities of bi/multilinguals. It has also perpetuated a view of linguistic proficiency as technical skill, judged according to idealized monolingual norms. Little is known of speakers' own notions of proficiency in their existing migrant languages (ML) and the impact on their socialpsychological makeup as their linguistic repertoire undergoes changes in use, function and status. This research investigated proficiency as a matter of conceptualization through its users, including its role for migrants' continued sense of self in the face of sociolinguistic discontinuities. A three-phase research design involving focus groups, a postal survey and follow-up interviews was used with a sample of migrants from a wide range of ethnolinguistic backgrounds. The study found evidence for a multidimensional conceptualization of migrant language proficiency (MLP) with a complex range of underlying motivations and a strong emotional attachment to ML, revealing ML as a linguistic resource crucial for self-construction. The present study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the dynamic nature of these matters to contribute to a socio-culturally grounded view of proficiency and self-concept to help reveal some of the complex processes associated with migrants' social, cultural and psychological wellbeing. The study proposes bi/multilingualism as a settlement target to facilitate this outcome and to foster a sense of self that accommodates multiple identities. Investment in languages promotes an inclusive society of global citizens and complements New Zealand's official Māori/English bilingualism.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/1667
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectImmigrantsen_US
dc.subjectLanguageen_US
dc.subjectBilingualismen_US
dc.subjectLanguage attritionen_US
dc.subjectLanguage maintenanceen_US
dc.subjectNew Zealanden_US
dc.subject.otherFields of Research::420000 Language and Culture::420100 Language Studies::420199 Language studies not elsewhere classifieden_US
dc.titleLanguage, migration and continuity of being : notions of migrant language proficiency and self-concept among multilingual migrants in Aotearoa-New Zealanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorWalker, Ute Gerda
thesis.degree.disciplineLinguistics and Second Language Learningen_US
thesis.degree.grantorMassey Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)en_US
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