New Zealand Accent in contrast to RP

Ann-Kathleen Kraetzig

Mar 2004 · GRIN Verlag

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Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2,5 (B), Bielefeld University (Anglistics Institute), language: English, abstract: I chose to write a term paper on the New Zealand accent because I plan to travel around the country in the near future. Therefore it is very interesting for me to know a little bit more about the variety which is spoken there. While I was reading different books, I learned that New Zealand English is, on the one hand, a variety which is spoken all over the country without any regional dialects, but on the same time, there might be a vernacular that is spoken by the Maoris, the original inhabitants of New Zealand. As I would like to get to know the country and its people as well, I think it would be best to look at both varieties. In this way, I hope to get a general overview of the situation, for the Maoris are a minority in New Zealand and their language is in danger of dying out. But as is nearly always the case when one language is replaced by a second, as was Maori by English, they will be influenced by each other. Therefore it is my concern to work out some differences between New Zealand English (NZE) and the English used by the Maoris (Maori Vernacular English (MVE)). To have a basis on which I can present these possible findings, I want to compare the New Zealand accent to RP, which I know best. The structure of the term paper will be divided into three parts. The first part will give a general overview of the origin of the New Zealand accent. The second part will concentrate on the New Zealand accent in comparison to RP.The focus here will be on the three short front vowels and two diphthongs which make the New Zealand accent distinctive from other varieties. The third part will give a short overview of the situation of the Maori language and will show similarities to and differences from the general New Zealand accent. In addition, a case study will be looked at to underline distinctive features.