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Profile
 Please DO NOT rip/steal/copy, if not i'll rip your head off!(: Amanda Lee Temasek Polytechnic School of Business Leisure and Resort Management track, dance History
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Codes by 16thday!Background from here, profile icon from thefadingnight. |
Languages
Friday, December 10, 2010
6:18 AM
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language(NZSL)Maori language became the official language in New Zealand in 1987 by the Maori Language Act. The Maori language was declining in the 1940s when the Maori people moved to the cities, as they felt pressured to only speak English in the cities. But, with much awareness about the situation, measures such as placing the language in school curriculums helped to revive it. Maori and English are used quite interchangeably in New Zealand due to their mix of cultures; the languages have also influenced each other. Some words have crossed the vocabulary line between the languages for example; taboo in English is tapu in Maori. The NZSL became an official language in April 2006; New Zealand is the first country to declare sign language as an official language.  |