Perspectives on Language Support 2014 National Refugee Forum Wellington Jody McBrien Ian Axford Fellow Host: MBIE

OREA TE TUATARA KA PATU KI WAHO: COMPETING PRIORITIES IN THE NEW ZEALAND REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT STRATEGY AUGUST 19 TH NAU MAI ROOM 143 LAMBTON QUAY 12:30-1:30 Contact Stefanie Joe:

AUT RESEARCH

WHICH PERSPECTIVES? Comparative, in terms of New Zealand & US - international perspective. Children and youth support, sometimes overlooked Pragmatic perspective Humanitarian perspective

US RESETTLEMENT

MRRC

COMMUNITY LEARNING HUBS

THINK How many of you speak more than one language? How many here have English as their first language? How confident do you feel conversing with native speakers of that second or third language? How long did it take to get to that point? How did you get there? Do you think you could hold a job in your field with the amount of other language ability you now have? If not, what would it take you to get there? If you don’t speak a second language, why not? What prevented you? How you would define success for yourself. Do you apply the same definition to others? Why or why not?

WHO NEEDS IT?

PRACTICAL NEEDS I can’t get good work until I can speak English. I don’t know any Kiwis because I can’t speak to them in English. I need more English to get a better job, but the classes are when I have to work. English is their greatest need They can’t understand the required health and safety instructions without English MBIE Research: “Not being able to speak the host language is not only a barrier to economic integration but also to social interaction and full participation in New Zealand society”

CHALLENGES 1.Limits 2.Competing priorities 3.Contexts

MIHI Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Nga Mihi Katoa nga Rangatira o tenei ra Ko Mansfield te māunga. Ko Niagara te awa. Ko Atlantic te moana. Ko Marikena te iwi. Ko Jody McBrien ahau E ki ana te whakatauki He aha te mea nui o te Ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE

BEING HUMANITARIANS “Once we arrive in New Zealand, we are permanent residents. We are new Kiwis! We are no longer refugees. We have a new country. We have a refugee background, but we must not think of ourselves as refugees anymore.” Kia ora! Gracias! Mahadsanid! Merci!