English: As spoken in New Zealand

By Clive Dalton 

The English language is constantly changing, which is good, as it helps to cope with how the world is changing.  But it doesn’t make it easy for anyone having to learn the language in different parts of the ‘English-speaking’ parts of the world.

The English spoken in New Zealand has changed greatly in the last 50 years from what was called ‘BBC’ or ‘Queen’s English’.  The main change in New Zealand in recent years has been a massive ‘vowel shift’ which is now very well established, much to the annoyance and disgust of the older generations who were taught by teachers who were sticklers for the Queen’s English.

TV and radio have always been the gold standard, and have (or used to have) people to oversee grammar and pronunciation.   Many of us are wondering where they have gone! 

So anyone coming to New Zealand from overseas to learn English, to work or to study regularly have problems initially with the language.

The influence of American English
This is having a big influence on world English, and it’s probably not a bad thing because of the massive variation in regional English in the UK, where some dialects are a complete mystery to those who live 100km away.

Voice Tone

Female Kiwi English speakers on TV and radio have become very nasal and with a grating tone, especially when they increase the volume. There seems to be no effort in recruitment to see this as an issue which is standard with American female speakers.

Here’s a list from listening to TV and radio announcers, journalists and broadcasters over a period of a few weeks.  The first column is what was heard, and the second is what was meant. 
 

New Zealand English as heard from TV and radio announcers, and English spelling and meaning