The challenges for international students encountering New Zealand English and Te Reo Māori

This study explores the language challenges that international students face in New Zealand's tertiary education system, focusing on the combined impact of New Zealand English (NZE) and te reo Māori. While many studies have looked at the difficulties of understanding NZE or the role of te reo Māori in education, few have examined how these two languages together affect international students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research collected data from an online survey and follow-up interviews to better understand how language barriers influence students’ academic progression, social integration, and overall well-being. The findings show that students often struggled with the NZE accent, fast speech, and informal expressions, which affect lecture comprehension, understanding academic reading, and joining classroom activities. Te reo Māori, although used less often, caused confusion when not explained, especially during cultural events and in academic settings. These challenges led to lower confidence, anxiety, and feelings of exclusion. Students also shared helpful strategies, such as using translation tools, joining language groups, and watching local media to adapt to language use in New Zealand. This study adds to existing theories on second-language anxiety (MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (Cummins, 2000) and highlights the importance of culturally responsive teaching (Hunter & Jones, 2017). It recommends clearer communication, better orientation to local language use, and more inclusive classroom support. By recognising the combined effect of NZE and te reo Māori, this research calls for further support systems to help international students succeed both academically and socially in New Zealand.

Name thesis:degree_name

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Applied Professional Studies – Adult Teaching

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Geeganage, Avanthi Sajeeni

• Foreign students
• Language barriers
• New Zealand tertiary education
• Academic progression
• Study - New Zealand
• International students in tertiary education
• Language comprehension

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6916

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10652/6916