Language nest
Encyclopedia
The Language nest is an immersion
-based approach to language revitalization which was originated as a part of the Māori language revival, when was coined as Kōhanga reo.
In a language nest, older speakers of the language take part in early childhood education with a view to improving intergenerational language transference.
The approach has had considerable success in revitalizing the Māori language
in New Zealand
. It has since been replicated in Hawaii
, where the Hawaiian language
equivalent, the Pūnana Leo
, has also been successful in producing first-language speakers of Hawaiian.
In August 2009, the Australian government pledged to pilot language nests as part of its National Indigenous Languages Policy.
Language immersion
Language immersion is a method of teaching a second language in which the target language is used as the means of instruction. Unlike more traditional language courses, where the target language is simply the subject material, language immersion uses the target language as a teaching tool,...
-based approach to language revitalization which was originated as a part of the Māori language revival, when was coined as Kōhanga reo.
In a language nest, older speakers of the language take part in early childhood education with a view to improving intergenerational language transference.
The approach has had considerable success in revitalizing the Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It has since been replicated in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
equivalent, the Pūnana Leo
Punana Leo
Pūnana Leo are private, non-profit preschools run by families, in which the Hawaiian language is the language of instruction and administration. Initially opened illegally, the first Pūnana Leo opened in 1984 in Kekaha, Kaua'i...
, has also been successful in producing first-language speakers of Hawaiian.
In August 2009, the Australian government pledged to pilot language nests as part of its National Indigenous Languages Policy.