Tok Pisin: An educational and language planning dilemma in Papua New Guinea

This presentation shows parental disenchantment with the English-based educational system. Additionally, it highlights how Tok Pisin develops into a national language in Papua New Guinea, which significantly draws an implication in the country's curriculum planning.

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Tok Pisin at university:
An educational and
language planning
dilemma in Papua
New Guinea
Prepared by
NAOMIE S. BAGUINAT
Assistant Professor

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What is the future of English over Tok Pisin?
•10-20% understand radio broadcasts in
English
•1/3 drop-out rates from G1 to G6
•Parental disenchantment with the
English-based educational system
•English will remain the preserve of a
small educated elite while Tok Pisin
develops as a national language

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Laycock’s disposition then
is…
•Tok Pisin is an appropriate solution to
the national level linguistic problem
•Tok Pisin will decline because there
are other ways to solve the linguistic
dilemma at regional levels; the
government is seen to have little
support on Tok Pisin use in
educational system

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Why is it?
•Speakers of Tok Pisin rarely or never
read or write it (universal literacy or
even oracy is not achieved; with little
literacy means standardization is
impossible)

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On Laycock’s assumption…
•The ultimate fate of Tok Pisin and
English lies with Papua New Guineans,
not with foreign linguists
The views of Papua New Guineans have
been insufficiently considered and that the
evidence as to their attitudes to the two
languages is fragmentary and
impressionistic (Wurm & Muhlhausler, 1979)

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Two investigations
determine trends among Papua New
Guinean speakers in their use of Tok
Pisin and English
1.First stage is in 1984 with the
University of Technology (UOT)
2.Second stage is in 1986 at the
University of Papua New Guinea
(UPNG)

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The 1988 study
•University students had come through
a schooling which lasted either 10-12
years
•School education was at least in theory
using English as medium
•Period: Tok Pisin is on the rise -
broadcast, in pop songs, printed in
Wantok newspaper, drama, on the job

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The 1988 study
•On-the-job communication: offices,
shops, factories and other worksites
where Papua New Guineans from
different mother tongue speech
communities gather
•75% of the 1978 and 1979 cohorts
use Tok Pisin on the job (Swan, 1986)

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The bother …
•The PNG’s ability to use the English
language in an academic context
opened the door to membership of
the educated elite for PNG’s current
undergraduate population.
? How far does this instrumental
valuation spill over into the adoption
of a more integrative approach

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The bother …
? Will they, as with Indian elites adopt
English as their language of preference
rejecting Tok Pisin and thus isolating
themselves from what appears to be a
strong contrary trend within the
country as a whole

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What did the result in 1988 research say?
1.There is a widespread use of Tok Pisin
by students at Papua New Guinea’s
two universities – UOT and UPNG.
2.Tok Pisin is used for both – social
purposes and study purposes,
particularly by students of UOT
It may be these students who are at greatest risk
jeopardizing their chances of success in an English-medium
university environment

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What did the result in 1988 research say?
3.There is no sign that present
undergraduates are adopting
English as their language of
preference: whether for prestige or
purely practical reasons
If the educated elite are not adopting English in this way,
others lower down the educational ladder are likely too

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ity sustainability sust
arm farm farm farm farm farm
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sity diversity diversity
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tion interaction interaction
n perception perception
ess process process
migration migration
power power power
me time time time time
river river river river river river
change change change
place place place place
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What did the result in 1988 research say?
4.There is no sign on antipathy to Tok
Pisin; students from UPNG favored
the use of Tok Pisin
5.The educational system at primary
school level has been fully localized;
Tok Pisin is used unofficially in the
classroom

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What did the result in 1988 research say?
6. If more national staff will come on
stream, Tok Pisin may be used for
social and study purposes in UPNG
and UOT; Tok Pisin will take over
English

15. place place place place
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ity sustainability sust
arm farm farm farm farm farm
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sity diversity diversity
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migration migration
power power power
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Stage 1 of inquiry
•The amount of Tok Pisin used by UOT
students varied significantly according to
the student’s origin
•New Guinea Islands and New Guinea
coastal students were found to use
significantly more Tok Pisin than
highland students who in turn used
significantly more than Papuan students

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teraction interaction
ity sustainability sust
arm farm farm farm farm farm
e space space space
sity diversity diversity
change change change
cier glacier glacier glacier
tion interaction interaction
n perception perception
ess process process
migration migration
power power power
me time time time time
river river river river river river
change change change
place place place place
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Stage 2 of inquiry
•Same pattern emerged in UOT and
UPNG – low use of Tok Pisin for all
circumstances by Papuan students at
UPNG and high for New Guinea
coastal students at UOT

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teraction interaction
ity sustainability sust
arm farm farm farm farm farm
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sity diversity diversity
change change change
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tion interaction interaction
n perception perception
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power power power
me time time time time
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Both 1984 at UOT and in 1986 at both universities
•Use of Tok Pisin varied significantly
according to which national high
schools students had previously
attended
•Factors: (1) unequal mix of students;
(2) school policy on language use

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arm farm farm farm farm farm
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Bottom line?
•There is a high use of Tok Pisin and low
self-confidence in the use of English
•In an English-medium university
context, one might wonder whether a
high use of Tok Pisin might also
therefore be coupled with a greater
chance of failure (potential for special
study).

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Solution?
•Sanctioning the wider use of Tok Pisin
at school or even university level for a
decisive effect on the fate of English
and Tok Pisin in PNG

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What did the result in 1988 research say?
Future?
There is a decline in the standard
English use and the there is a rampant
use of Tok Pisin if strategies are not
maximized by the national staff and the
Papua New Guinea government as a
whole

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•https://www.hawaii.edu/satocenter/
pace/pace_news/2-
recentPublications.htm
•https://www.sil.org/system/files/
reapdata/
63/83/42/63834219782494973171553
35053912901457/3__Language_and_E
ducation_in_PNG_RobertLitteral.pdf