Putting NZSL on the page: multilingual/multimodal picturebooks in New Zealand

Abstract

ABSTRACT Picturebooks are powerful educational tools, both for their content and their contributions to the literacy development of children. In New Zealand bilingual picturebooks featuring Te Reo Māori and New Zealand English have increased in number since the 1980s when Te Reo Māori gained official status and revitalisation efforts burgeoned. More recently, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) has been recognised as the preferred language of the deaf community and given legal official status. Sign languages around the world have been increasingly utilised in bilingual literacy education for deaf children. Public interest in sign language has also been stimulated by the increased presence of NZSL in the New Zealand linguistic landscape. As a result, a number of multilingual children’s books have been produced which include the use of NZSL in static or dynamic (multimodal) formats. In this article, we analyse two types of multilingual/multimodal picturebooks. Our analysis examines author/creator motivations in relation to the changing status of Te Reo Māori and NZSL alongside a critical analysis of how these three languages are presented within the picturebooks. Findings suggest the potential for these books to support engagement with literacy for children who are first language users of NZSL and to promote NZSLawareness among New Zealand children generally.