Victoria University Wellington
School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
Questionnaire on Prof. Dr. M. Hundt (Visiting Professor)
Language and Identity in the Indian Diaspora
Please answer the questions by ticking where applicable or filling in the gaps. The results of
this survey will be analysed for a project on Language and Identity in the Indian Diaspora. A
Case Study on the Fiji Indian Community in New Zealand. They will be published in scholarly
journals and books. Thank you very much for your participation!
ALL DATA AND INFORMATION GIVEN IN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE ARE
ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENTIAL. INFORMATION IDENTIFYING THE PARTICIPANT
WILL NOT BE DISCLOSED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Please provide the following background information
Gender: female male
Age group: 13-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 over 60
Place of birth in Fiji
Residence in New Zealand since
Reason(s) for migration
Visit(s) to Fiji (please state year, purpose and length)
Visit(s) to India (please state year, purpose and length)
Have you lived in any country other than Fiji or New Zealand?
yes no
If yes, where and for how long?
Occupation
What primary school did you attend?
What secondary school did you attend?
What tertiary institution (if any) did you attend?
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First (“native”) language(s)
Other language(s) spoken (please arrange according to proficiency)
Religious background
Do you have non-Indian family members? If yes, please specify:
I live in… (please specify city and part of town)
My extended family live…
… near me … in New Zealand … elsewhere
At work/school most of my colleagues/classmates are …
… Fiji Indian … Indian … Kiwi … other
Most of my friends are …
… Fiji Indian … Indian … Kiwi … other
Question 1
As an Indian from Fiji who lives in New Zealand, which of the following terms
would you choose to refer to yourself?
(please klick and choose ONE of the following)
If “other”, please specify:
Would the choice depend on the context (e.g. who you are talking to or where
you are)? In that case, please specify the context(s) and the term(s) you
would use:
Question 2
On a scale ranging from 1 (= I am very comfortable speaking and writing) to 5
(= I get by, but it is very obvious that it is not my first language), how do you
assess your overall English skills? Please tick where applicable.
1 2 3 4 5
Questionnaire on Language and Identity in the Indian Diaspora 3
Question 3
On a scale ranging from 1 (= fully competent) to 5 (= poor), how do you
assess your oral skills in Fiji Hindi?
1 2 3 4 5
Question 4
On a scale ranging from 1 (= I am very comfortable) to 5 (= I get by), how do
you assess your oral skills in Shudh Hindi? [6 = I have passive knowledge]
1 2 3 4 5 6
Question 5
On the same scale, how do you assess your written Hindi skills?
1 2 3 4 5
Question 6
Which of the following is central to your cultural identity? (Please choose and
rank in order of importance): celebrating Indian festivals, Indian clothing,
Indian food, Indian music, language (please specify which!), knowing about my
history and where I‟m from; if other, please specify!
1.
2.
3.
Question 7
What language do you use when you talk to the following people? Please tick
where applicable!
NOTE: Multiple answers are possible! (If more than one language is used,
please arrange in order of dominance, going down from 1).
With family with family with Indians with other with
in Fiji in NZ from Fiji Indians Kiwis
Fiji Hindi
Shudh Hindi
Fiji English
English
New Zealand
Engl.
Indian
English
other*
*please specify:
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Question 8
What language do you use in the following situations? Please tick where
applicable! Multiple answers are possible! (If more than one language is used,
please arrange in order of dominance, going down from 1).
at Indian functions in my private prayers At work for counting
Fiji Hindi
Shudh Hindi
Fiji English
English
other*
*please specify:
Other 1:
Question 9
Please indicate the number you want after each statement
1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 = not sure 4 = disagree 5 = strongly disagree
1. Every Indian from Fiji should know Fiji Hindi.
1 2 3 4 5
2. I can use English to express my Indian identity.
1 2 3 4 5
3. Educated Indians from Fiji speak better English than those from India.
1 2 3 4 5
4. My English skills have improved since moving to New Zealand.
1 2 3 4 5
5. I think of myself as Indian first and Fijian second.
1 2 3 4 5
6. There are some ideas that just cannot be expressed in Fiji Hindi.
1 2 3 4 5
7. I now think of New Zealand as „home‟.
1 2 3 4 5
8. I think that other Indians in New Zealand look down on Fiji Hindi.
1 2 3 4 5
1 = strongly agree 2 = agree 3 = not sure 4 = disagree 5 = strongly disagree
Questionnaire on Language and Identity in the Indian Diaspora 5
9. Indians from India have a thick (strong) accent when they speak English.
1 2 3 4 5
10. Indians from Fiji should speak Fiji Hindi at home most of the time.
1 2 3 4 5
11. We should have a special class where all Indian children can learn to speak
and write Hindi.
1 2 3 4 5
12. It is more important to us to speak English well than to know Hindi.
1 2 3 4 5
13. I think of Fiji as my “true” home.
1 2 3 4 5
14. Fiji Hindi is the language that is best suited to express my real „self‟.
1 2 3 4 5
15. I would like to have the opportunity to learn to speak and write (more)
Hindi.
1 2 3 4 5
Question 10
Can you see/hear yourself using one of the statements below? If you are not
sure, please also quote the part(s) of the sentence(s) that don‟t ring true.
1. Ability to work with new softwares required. (Job advertisement)
yes no not sure
2. “He wants us to learn from the experience of the Girmitiyas.”
yes no not sure
3. “The university now has fully air-condition lecture rooms.”
yes no not sure
4. “He was farewelled today at a service in the Masterton Town Hall.”
yes no not sure
5. “With a multi-religious country such as ours we should be well versed
about other religions as well.”
yes no not sure
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6. “One of our most respected and longest serving leader wants a new car.”
yes no not sure
7. “In the old days, Hindustani programmes over Radio Fiji was educational
and entertaining.”
yes no not sure
8. “Please attention it to Bob.”
yes no not sure
9. “On if the morale of the Men-in-Blue remained intact after Australia
routed them on Wednesday, he said nothing.”
yes no not sure
10. “We find it extremely hard to cope up with repair costs.”
yes no not sure
11. “We better get some veges at the market.”
yes no not sure
12. “I was on a wedding only last week.”
yes no not sure
13. “In this conversation it came up because you aksed for it.”
yes no not sure
14. “That car over there – sweet as!”
yes no not sure
Please feel free to comment on any part of this questionnaire!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
In due course, participants of this survey will be able to learn about the results
on the following web-page:
http://www.hundt.uni-hd.de/indiandiaspora/language-and-identity.htm