Tok Pisin at the heart of Papua New Guinea Language Week 2025

Papua New Guinea Language Week 2025 is underway in Aotearoa, marking the second year of celebrations for Tok Pisin, the most widely spoken language of Papua New Guinea.

The nationwide celebration kicked off on Sunday and will continue until Saturday, with the theme “Lukautim, strongim na kirapim tokples na pasin blo tubuna”, which translates to “preserve, revitalise and promote our language and culture”.

Events have been organised across Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and other centres, including school visits, library programmes, cultural performances, and community gatherings. Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country in the world, home to over 800 distinct languages.

Its rugged terrain, featuring mountains, rivers, and forests, has historically isolated communities, allowing small groups to develop their own dialects. Tok Pisin, an English-based creole, serves as a national lingua franca that bridges these divides.

Launching the week, Dr Shane Reti, the Minister for Pacific Peoples, says Tok Pisin is an “exciting addition” to the ministry’s Pacific Language Week series. He says there is enthusiasm for the celebrations, with the community going all out this year.

“Earlier this year I had the privilege of visiting Papua New Guinea and I really enjoyed immersing myself in the language and culture there,” Reti says.

Alongside the celebrations, Papua New Guineans in Aotearoa are reflecting on the importance of language preservation within the diaspora. In New Zealand, there are an estimated 1100 Papua New Guineans, but only 15 per cent of those under the age of 15 speak two or more languages.

For Deborah Kakis, a doctoral candidate from the University of Auckland’s Statistics Department, the occasion carries personal significance. Kakis, from Bonohoi village in Maprik District, East Sepik Province, says her bond with her country and its people “is deeper than mere patriotism”.

Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country in the world, home to over 800 distinct languages. Photo/Ministry for Pacific Peoples

“It is a spiritual connection that continually draws one back home and grounds me among my people. It is this deep-rooted connection that strengthens my resolve to want to do something for my country,” Kakis says.

Kakis is investigating the statistical literacy of medical professionals in Papua New Guinea, believing it is a “critical component of both conducting research and engaging in evidence-based practice”.

She hopes her work will contribute to developing the country’s human resource capacity.

For more information on PNG Language Week events, click here.