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As the number of fluent, native Maori language speakers has steadily decreased in New Zealand, English has become the dominant language of almost all Maori people, although many are also familiar with the Maori language. In such circumstances, it is not surprising that a distinctive variety of Maori English has emerged to express ethnic identity and positive attitudes toward Maori culture (Holmes, 2005).

The term New Zealand English (NZE) is not as well defined as it first might seem. King (1993) points out that what most sociolinguists would call NZE, is probably better labelled as Pakeha English, that is, the English spoken mainly by European New Zealanders. King also suggests that Maori English is not restricted to ethnically Maori speakers, but is also used by some Pakeha who either grew up or identify with Maori peer groups. It is also the case that not all ethnically Maori speak Maori English.