Chapter 5: Language, Culture, and Communication: A Review of the Challenges Facing NESB Migrants in New Zealand

The chapter examines the interconnectedness of language, culture, and communication and how linguistic and pragmatic proficiency and communication skills challenge new migrants from non-English speaking background (NESB) countries. Language and intercultural communication competencies can affect NESB migrants’ networking, information gathering, settlement, employment, adaptation, integration and earnings. Language and communication barriers are believed to be major factors contributing to unemployment or under-employment, low-income earnings, social injustice and inequality, and discrimination. It is proposed that it is important to equip NESB migrants with linguistic and pragmatic proficiency, workplace communication skills, and intercultural communication competence, and that the host country’s government agencies and news media recognize the positive contribution of immigration to the society and help NESB migrants to address the challenges and fight prejudice and discrimination.