Investigating the Complexity of Language Use in Trades Education in the Aotearoa New Zealand Context

Abstract

Language use in vocational education is a little studied area. The Language in Trades Education project investigated the complexity of this language using a multi-pronged approach. It involved an examination of written and spoken texts in four trades at the Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec), an Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) Polytechnic (ITP). The study centred firstly on gathering written texts used in two construction trades (carpentry and plumbing) and two engineering trades (automotive technology and fabrication). Secondly, the spoken language of tutors and learners in these trades from classroom, building sites, and workshops was also collected. In this chapter, we share our findings related to the writing and talk in this context, the multimodal texts that students read and write, and the vocabulary used in these texts. We also discuss the translation of technical vocabulary in each trade from English to Tongan, a language of the Pacific, using a Pacific research methodology called Talanoa. Taken together, the findings from the project illustrate the complexities of language use in vocational education and have practical applications for teaching and learning.