Using Māori Language in the Home

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori language Commission, has produced a series of booklets about ‘Using Māori in the home’.

http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/english/pub_e/booklets/index.shtml

Booklet one - common questions and answers

This has a series of common questions and answers about the use of the Māori language and would be of assistance to anyone who is considering learning te reo.

The following is an example of the practical information that can be found in this booklet:

"If the Māori language is to flourish, it is important for us to speak it at home as often as we can, to provide Māori language examples and encouragement to our children.

We all know that to speak Māori can be hard work. But, we can make things easier for our children and ourselves if we make it fun and enjoyable."

What will speaking Māori in the home achieve?

The Māori language is a taonga that gives our country its distinct and unique cultural identity. For te reo to thrive as a language of everyday use, we must encourage and utilise it in our homes and communities as much as possible.

The home is the ideal environment to promote te reo Māori to our whanau . To learn a language, children need positive attitudes and plenty of exposure to it. Parents are a major influence on children and can create a setting in which they are encouraged to learn and speak Māori. If you place emphasis on the fact that the Māori language is important, and make an effort to learn and use it, your children will also recognise its significance. Parents can reinforce this importance on a regular, daily basis by using whatever Māori language skills they already possess.

Speaking Māori at home is not an all-or-nothing affair. Most Māori people have some knowledge of te reo. You can start by using what you know, and aim to increase your range on a regular basis.

There are a number of ways you can improve your knowledge of te reo Māori, including:

• Attending a Māori language class
• Spending time at your local Kōhanga Reo
• Reading children's Māori language books with your tamariki
• Labelling household items in Māori
• Finding someone more fluent than youself, and spending time with them.

If you have learnt some Māori before - at school or at home - you will be surprised how much you remember, and how quickly it will come back to you. Remember - repeated exposure will help the learning process.

Booklet two – What can I do? Where can I start?

This booklet provides information on the use of te reo Māori, looking at both the past and the present.

For example:

"Māori was the predominant language in the majority of Māori homes and communities until the 1940s when Māori began moving to the cities. In the 1950s and 1960s, Māori families started using more and more English in the home, and this was influenced by English language education, television and radio.

Throughout the early 1970s, urban Māori groups expressed concern about the survival of the Māori language, and in 1982, Te Kōhanga Reo was set up to encourage the language among Māori infants. Since then, Māori immersion education has expanded into the primary schools and beyond, to kura kaupapa Māori and immersion programmes.

Māori broadcasting has taken off and a number of initiatives are underway to promote our language such as the national network of more than 20 iwi radio stations and the development of a new Māori television channel."

Booklet three – Having fun with the Māori language

Presented in this booklet are activities and games pertaining to te reo and examples of the other ways in which the language is used; such as in waiata, basic mihi and karakia.

Here is an example of what can be found in Booklet Three:

"At Kōhanga Reo, school and elsewhere, children learn waiata, haka and rhymes. Encourage your children to sing these at home, and to learn new songs with you. You may wish to tape some of the Kōhanga Reo waiata, haka and rhymes so you have ready access to them at home.

You could try to encourage your children to learn their waiata while you're driving in the car. In some homes children and adults sing a waiata before they have their dinner."

'Every endeavour, no matter the size, contributes to the growth of the Māori language.'

This link will take you to a timeline of events relating to te reo Māori. It begins pre 1840 when Māori was the predominant language in Aotearoa and moves through to 2002 outlining the history and health of te reo.

Ko taku nui, taku wehi, taku whakatiketike, ko taku reo
My greatness, my inspiration, my elevation is my language