Māori language

If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.

If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.

1. Listening for main ideas

First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?

2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:

1. This year is which anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week)?
2. What two reasons are given for the decline in the number of Māori speakers?
3. In the 1970s, what did many Māori university students want?
4. How many signatures did the students’ petition have?
5. What is this year’s theme?
6. When is the parade in Christchurch?
7. When is the festival in Hastings?
8. What has the Māori Language Commission launched?

3. Language focus: Vocabulary building

Look at the following sentence from the text. What part of speech (noun, verb, or adjective) is each underlined word?  Note down some other parts of speech related to these words, then check your answers below.

This (i) celebrates the (ii) resilience and (iii) adaptability of the language and the (iv) commitment for it to (v) survive for generations to come.

Text

This year is the 50^th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, or Māori Language Week. It’s being celebrated this week, from 14 to 20 September.

For most of the 20^th century, the use of te reo Māori was discouraged or banned. Children were not allowed to speak it at school and were sometimes punished if they did. After the Second World War, many Māori moved to cities to find work, but English was the main language spoken in cities and it gradually replaced Māori as the language spoken in Māori homes. Consequently, there was a significant decline in the number of Māori speakers. However, many Māori students at universities in the early 1970s wanted to learn their language and culture and to reverse the loss of the language. On 14 September 1972 they presented a petition with over 30,000 signatures to Parliament calling for te reo Māori to be taught in schools. That day became Māori Language Day which evolved into Māori Language Week in 1975.

This year’s theme follows last year’s: Ake Ake Ake – A forever language. This celebrates the resilience and adaptability of the language and the commitment for it to survive for generations to come.

Events are being held around the country to celebrate this week. Today there was a parade in Wellington which attracted thousands of people. Tomorrow there is a parade in Christchurch, meeting at the Bridge of Remembrance at 11.30am. Libraries in various centres have sessions for bilingual storytime for children and for craft. On Thursday and Friday in Hastings there is a festival to celebrate te reo Māori with food, art, and concerts. The Māori Language Commission wants people to ‘give it a go’, that is, try to speak Māori, this week. It has launched 50 language challenges, or Wero Reo Māori, which give people ideas for activities to do to try and use te reo. Click on this link to the Commission’s website to find out more and to see other resources.

If you want more listening practice on this topic, listen to Māori Language Week from last year.

Vocabulary

anniversary – a date on which something special or important happened

celebrate – to show that something is special

discourage – to persuade someone not to do something, especially by making it seem difficult or bad

ban – to say that something must not be done

petition – a written request signed by a lot of people, asking the government to do or change something

resilience – the ability to become strong, happy, or successful again after a difficult situation or event

parade – a public celebration when groups walk or ride on decorated vehicles along a street, dancing or playing music

session – a period of time used for a particular activity, especially by a group of people

bilingual – written or spoken in two languages

craft – things that people make by hand, or the activity of making things with your hands

festival – a special occasion

launch – to start something, usually something big or important

Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer

a. This year is which anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week)?

The 50^th anniversary

b. What two reasons are given for the decline in the number of Māori speakers in the 20^th century?

(1) The use of te reo Māori was discouraged or banned. Children were not allowed to speak it at school and were sometimes punished if they did. (2) After the Second World War, many Māori moved to cities to find work, but English was the main language spoken in cities and it gradually replaced Māori as the language spoken in Māori homes.

c. In the 1970s, what did many Māori university students want?

To learn their language and culture and to reverse the loss of the language

d. How many signatures did the students’ petition have?

30,000

e. What is this year’s theme?

Ake Ake Ake – A forever language

f. When is the parade in Christchurch?

Tomorrow at 11.30am

g. When is the festival in Hastings?

Thursday and Friday

h. What has the Māori Language Commission launched?

50 language challenges (= Wero Reo Māori), which give people ideas for activities to do to try and use te reo.

Language focus: Vocabulary building

Here are the most common family words. You can find others in a good learner’s dictionary.

1. celebrate (v), celebration (n)
2. resilience (n), resilient (adj)
3. adaptability (n), adaptable (adj), adapt (v)
4. commitment (n), commit (v), committed (adj)
5. survive (v), survival (n)