Month: October 2022

Here is a copy of the original interview (from Manako archives) –

Here is my slowly spoken version of the passage below:

I have not included a vocab list this time, but there is an English version at the end of the reo Māori passage. Mauriora tātou!

Ko te kaupapa o tēnei uiuinga, ko te puta mai o tētahi pukapuka hōu, He Reo Tuku Iho, nā Awanui Te Huia i tuhi. Ko te tino mahi o te pukapuka nei, ko te whakamārama i ētahi hua i puta mai i tētahi rīpoata e kīia nei ko Manawa Ū ki te Reo, nā Te Mātāwai tēnei i tono. Kua kohia e Awanui ētahi o ngā tino whakaaro i tērā rīpoata, ā, ko ia hoki te tino kaituhi o te rīpoata nei. Ko Tākuta Maureen Muller, ko Tai Ahu, ko Ririwai Fox hoki ētahi atu kaituhi o te rīpoata, otirā ko Awanui te mea matua.

Ko te tino kaupapa o te pukapuka, o te rīpoata hoki, ko te ako i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua. I tēnei wā, mō te nuinga o ngā Māori, ehara i te reo Māori he reo tuku iho mai i ngā māmā ki ngā pēpi, engari, ko te whakaaro, nā tēnei pukapuka ka piki haere ā tōna wā tēnei momo tuku iho i te reo.

I kimihia i te rangahau o Manawa Ū ki te Reo ngā rautaki kia pai ai te whakaako i te reo, me ngā rautaki pai mō ngā ākonga. Ko ētahi āhuatanga nui, ko te tuakiri o te ākonga me ngā uauatanga o tēnei mahi te ako i te reo hei reo tuarua. Otirā, ko te mea nui ki a Awanui, ka taea te ako i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua, ahakoa ngā raru me ngā āwangawanga i kōrerotia i te uiuinga.

E ai ki a Awanui, he mea āwhina mehemea ka mōhio te ākonga ki ētahi o ngā raru e pā ana ki te ako i te reo Māori hei reo tuarua. Kua kitea i roto i tōna ake whānau kāore rātou i te mōhio ki ētahi o ēnei momo āhuatanga e whakararu ai pea i a rātou e ako ana i te reo hei reo tuarua. Ki tō Awanui whakaaro, he pai te whakamārama ki a rātou ēnei momo uauatanga, otirā kia akiaki ai i a rātou i tō  rātou ara reo Māori.

E ai ki a Awanui, he kupu whakatūpato hoki i te pukapuka mō ngā tāngata Pākehā e ako ana i te reo Māori kia pai ai ā rātou tū hei tangata e tino whai wāhi ai i tēnei whenua, i Aotearoa. Ki a ia, me whānui ake ā rātou tirohanga – ki te ao tōrangapu, ki te hītori o te whenua nei, me ngā raru e pā mai ana ki te iwi Māori. Ehara i te mea ka nui tēnā te kōrero Māori noa iho.

English translation

The topic of this interview is the arrival of a new book – He Reo Tuku Iho (ie A language Handed Down), written by Awanui Te Huia. The main task of this book is to explain the things which emerged in a report called Manawa Ū ki te Reo, commissioned by Te Mātāwai. Awanui gathered some of the main ideas from that report, of which she was the principal writer. Dr Mauren Muller, Tai Ahu and Ririwai Fox also helped write the report, but Awanui had the main role.

The main subject of the book, and of the report, is learning and teaching the Māori language as a second language. At his time, for most Māori the Māori language is not passed down from mother to baby, but the intention is that through this book that eventually this means of transmission will increase.

The research laid out in Manawa Ū ki te Reo was seeking strategies to improve the teaching of the language, and helpful strategies for learners. Some major aspects which emerged were (issues of) identity, and the difficulties of this activity, learning Māori as a second language. However, for Awanui, the main thing is that Māori can be learnt as a second language, despite the problems and anxieties that can occur.

According to Awanui, it’s helpful for the learner to know about some of the issues that impact learning Māori as a second language. In her own family it was evident that they were not aware of some of these things that can perhaps impact negatively their learning (Māori ) as a second language. Awanui thinks that it’s good to explain these sorts of difficulties to them, but also to encourage them in their learning pathway.

Awanui says that she also gives a cautionary word in the book for Pākehā who are learning Māori with the aim of taking a more full part in this land of Aotearoa. For her, they should have a more broad view – (taking an interest in) politics, the history of this country, and the troubles that affect Māori. It’s not enough to just speak Māori.