Te hā o te reo: Teaching the beauty of the Māori language

Abstract

Drawn from a talk presented at the 2019 Viva Lingua Viva indigenous languages event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this article presents the findings of a qualitative case study focused on a 10-week Māori language programme, Te Hā o te Reo (“the essence of the language”) offered to staff at a New Zealand university. The article reports on the pedagogical practices employed in the course through a discussion of qualitative interview data collected for a wider study on the experiences of non-Māori students of Te Reo Māori as a second language. The analysis presents insights from a sample of adult student participants and by the courses’ chief designer and teacher. A focussed consideration of four key classroom practices suggests a teaching approach based on three Māori culture-specific pedagogical principles (Whanaungatanga—relationship-based learning; Koakoa—joy, humour; Kaupapa Māori—Māori principles and worldview), which are found to shape both course content and classroom management in ways that are well aligned with student’s needs and expectations.