Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and Te Ātaarangi have developed a mentoring programme to support whānau language development called He Kāinga Kōrerorero.
“The aim of the programme is to raise awareness of Māori language among whānau,” says Te Puni Kōkiri policy director Tipene Chrisp.
“The programme is delivered by Te Ātaarangi’s pouārahi (mentors) who do not teach te reo but provide advice and support to whānau who wish to use te reo,” he says.
Pouārahi offer learning tips, provide resources including games and books, initiate outings where only te reo is spoken, and connect whānau with places and people within their community that offer language learning classes or other types of support.
Each whānau must have a poureo, someone within their whānau who is highly proficient. It is preferable that three generations make up each whānau who participates, so that intergenerational transmission can be achieved.
He Kāinga Kōrerorero was originally referred to as Tukutuku Kōrero. In 2004, Te Ātaarangi, armed with Te Puni Kōkiri’s Māori language research, were commissioned to develop and pilot a programme to support whānau language development. The result was Tukutuku Kōrero.
The objectives of Tukutuku Kōrero were to increase:
- Consciousness and awareness of language relationship matters and language learning processes, within the whānau;
- Māori language usage within the whānau;
- Household acquisition of te reo Māori; and
- Utilisation of local iwi dialects, kīwaha and whakatauākī.
Tukutuku Kōrero reflected and endorsed the Government’s Māori Language Strategy which states that “the central role of whānau in transmitting the Māori language to new generations within homes and communities.”
The trial programme was undertaken in three stages and rolled out to three areas. After the successful pilot, the programme was prepared for national rollout to 10 communities in 2005/06 and an additional five communities were added in 2008/09 The programme is being run around the motu from Kaitāia to Dunedin. . The programme is now known as He Kāinga Kōrerorero.
If you are interesting in joining the programme contact: Te Ātaarangi: 0800 282 272
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