February 28, 2018
Te Matawai hungry for reo data
Maori language promotion body Te Matawai wants more information on the health of te reo Maori than it can glean from this month’s census.
In partnership with the New Zealand Council of Education Research it is running He Reo Ora, an online survey asking people who have organised, participated in, or funded activities to support te reo Maori revitalisation to report on their efforts.
Tumu whakarae Te Atarangi Whiu says Te Matawai needs quality research so it can make decisions about what its next steps should be and where it should direct its resources.
She says there is no comprehensive measure of the vitality of the language.
'People might proffer that there is a decline in the language. In other communities people might say there is growth in the language. He Reo Ora is fundamentally around understanding what is actually happening in our communities, what is actually happening in our homes and that is why we are asking people to participate in this survey so we can have a comprehensive picture, story, around how well te reo Maori is," Ms Whiu says.
He Reo Ora will be open until April 6.
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