October 28, 2019
Passion and fear key to language success.
A research project has identified seven key success indicators for private sector companies, schools and local authorities using Māori language to support their work.
The study, led by Unitec Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan and funded by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, looked at language efforts in Air New Zealand, Microsoft, Spark, Christ’s College, King’s College, Wellington Girls’ College, Christchurch City Council, Rotorua Lakes Council and Waikato Regional Council.
The seven indicators include te reo Māori being seen as helping the organisations achieve their mission as a part of their business;
that passionate people including senior managers, CEOs and school principals need to be actively promoting revitalisation;
that they engage with Māori networks;
and that they recognise there is often a fear about learning te reo Māori.
The language needs to be made visible in building names, signage and in all organisational communication, they need to demonstrate innovation, and there should be what the study calls Aotearoatanga, that the organisations identify te reo Māori as integral to a New Zealand cultural heritage and national identity.
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