A NEW APPROACH TO LEARNING MAORI

Te Ao Hou, March 1960, Page 48

A NEW APPROACH TO LEARNING MAORI By J. B. PALMER We Speak Maori, First Lessons in the Maori Language, price 3/6, with a Teachers' Manual (price 15/-) by S. M. Mead. A. H. & A. W. Reed, Wellington, 1959. Interest in the learning and teaching of the Maori language is increasing. At the adult level there are numerous textbooks, classes and records to help the student. The initial age group however is the primary school level which has been neglected until now. The appearance of We Speak Maori, with the Teachers' Manual and accompanying record, has at last given the teacher something tangible to work with. There is no reason why teachers with even a moderate background of Maori should not try to launch the subject in their own classrooms with the aid of these books. There has been some debate whether the teaching of Maori should start at the primary or secondary level. In my personal view it is better to start as early as possible because the subject would tend to become too academic if solely tied to the prescription for School Certificate. Mr Mead's books however are also perfectly useable if it is decided to start the teaching of Maori in the third form of secondary school or if the course is one for adult beginners. The books are clear and concise with grammatical rules kept to a minimum and introduced painlessly. The story approach will probably appeal to children particularly when used in conjunction with the record. Mr Mead strongly believes that Maori language “should be presented in wholes.” The stories in the text and spoken by Rev. K. M. Ihaka on the record are simple and clear with subject matters of interest to younger children. It is fair to state that many teachers look with suspicion on activity books. They tend, so they believe, to restrict children and make them conform. The bright, imaginative child is equated with the slower learning one, the only difference being the speed with which they may, or may not work through the book. Moreover, activity books are not transferable when completed. One is reminded of these objections on P.5 of the Teachers' Manual where a ‘General method of Attack’ is recommended, together with the outline of a 15 minute lesson. However admirable the attack and outline are in this case, it does seem a matter of regret that all teachers and pupils of Maori will tend to follow a set pattern in their approach to language teaching and learning. There is scope in the Teachers' Manual for other activities, methods and ideas which need not appear in the children's book. Teachers should be encouraged to make Maori a living subject as Mr Mead stresses on P.5 of the Manual: “Teaching methods must be alive and effective.” He does mention flash cards, tape recorders and hand-games but there is scope for other ideas as well; simple Maori news broadcasts over the school or class “radio”; items about children in a Maori section of the wall newspaper; crossword puzzles in Maori made up by the teacher or bright pupils and word-building games of various kinds. The range of ideas should be sufficient to enable a teacher to select and vary methods of approach. One would like to see Mr Mead extending his valuable work so that he might suggest in any future Manual ways by which these first steps in Maori could be incorporated in the school Social Studies syllabus. One of the difficulties in teaching Maori is the question of showing length of vowels. Mr Mead puts the case for vowel doubling in the Teachers' Manual and in the introduction of the children's