Untitled

Te Ao Hou, March 1960, Page 49

book. At a later stage, in Lesson Six (P.54), the author is forced to explain standard usage to children and he introduces them to macrons. He, in effect, has to undo some of his previous teaching since the standard reference work, Williams, A Dictionary of the Maori Language, avoids vowel doubling. Admittedly, learners have to be helped and Mr Mead is correct in giving positive guidance to beginners but advanced readers of Maori should not have the same need for this. From an aesthetic point of view some words, phrases and passages look ugly when vowel doubling is used. The great problem then for teachers is what method should be used for vowel length. If printers do not stock macrons, they most certainly would do so if it meant increased business. If vowel doubling is agreed upon then teachers should press for an immediate reprinting of Williams in the new form. Confusion only can be the result of a dual system of spelling It is educationally unsound, wasteful in terms of time and space, and a hindrance to the future of written Maori. Until such time as Williams is reprinted it may possibly be better to use standard spelling with vowel length shown for teachers in the manual. Mr Mead's book will, however, provide a challenge to New Zealanders to do something about learning the Maori language. Good intentions are not enough if Maori is to survive. Now is the time for action and Mr Mead has provided