2degrees introduces first Te Reo smartphone

By Idealog, November 3, 2011 @ 10:04 am

Upstart mobile operator 2degrees has unveiled the world's first Te Reo Māori smartphone, an IDEOS X3 that will go on sale before Christmas.

2degrees worked closely with handset manufacturer, Huawei, to translate all of the menus in its IDEOS X3 smartphone to Te Reo Māori.

The device was launched at the Te Huarahi Tika Trust annual general meeting yesterday. Also known as the Maori Spectrum Charitable Trust, it was established in 2000 to give Maori purchase rights over the 3G radio frequencies being auctioned that year.

Māori affairs minister Dr Pita Sharples took the first call on the Huawei Android handset from Te Huarahi Tika Trust chair Daphne Luke.

2degrees director and Hautaki Trust Board member Bill Osborne said making Māori available in today's mobile technology was a vision the trust had when it helped found the company.

"Through Hautaki Trust, our primary objective was to engage Māori in the telecommunications industry,"he said.

"A further aim was to ensure that the Māori culture and language were embraced by modern information and communications technology, and the IDEOS X3 smartphone with Te Reo menu is testimony to the commitment to this goal by 2degrees and Māori."

Te Reo Māori Teachers

TeachNZ has a range of scholarship opportunities available for 2012 for people wanting to study to teach te reo Māori or teach in te reo Māori in primary or secondary schools. Applications for these scholarships are open from October 2011 to March 2012. The application dates and criteria differ for each scholarship type, so please read the information below and check our website www.TeachNZ.govt.nz for more information about the scholarship that's right for you - or for someone you know.

Career Changer Scholarships (Secondary) – Open Now

These scholarships are for people who are proficient or fluent in te reo Māori and want to change their career to teaching. They are for graduates who will commence study toward a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) at the start of the 2012 academic year. They cover core study fees and pay an allowance of $30,000 for one year of study. There are two types of this scholarship available:

Applications

Application forms are available now on their website: www.teachnz.govt.nz/scholarships/2012-teachnz-career-changer-scholarships/. Applications close 1 December 2011. Applicants must be enrolled in an approved teacher education qualification before they apply for this scholarship.

Graduate Scholarships (Secondary) – Open 1 December 2011

These scholarships are for people who are proficient or fluent in te reo Māori and want to teach at secondary level. They are for graduates who will commence study toward a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) at the start of the 2012 academic year. They cover core study fees and pay an allowance of $10,000 for one year of study. There are two types of this scholarship available:

Applications

Applications for these scholarships open on 1 December 2011 and close on 1 February 2012. Application information will be available on our website www.TeachNZ.govt.nz from late November 2011. Applicants must be enrolled in an approved teacher education qualification before they apply for this scholarship.

School Leavers and Undergraduates (Primary and Secondary) – Open 1 February 2012

These scholarships are for school leavers and undergraduates who are proficient or fluent in te reo Māori, who want to study to teach in primary or secondary schools. They cover study fees and pay an allowance of $10,000 for up to three years of study. They are for people who will commence or continue their study at the start of the 2012 academic year.

Primary

Māori Medium - for people wanting to teach in te reo Māori at primary school level.

Secondary

There are two types of scholarship available:

Applications

Applications for these scholarships open on 1 February 2012 and close on 1 March 2012. Application information will be available on the website www.TeachNZ.govt.nz from January 2012. Applicants must be enrolled in an approved teacher education qualification before they apply for this scholarship.

Look out for our Early Childhood Education Scholarships for te reo Māori teachers in the New Year too!

Contact TeachNZ

TeachNZ is happy to answer any questions you may have, call us (free) on 0800 165 225, weekdays between 8:30am and 5pm or email TeachNZ.Admin@minedu.govt.nz or visit the website www.TeachNZ.govt.nz.

Scotty Morrison's Te Reo Book for Everyone

Rotorua te reo advocate and broadcaster Scotty Morrison has written a new language book.

Mr Morrison of Ngati Whakaue descent said the book titled The Raupo Phrasebook of Modern Maori, was written in a user-friendly style.

"It's Maori language for all New Zealanders, for everyday life and with a focus on today's reo," Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison said the book highlighted how the language could be embraced in our everyday lives.

"People are interested in learning Spanish, French or Italian but there's a more exotic language on their doorstep."

He said the book had pick-up-lines that were based on old moteatea (traditional chants). People had also asked him to provide examples of simple speeches for various events including births, weddings and eulogies.

For the more proficient language learner he has reo which is more traditional.

It has more depth, is more metaphorical and is a lot more eloquent.

Mr Morrison said this was the first book of its type in the past 20 years and consequently had a lot of new words.

"The Raupo Phrasebook of Modern Maori is the most up-to-date, versatile and relevant resource for using Maori language in everyday life and is perfect for visitors and tourists coming to New Zealand," he said.

As well as common phrases the book covers dialects, grammar and pronunciation, answers to key questions, idioms and slang, proverbs and speeches, and provides information on the ever-changing history of te reo Maori.

Mr Morrison presents Maori current affairs programmes Te Karere and Marae Investigates.

He holds a Masters Degree in Education from Waikato University and is working towards his PhD at Massey University.

Mr Morrison has been an Adjunct Professor and the Director of Maori Student and Community Engagement at Auckland's Unitec Institute of Technology, where he continues to promote te reo Maori through awareness, administration and specialised courses.

Mr Morrison said he was proud to be Rotorua born and bred and is home often for various family, tribal and work events.

The book is published by The Penguin Group.

Te reo rightfully in our welcome

KIA ORA, tēnā koutou, haere mai are everyday phrases heard often.

So you have to wonder at why the emotive response to the decision to include a welcome in te reo Maori alongside its English language counterpart on new signs welcoming people to our city.

It's not as though the phrases used are little used. Pick up the phone and dial many a business or individual and a good number of respondents will answer with an affable, "Kia ora". This is, after all, the official language of New Zealand's tangata whenua. It is recognised in the laws of our land.

Almost one-quarter of all Maori (24 per cent, or 131,600 people) reported in the 2006 Census they could hold a conversation in Maori about everyday things. Of the 157,100 people (or 4 per cent of the total New Zealand population) who could speak Maori in 2006, 84 per cent were Maori.

But this is not a matter of fluency. These are common terms used by many of us every day. They are heard and written often enough, so it is not unexpected to see them used in an official sign welcoming people to our city.

Objections from councillors over the signs at Monday's council meeting were contradictory on why they didn't approve of the wording or how it was displayed.

They don't "mind" the wording? Really, so why the objection?

If it isn't objectionable to you, then you would have no reason to insist that the English version come first and the Maori be relegated to a lesser position and smaller print.

It doesn't matter that government departments do that - they also spell Wanganui with an H.

Some complained the signs are too wordy and therefore confusing. Nonsense. The signs are bright and feature a stunning image of the river that captures the raw beauty of the area.

It is a curious thing that whenever dignitaries or sports teams visit, one of the first things that happens is they are treated to a powhiri. Yet here, welcoming people in unison and on equal terms is so abhorrent. Why do we celebrate our culture on the one hand and deny it its rightful place on the other?

Te Panikiretanga o te Reo: Whaia te iti kahurangi

Monday, 12 September 2011, 6:06 pm
Press Release: The Maori Party
Te Ururoa Flavell
Maori Party WHIP | MP for Waiariki
Monday, September 12

Ka rere rere ngā mihi o Te Ururoa Flavell, Mema Paremata mo te Waiariki, ki te rangapū tuawhitu o te Panekiretanga o te Reo i whakapōtaetia i te Rāhoroi katahi anō ka hipa.

"Kua raupā ngā ringaringa, kua mākū te rae i te werawera, kua puta te ihu. Ngā mihi nunui ki a koutou o te rangapū tuawhitu"

"Koia nei te tino taumata o te reo Māori. Tekau ma tahi noa iho te rahi o te hunga i eke ake ki te panekiretanga o te reo, me mihi ki a rātou ka tika" tā Te Ururoa.

"Ko te ruku ki te hōhonutanga o ngā tikanga, ko te whakaparekareka i te reo, ko te whakapakari i te tū ki te karanga me te whai kōrero ngā kaupapa matua o te Panekiretanga. Te waimarie hoki o ngā paepae huri noa, mā rātou te tino hua o ngā mahi nei"

"Kua ea ngā mahi ki te rangapū tuawhitu, nā, kua tatū te puehu ki te rangapū tuawaru. Kia kaha atu rā"

"Ka rere ngā mihi mutunga-kore ki te pae tapu o te Panekiretanga, a Timoti Karetu, a Te Wharehuia Milroy, a Pou Temara tae noa atu ki a Pania Papa. Nā tō rātou ngākaunui ki tō tātou reo rangatira i hapaitia te kaupapa nei"

Te hunga kua puta te ihu

Meremaihi Aloua - Ngāi Te Rangi/Ngāti Ranginui
Kingi Biddle - Te Arawa
Heta Gardiner - Te Arawa/ Ngāi Te Rangi/ Ngāti Ranginui
Hakahaka Hona - Ngāti Awa/Nga Maihi
Riria Hotere - Te Aupouri/ Ngāti Maniapoto
Te Mihinga Komene - Waikato-Maniapoto/Ngāpuhi/ Ngāi Tamatera/Ngāti Porou
Leonard (Renata) Kururangi - Ngāti Porou/Ruataupare/Te Aotawarirangi
Mahanga Pihama - Waikato/Taranaki
Tasha Ropata - Ngāti Maniapoto/Raukawa/ Ngāti Tukorehe
Gloria Taumaunu - Ngāti Porou/Ngāti Rangi/Te Aowera/ Ngāi Taharoa
Tutawhiaorangi Temara - Ngāi Tuhoe
Charlie Tepana - Raukawa/Ngāpuhi
Jerald Twomey - Raukawa/Te Ati Hau-nui-a-Paparangi/Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Rawiri Waru - Te Arawa
Shane (Kimiora) Webster - Te Arawa/Ngāi Tuhoe/Te Whānau-a-Apanui
Tupoutahi Winitana - Ngāti Tūwharetoa/Tuhoe/ Ngāti Maniapoto/Te Aupouri
Kereama Wright - Te Arawa/Ngā Ruahinerangi

Final preparations underway for Waiata Maori Music Awards

Monday, 5 September, 2011 - 11:12

A live, medley performance featuring the cream of Maori music is likely to be part of the finale being planned for this year's National Waiata Maori Music Awards, which takes place in Hawke's Bay this week.

The final touches are now being put on this year's awards production which will be held at the Hawke's Bay Opera House on Thursday evening.

The Waiata Maori Music Awards is a two-day event and it all starts with the Maori Music Expo on Wednesday, followed by the Te Koanga Fashion Show on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday morning the Celebrity Breakfast With The Stars will be held, featuring keynote speaker Mahora Peters, co-founder of the Maori Volcanics showband, and then the expo continues during the day.

And then on Thursday evening the wait will be over for 18 finalists who will gather inside the opera house theatre to hear the names of the winners be announced at the Waiata Maori Music Awards ceremony.

Those performing or involved in this year's two-day event will take their final rehearsal at the opera house tomorrow, Tuesday, September 6.

This year's performers at the awards ceremony include Moana Manipoto, Anika Moa, Ardijah, Ria Hall, Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre and the Red Thunder dance group from Canada.

Young Wanganui guitarist Jeremiah Peipi will open the awards ceremony with violinist Elena, an international performer and member of the Vector Wellington Orchestra. Jeremia, 17, won the regional Smokefree RockQuest competition in 2010 with his band Dub CC.

He also won the Ratana Paa 2011 Talent Quest and it was his performance there on guitar which caught the eye of the Waiata Maori Music Award organisers.

Waiata Maori Music Awards producer Robert Hagen says the set for the show has been built in Lower Hutt, at Avalon Studios, and is being transported to Hastings today.

"We are retaining some of the elements from last year's show and we've added some new elements to assist us, and to help us change the acts over quickly.

"We've had some mobile instrument riders made which will help move items like drum kits, keyboards and guitars easier than last year when it took a bit of time to change over for the next performer."

Robert says the aim is to make the production "a slick show" but still retain its "Maoriness".

"It's very easy to fall into the trap of making it look like something like the Grammy Awards, there are elements of that but at the end of the day we have to remember that we are making a show for television and we have to be mindful that it has to reflect Maori culture and Te Reo Maori," he says.

The final scripts for the awards ceremony MCs, William Winitana and Te Hamua Nikora have been written while the video and audio packages for each finalist are ready to go, the packages will be shown on screen at during the awards ceremony.

"There has been some original music written for the opening title to the awards show and it is a cross over of contemporary Maori music using traditional Maori music instruments.

"This year we have also managed to encourage the artists to perform with the house band (OnTheOne) rather than to a backing track. Now there's nothing wrong with that (backing track) but I am from the old school where people like to see performers sing to live music."

The awards ceremony will conclude with a duet to be performed by Frankie Stevens and Taisha Tari and will be followed by a medley featuring a host of Maori singers who will be attending the show.

Details are being kept under wraps until the awards ceremony evening.

Frankie Stevens will be at the awards to accept a Maori Music Industry Award, in recognition of his contribution to the music industry. He will also speak at the Maori Music Expo which will be held during 9am to 3pm, this Wednesday and Thursday.

Taisha Tari is the Waiata Maori Music Awards ambassador and a former award winner.

The 2011 finalists who have confirmed they'll attend the awards include Anna Coddington, Sheree Waitoa, Mina Ripia, Ngatapa Black, Dennis Marsh, Selwyn Rawiri, Kahu Waitoa, Ngahiwi Apanui, Wake Matthews (Unidub), Tyna Keelan (The NOK), Benita T (NRG Rising), Te Omeka and Isaiah Perkins (House of Shem), Steven Babbington (Box Juice).

Tiki Taane will be represented by family members. Jayson Norris who is based in London will be represented by his manager Mikee Tucker. Katchafire will be represented by the band's lead singer Logan Bell's partner, Manawa Bell.

Last year's four-time award winner, Maisey Rika, will also be attending the show.

Bilingual brain may start to fade by age 1

Learning a second language is second nature to babies, but new research finds the ability may begin to fade as early as the first birthday.

Scientists say a new study published in the Journal of Phonetics that investigates the brain mechanisms contributing to infants' prowess at learning languages could boost bilingualism in adults as well.

"The bilingual brain is fascinating because it reflects humans' abilities for flexible thinking—bilingual babies learn that objects and events in the world have two names, and flexibly switch between these labels, giving the brain lots of good exercise," says study co-author Patricia Kuhl, professor of speech and hearing sciences and co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington.

Brains of babies raised in bilingual households show a longer period of being flexible to different languages, especially if they hear a lot of language at home. Also, the relative amount of each language babies are exposed to affects their vocabulary as toddlers.

Kuhl's previous studies show that between 8 and 10 months of age, monolingual babies become increasingly able to distinguish speech sounds of their native language, while at the same time their ability to distinguish sounds from a foreign language declines.

For instance, between 8 and 10 months of age babies exposed to English become better at detecting the difference between "r" and "l" sounds, which are prevalent in the English language. This is the same age when Japanese babies, who are not exposed to as many "r" and "l" sounds, decline in their ability to detect them.

In the current study, babies from monolingual (English or Spanish) and bilingual (English and Spanish) households wore caps fitted with electrodes to measure brain activity with an electroencephalogram, or EEG, a device that records the flow of energy in the brain. Babies heard background speech sounds in one language, and then a contrasting sound in the other language occurred occasionally.

For example, a sound that is used in both Spanish and English served as the background sound and then a Spanish "da" and an English "ta" each randomly occurred 10 percent of the time as contrasting sounds. If the brain can detect the contrasting sound, there is a signature pattern called the mismatch response that can be detected with the EEG.

Monolingual babies at 6-9 months of age showed the mismatch response for both the Spanish and English contrasting sounds, indicating that they noticed the change in both languages. But at 10-12 months of age, monolingual babies only responded to the English contrasting sound.

Bilingual babies showed a different pattern. At 6-9 months, bilinguals did not show the mismatch response, but at 10-12 months they showed the mismatch for both sounds, suggesting that the bilingual brain remains flexible to languages for a longer period of time, possibly because bilingual infants are exposed to a greater variety of speech sounds at home.

To see if those brain responses at 10-12 months related to later speaking skills, the researchers followed up with the parents when the babies were about 15 months old to see how many Spanish and English words the children knew.

They found that early brain responses to language could predict infants' word learning ability. That is, the size of the bilingual children's vocabulary was associated with the strength of their brain responses in discriminating languages at 10-12 months of age.

Early exposure to language also made a difference: Bilingual babies exposed to more English at home, including from their parents, other relatives and family friends, subsequently produced more words in English. The pattern held true for Spanish.

Dame Katerina Mataira, kaitiaki of te reo Maori passes

Via: http://news.tangatawhenua.com
July 16, 2011 | Posted by: DigitalMaori

Tributes from around the world have begun to flow as word spreads of the passing of Dame Katerina Mataira, a wahine toa and rangatira of the highest order. Dame Kataira was acknowledged for helping to pull "te reo Māori from the brink of extinction" and became a Dame only a few weeks ago, for her services to Māori language. She was a key founder of the Maori language programme Te Ataarangi and the Kura Kaupapa movement and she has been at the forefront of the revival of te reo Maori for decades.

Kind words and expressions of sympathy flooded Facebook, with well-known Maori academic, Leonie Pihama saying :

and the Maori world begins to mourn the loss of a great wahine of her generation who was a part of those who were courageous and steadfast in their stand for te reo Maori. Who was a part of the creation of language immersion that has seen Te Atarangi, Kohanga Reo, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori and Wharekura flourish for generations to come."

Dame Katerina was also known as an brilliant author, academic and artist.

Dame Katerina, who affiliates to the Ngati Porou tribe, was born in Tokomaru Bay in 1932 and trained as a teacher and art educator. She has nine children with her husband Junior Te Ratu Karepa Mataira and 50 grandchildren including one great-great-grandchild.

In 1998 she was made a Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit and was also invited by the Chilean government and the Rapanui people to Easter Island to share the Maori experience of recovering te reo Maori. She has written several ground-breaking novels in Maori including Te Atea, Makorea and Rehua along with award-winning children's books Maui and the Big Fish, Marama Taniweto and Nga Mokonui a Rangi.

Dame Katerina credited her gift of storytelling to her parents, Raniera and Erana Harrison, who raised a large family in Ruatoria. Maori was their native tongue. 'My father was a brilliant storyteller,' K?terina recalled. 'Many of his stories were about his own life. They were full of real people and real events. There were scary ones too. He loved to tell ghost stories, then send one of us kids outside to fetch wood for the fire.'

In 1985 she helped set up the first Maori language immersion school, Kura Kaupapa Maori at Hoani Waititi Marae in Auckland, and co-authored Te Aho Matua – the philosophy and charter for kaupapa Maori schools. In 1987 she was appointed a foundation member of the Māori Language Commission. In 1996 she was made an Honorary Doctor at the University of Waikato. She has published a number of award winning picture books in Maori for children. However, her ground-breaking work has been the writing of novels in Māori – Te Atea (1975), Makorea (2002) and Rehua (2006). In 1998 Katerina was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of her contribution to New Zealand. She lives with her husband, Junior Te Ratu Karepa in Raglan where she continues to write books for children. She has eight children, 29 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Katerina's son, Pita, an artist, has illustrated some of her books, continuing Katerina's tradition, as she was first published as an illustrator.

In 2000, Creative New Zealand offered a grant to Ahuru Press to publish her three-volume historical novel written in te reo. In 2001 she was the recipient of the Te Tohu Tiketike a Te Waka Toi/Te Waka Toi Exemplary Award. Elizabeth Ellis, Chair of Te Waka Toi, Maori Arts Board of Creative New Zealand said 'Katerina is an exceptional, creative person. As a Maori woman at the forefront of Maori language renaissance, she's provided leadership, direction and security. As a writer and an artist, she's had a profound effect on New Zealand society'.

Dame Katerina will be sorely missed but her legacy will live on for generations to come.

Super haka urges Christchurch to 'rise up'

Via: http://www.3news.co.nz
THU, 19 MAY 2011 6:25P.M.
By Hamish Clark

Mayor Len Brown takes part in the super haka in Auckland's Aotea Square (NZPA).

A city laid low was urged to rise up by thousands of well wishers, who turned out across the country to perform a haka in support of Christchurch. The biggest turnout was in Auckland where Aotea Square was packed for the super haka.

"We are thrilled with the turnout," says haka organiser Peter King.

The Ngai Tahu haka was especially composed for the lunchtime event; "rise up, rise up" it urged.

"It is giving us the call to the rest of the nation to come and help support us in these hard times," says Ngai Tahu spokesman Mark Soloman.

In Christchurch, Mayor Bob Parker put on his best haka.

"The fact people say we still care and haven't forgotten about you is the most meaningful message they can give," he says.

"I think the passion and the true emotion and love for the people of Christchurch came out in the way people did the haka today," says Mr King.

International Centre for Language Revitalisation

This week AUT University academics launched the International Centre for Language Revitalisation at the United Nations, in New York City - a centre which could breathe life into many of the world's endangered languages.

Professors from Te Ipukarea, the National Māori Language Institute at AUT, presented its digital platform developed for teaching Te Reo Māori at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, highlighting its potential for use with other endangered languages.

AUT University Vice Chancellor Derek McCormack who also attended the Forum, along with the Chancellor Sir Paul Reeves, said: "Presenting at the Forum is a first for a New Zealand University reflecting our commitment to being the University of choice for Māori. It was a proud moment for AUT".

The innovative online language learning system uses a range of technology including iPads and iPhones to deliver lessons allowing students to learn in a dynamic and interactive way. It also includes an encyclopedic dictionary.

After successfully trialing the platform in New Zealand, AUT is now talking to indigenous communities in the USA about how they can implement the technology.

The development of this technology is the result of a lifetime's work by two Professors from AUT; Dr Tania Ka'ai and Dr John Moorfield. Professor Moorfield was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order in 2010 for his services to Māori language education.

"I believe there's an obligation to share our learning with other indigenous peoples - it is unique in that a range of quality and diverse language resources have been brought together," says Professor Ka'ai.

AUT University's presentation at the forum was supported by the New Zealand Mission to New York.

The inaugural meeting of the Professors and Fellows of the ICLR meets in Washington today, with leading scholars from Universities including Harvard, City University of New York and the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institute.

The United Nations estimates there are approximately 6,500 spoken languages in the world today with 50 per cent at some sort of risk of disappearing.

Te Reo Maori Season, Tairua Theatre

Posted by DigitalMaori Toi Maori
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

In 2011 we celebrate 16 years of touring Maori language theatre to communities nationwide.

Taki Rua continues to be the only theatre company that annually tours total immersion Maori language theatre throughout the nation. The need for this season is as vital now as it was when Taki Rua began touring in the mid-nineties.

The te reo Maori season encourages wider community involvement; appealing to tamariki, whanau, schools and community groups. The ever increasing demand and ongoing success of this season reinforces that Te Reo Maori is very much alive.

SYNOPSIS

This year's Te Reo Maori production Karapinepine draws on the life of a prophet from our past in order to look at the way we live today. It asks "Is there a prophet in each of us? What forces shape the path we follow in this life?"

A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR

"Karapinepine is the action of gathering or drawing in close. The seeds for this work began with me drawing in on my curiosity around prophecy, superheroes and faith." Ngapaki Emery.

CREATIVE TEAM

Directed by Ngapaki Emery
Costume & Set Design by Alice Hill
Sound Design by Maaka McGregor
Performers: Te Kotuku Aperahama, Amanda Noblett, Ariana Coleman

TOUR DATES

27TH JUNE – 21ST AUGUST 2011

TOUR SCHEDULE

27 June – 8 July South Island, Wellington
9 – 22 July Rotorua, Hamilton, Auckland, Northland
23 – 31 July PRODUCTION BREAK
1 – 5 August Horowhenua, Manawatu, Taupo
6 – 12 August Bay of Plenty, East Coast
13 -21 August Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington

TO MAKE A BOOKING

For more information or to make a booking please contact:
Keryn Bristow
Tour Coordinator
Tel: 04 385 3107
Mob: 021 024 09604
tereotour@takirua.co.nz
www.takirua.co.nz

The Bilingual Advantage

Via: nytimes.com
By CLAUDIA DREIFUS
Published: May 30, 2011

A cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind. Her good news: Among other benefits, the regular use of two languages appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Dr. Bialystok, 62, a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, was awarded a $100,000 Killam Prize last year for her contributions to social science. We spoke for two hours in a Washington hotel room in February and again, more recently, by telephone. An edited version of the two conversations follows.

Q. How did you begin studying bilingualism?
A. You know, I didn't start trying to find out whether bilingualism was bad or good. I did my doctorate in psychology: on how children acquire language. When I finished graduate school, in 1976, there was a job shortage in Canada for Ph.D.'s. The only position I found was with a research project studying second language acquisition in school children. It wasn't my area. But it was close enough.

As a psychologist, I brought neuroscience questions to the study, like "How does the acquisition of a second language change thought?" It was these types of questions that naturally led to the bilingualism research. The way research works is, it takes you down a road. You then follow that road.

Q. So what exactly did you find on this unexpected road?
A. As we did our research, you could see there was a big difference in the way monolingual and bilingual children processed language. We found that if you gave 5- and 6-year-olds language problems to solve, monolingual and bilingual children knew, pretty much, the same amount of language.

But on one question, there was a difference. We asked all the children if a certain illogical sentence was grammatically correct: "Apples grow on noses." The monolingual children couldn't answer. They'd say, "That's silly" and they'd stall. But the bilingual children would say, in their own words, "It's silly, but it's grammatically correct." The bilinguals, we found, manifested a cognitive system with the ability to attend to important information and ignore the less important.

Q. How does this work — do you understand it?
A. Yes. There's a system in your brain, the executive control system. It's a general manager. Its job is to keep you focused on what is relevant, while ignoring distractions. It's what makes it possible for you to hold two different things in your mind at one time and switch between them.

If you have two languages and you use them regularly, the way the brain's networks work is that every time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort through everything and attend to what's relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that system more, and it's that regular use that makes that system more efficient.

Q. One of your most startling recent findings is that bilingualism helps forestall the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. How did you come to learn this?
 A. We did two kinds of studies. In the first, published in 2004, we found that normally aging bilinguals had better cognitive functioning than normally aging monolinguals. Bilingual older adults performed better than monolingual older adults on executive control tasks. That was very impressive because it didn't have to be that way. It could have turned out that everybody just lost function equally as they got older.

That evidence made us look at people who didn't have normal cognitive function. In our next studies, we looked at the medical records of 400 Alzheimer's patients. On average, the bilinguals showed Alzheimer's symptoms five or six years later than those who spoke only one language. This didn't mean that the bilinguals didn't have Alzheimer's. It meant that as the disease took root in their brains, they were able to continue functioning at a higher level. They could cope with the disease for longer.

Q. So high school French is useful for something other than ordering a special meal in a restaurant?
A. Sorry, no. You have to use both languages all the time. You won't get the bilingual benefit from occasional use.

Q. One would think bilingualism might help with multitasking — does it?
A. Yes, multitasking is one of the things the executive control system handles. We wondered, "Are bilinguals better at multitasking?" So we put monolinguals and bilinguals into a driving simulator. Through headphones, we gave them extra tasks to do — as if they were driving and talking on cellphones. We then measured how much worse their driving got. Now, everybody's driving got worse. But the bilinguals, their driving didn't drop as much. Because adding on another task while trying to concentrate on a driving problem, that's what bilingualism gives you — though I wouldn't advise doing this.

Q. Has the development of new neuroimaging technologies changed your work?
A. Tremendously. It used to be that we could only see what parts of the brain lit up when our subjects performed different tasks. Now, with the new technologies, we can see how all the brain structures work in accord with each other.

In terms of monolinguals and bilinguals, the big thing that we have found is that the connections are different. So we have monolinguals solving a problem, and they use X systems, but when bilinguals solve the same problem, they use others. One of the things we've seen is that on certain kinds of even nonverbal tests, bilingual people are faster. Why? Well, when we look in their brains through neuroimaging, it appears like they're using a different kind of a network that might include language centers to solve a completely nonverbal problem. Their whole brain appears to rewire because of bilingualism.

Q. Bilingualism used to be considered a negative thing — at least in the United States. Is it still?
A. Until about the 1960s, the conventional wisdom was that bilingualism was a disadvantage. Some of this was xenophobia. Thanks to science, we now know that the opposite is true.

Q. Many immigrants choose not to teach their children their native language. Is this a good thing?
A. I'm asked about this all the time. People e-mail me and say, "I'm getting married to someone from another culture, what should we do with the children?" I always say, "You're sitting on a potential gift."

There are two major reasons people should pass their heritage language onto children. First, it connects children to their ancestors. The second is my research: Bilingualism is good for you. It makes brains stronger. It is brain exercise.

Q. Are you bilingual?
A. Well, I have fully bilingual grandchildren because my daughter married a Frenchman. When my daughter announced her engagement to her French boyfriend, we were a little surprised. It's always astonishing when your child announces she's getting married. She said, "But Mom, it'll be fine, our children will be bilingual!"

Celebrating Maori Language Week 2011

Via: Press Release: Maori TV
Monday, 20 June,

Maori Language Week is only two weeks away and where else can you find programming in te reo but with New Zealand's only indigenous television network. Maori Television is proud of the part it plays in the revival of the language and Maori Language Week 2011, which this year is on from Monday 4 July to Sunday 10 July with manaakitanga being the theme.

If you are keen to see some te reo this week Maori Television and Te Reo are the two channels to tune into.

You can check out a newest series of NGA PARI KARANGARANGA O TE MOTU with E TU E MANIAPOTO premiering on Maori Television weekdays from Monday 4 July at 4.30pm. This is a made by iwi for iwi series, with each series focusing on a different iwi or region. Check out NGA REO O TE TAIRAWHITI on Te Reo, our 100 percent Maori language channel, daily at 8.30pm from 4 July.

Maori Television caters for all levels of knowledge with language learning shows such as TOKU REO for beginners and children's programming in the early afternoon. On Te Reo the new series of TE KAUTA, a risqué chat show featuring guests who reminisce about their younger days and some of their most naughty secrets never told or seen on television before, has just started screening on weeknight's at 8pm. You can also catch up with the last series on Maori Television on Wednesdays at 9.30pm.

Don't forget, Wednesdays is te reo night on Maori Television so check the night's scheduled programming including WHAKATAUKI, presented by Rahui Papa, at 8pm and building makeover show MARAE DIY at 8.30pm.

From 4 July, our flagship Maori news service TE KAEA is also moving to the new time of 5.30pm

Report finds drop in number of te reo speakers

Via - nz.news.yahoo.com
April 13, 2011, 12:06 pm

A falling number of te reo speakers has sparked a call for the introduction of a Minister of Maori Language, and a stronger focus on promoting the language in families.

Te Paepae Motuhake, an independent review panel into Maori language strategy and sector, released a report today, following submissions from 15 hui around New Zealand and interviews with government agencies.

Its chairman, Emeritus Professor Sir Tamati Reedy, said the report raised concerns about a decrease in te reo speakers, and about an apparent lack of accountability on "value for money" in terms of language outcomes.

"The bulk of the spend is on Maori language in education, television and radio. Expenditure by ministries and agencies was largely uncoordinated, and the question of value for money could not be measured," he said.

"However, less than 2 percent is spent assisting the development of language in the home and community.

"Overseas experts on language revitalisation strategies say that if a language is spoken only by grandparents or parents and is not passed on to their offspring, then the language is on the dangerous path to extinction."

Sir Tamati said the main message from the hui was that Maori needed to take control of the revitalisation of te reo, and that the Government's job was to support that under its Treaty of Waitangi obligations.

"There was widespread call for dialectal retention as an important badge of identity. But learning te reo is the primary goal." Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples said the survival of Maori culture depended largely on the future of the language.

"This report suggests that we need to strengthen our recent focus on communities and families speaking Maori to their children, and suggests how we can reorganise the sector to support them in their role as guardians of te reo," he said.

"Over the past generation we have seen a radical change in outlook for our reo, from likely extinction to real hope for the future. But to keep making progress, we need to review and regroup."

Fight to save national taonga

Sunday Star Times

Via Stuff - www.stuff.co.nz
ANTHONY HUBBARD
Last updated 05:00 17/04/2011

Starting young: Kohanga reo and kura kaupapa feed te reo to our children but there is little support in the wider world for Maori-speaking youngsters.

How can we risk the extinction of one of the few things that make us truly unique?

THE MAORI language is a national treasure in danger. Last week a bunch of experts produced a new plan to rescue it, a plan ignored by most of the news media. The plan is important, and sheds a hard light on this great cause. But it casts a shadow of sadness too. Reviving endangered languages is dreadfully difficult.

Many people will be amazed that after decades of toil, and after hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent, Maori is still at risk. The kohanga reo have been going for nearly 30 years. There are Maori immersion schools. There is a thriving Maori television channel, and many Maori-language radio stations.

Maori has been an official language for a generation and the language has seeped into many parts of the English-speaking world. We sing the national anthem in Maori as well as English. Pakeha talk about their whanau and their mokos. The days are long gone when a government telephonist could be sacked for saying "kia ora" to callers.

But not all is well with Maori. It has not become an everyday language, spoken in the street and the home, imbibed by infants along with their mother's milk. It is a language spoken in schools and at ceremonies on the marae. It is not a language of communities. Less than a quarter of Maori speak it, despite all the work.

So this taonga, as unique to New Zealand as the kiwi, risks a slow extinction.

Tamati Reedy and his fellow experts recognise all this in their report to Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples. They call for a new approach, to "re-establish te reo Maori in homes" and communities.

How? By "speaking Maori at all times and everywhere", says the group. By sustaining local dialects and supporting iwi to speak them. By training teachers, embracing technology, and raising awareness among Maori as well as Pakeha. By reorganising the scattered and sometimes competing government agencies that have a role in fostering the language. "The bits don't fit," as the group says.

But speaking the language "at all times and everywhere" is hard when English is the dominant language and many Maori are not comfortable in te reo. "It is still the most widely held belief that the learning of one's primary language is best and most efficiently delivered at the mother's breast," the report says. "But of course `Mother' needs to know te reo too."

Often she doesn't. The proportion of Maori who speak the language is actually falling, as the Waitangi Tribunal noted in its blisteringly tough-minded report last year. The proportion of Maori parents who send their children to kohanga reo, the language nests, is also falling. The great hopes of the Maori language campaign, which began with Maori protests and petitions 50 years ago and which seemed to bear such a harvest of fruit after so much toil, are now in doubt.

The reason is partly that language revival is so hard to do. Parents might be dedicated to the rebirth of Maori, but how much time and trouble it takes. Only a minority are fluent. Most have to learn the language themselves. They will not pick it up easily as their children do in the kohanga – if, that is, there are enough fluent speakers in the kohanga to pass it on.

And Maori parents typically have enough stress in their lives. They are, as everyone knows, likely to be poorer than average, and the stresses in the home will be greater. Pakeha parents know the stresses of daily family life. Suppose someone suggested that, on top of all this, they should also learn a new language and share it with their kids. How many people have the energy to do this – and to keep it up year in, year out?

Then there is the matter of reviving the language "in the community". First you have to find your community. The Maori-speaking community is small and fractured. Maori find a community of sorts at the kohanga or the kura. But everywhere else it is English. English speakers take their community for granted. Everywhere they go, on the streets, in the shops, in the pubs and on the bus, at work and at sport, they find other fluent speakers of their mother tongue. Maori speakers have no such luck.

What Maori lacks, and what most minority languages lack, is this life-sustaining linguistic community, the sea of language in which speakers can happily swim at all times. This is the reason why minority languages are everywhere dying. Linguists predict that perhaps half of the world's 7000-odd languages will disappear by the end of the century.

Even Welsh, one of the "healthiest" minority languages, and whose revival policies seem to have had some influence on the new report, is in trouble. There, after 50 years of determined effort, only 21% of the population of Wales speak the ancient language, and only about half of these are fluent. The problems are similar to New Zealand's. The minority language lacks critical mass, and English crowds it out.

The situation in Wales also helps scotch some myths about language revival. Making the language compulsory in schools does not save it: it just means more kids speak it at school, not at home or on the street. Wales has some tough bureaucratic rules requiring government departments to offer services in both languages, and its political culture has been much more sympathetic to the minority language than in New Zealand. There has been a Welsh-language television for decades. There are many "Welsh language plans" to encourage the use of the language in the community. Yet even so, the results have been patchy.

The one undoubted victory in the worldwide campaign to revive minority languages is Hebrew. But Hebrew is a unique case, and not just because it survived for centuries as the sacred language of a uniquely oppressed people. It also became the lingua franca of Israel. Jews came to the new country speaking a bewildering variety of tongues. They needed a common tongue which everyone "spoke everywhere at all times". So Hebrew became the language of the home and the street. And so it blossomed.

Maori is a great national treasure, but it remains in danger.

"Manaakitanga" theme for Māori Language Week 2011

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) have chosen "Manaakitanga" as the theme for Māori Language Week 2011.

"Manaakitanga" is a very important tenet of Māori custom and identity, that has, I believe, positively influenced notions of good old 'Kiwi' hospitality. At its core manaakitanga is about how we make people feel welcome when they are in our company, and how we give regard to and care for others when hosting visitors", says Chief Executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara.

"Perhaps the most recognised or common place where people see this custom practiced and experienced is on marae across the country. Certainly though for those iwi, hapū, whānau and wider communities for whom the language is an everyday enterprise, manaakitanga is a more habitual convention, evident in all interactions however great or small", says Glenis Philip-Barbara.

"Our key message is about promoting Māori language use in communities and homes. In keeping with our recent choices for Māori language week themes we've selected another activity-based concept to further emphasise this message", says Glenis Philip-Barbara. "Here is a golden opportunity to think of all the ways you can act positively in your community and utilize the language and practice of manaakitanga to do so".

It also links nicely to the tremendous event that is the Rugby World Cup 2011. "The Rugby World Cup 2011 is an excellent opportunity to use Māori language to host our visitors", says Glenis Philip-Barbara "from cities to rural towns, hotels to homes, all modes of public transport and on our streets. Everyone who has Māori language knowledge, great or small, is encouraged to use it as often as they can during this exciting time as New Zealand showcases itself on the world stage".

With school term dates being adjusted to accommodate the Rugby World Cup 2011, Māori Language Week will take place earlier than in previous years. Schools and teachers are asked to note Māori Language Week 2011 is during the second to last week of Term Two, 4 July – 10 July 2011.

For more information on Māori Language Week you can contact Betty Hauraki on 471 6042, or refer to the website www.koreromaori.co.nz

Revolutionising the teaching of te reo

The teaching of te reo Māori has gone digital, thanks to a ground-breaking project led by Victoria University Faculty of Education lecturers Tabitha McKenzie, Rawiri Toia and Hiria McRae.

The three lecturers in Te Kura Māori have developed an innovative approach to teacher professional development. In response to limited relief teacher numbers in schools and a dearth of language specialists, a model using video podcasts, online support and in-school facilitation has been developed to advance Māori language and language acquisition amongst teachers.

The programme has been implemented in three rural regions, and co-ordinator Tabitha McKenzie says the use of podcasts sees schools and their communities taking the lead in their own language development.

"One of the advantages of using podcasts and iPods is it is ubiquitous—it's anytime, anywhere learning. We know that teachers are very busy. The use of iPods means they don't have to leave their school for six months for intensive training. They can now learn and implement new approaches to teaching on a daily basis."

The trio have received recognition from afar for the project—winning an International Award for Excellence for a paper published by Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Education, and is part of a Teacher Professional Development project called Whakapiki i te Reo.

Tabitha, who coordinates the project, says she is delighted with the progress being made in schools, and the wider implications of the project.

"We are the first Whakapiki i te Reo provider to use mobile assisted technology, so we are revolutionising the way te reo Māori is being taught. The technology has allowed us to go nationwide and get out to those rural schools that often don't get to participate in professional development because of their isolation.

"The use of mobile devices offers opportunities for strengthening Māori language and Māori knowledge and expressing a Māori worldview in local, national and international contexts."

For more information contact Tabitha McKenzie on (04) 463 9684 or at tabitha.mckenzie@vuw.ac.nz.

Te Reo Ūkaipo

Building on from the success of the Te Reo Ūkaipō website www.ukaipo.co.nz, Haemata Ltd continues to break new ground and has updated Te Reo Ūkaipō with new publishing software that allows users to upload wiki pages and audio.

"Our aim was to create a space that could grow with the Māori speaking community. These new programmes help people to share their own experiences, ideas, and language skills with others. We are excited about these features and look forward to seeing content from Te Reo Ūkaipō users over the coming months", said Hineihaea Murphy, Director of Haemata Ltd, the creators of Te Reo Ūkaipō.

The new wiki and audio file sharing features support the on-line Māori language learning programme aimed at supporting parents talking to their children in te reo Māori. The initial programme was launched in 2008 with funding from Mā Te Reo. The new developments have also been made possible with the ongoing support of Mā Te Reo

"We have added new learning modules, and completely revamped the earlier content to ensure busy parents can make the best use of their time. The modules include language to help you bond with your newborn, caution your toddler, and praise your child. Each lesson takes only about 15 minutes and is completed and marked on-line, free of charge", Hineihaea said.

To view the website, go to www.ukaipo.co.nz. For further enquiries, please contact Paula Collins on 021 518518. Information about the Mā Te Reo fund can be found at www.ma-tereo.co.nz.

Points for 'pithy' in the 2011 Pikihuia Awards

Media Release: Huia Publishers 12 January 2011

'Short stories should be pithy,' stated Reina Whaitiri, this year's judge for the 2011 Pikihuia Awards for Māori Writers' Best Short Story written in English category. Reina also noted that it is important that the stories be 'interesting, and explore one idea ... As a Māori reader, I would be interested in stories that show what it is to be Māori and how we operate in the Māori, and the wider, world.'

The Huia Publishers biennial writing competition is on once again. The competition opened on 1 January 2011 and closes on 15 April 2011. There is a choice of five categories for Māori writers to consider, with entry forms available online at Huia Publishers website www.huia.co.nz.

Entrants will be in with a chance to win $2000 in each category except the Best Short Story written in Māori or English by a Secondary School Student. Secondary school students are eligible to win a cash prize of $500 and $250 worth of HUIA books for their school.

Finalists will have the opportunity of having their work published in a collection to be launched at the Awards night in August 2011. Following this, the books will be available in bookstores throughout the country. Huia Publishers and the Māori Literature Trust are proud to support diversity in writing and innovation and to recognise outstanding work by Māori writers.

This year's judges are confirmed: Erima Henare, the Board Chair and Commissioner of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, will judge the Best Short Story written in Māori; the Best Short Film Script written in English will be judged by actor and director of theatre, television and for the big screen Katie Wolfe; and the Best Novel Extract written in English will be judged by Man Booker prize winner Keri Hulme.

Reina Whaitiri is predicted to judge the largest number of entries for the Best Short Story written in English. This year, Huia Publishers would like to see an increase in stories written in Māori and is encouraging te reo Māori speakers to try their hand at writing.

ENDS

Huia is an award-winning independent New Zealand book publisher producing wonderfrul and provocative books with a uniquely Māori or Pacific perspective. For more information please contact Charlie Holland on 04 913 2478 or email charlie.holland@huia.co.nz

Te reo making strides in the business world

Via www.nzherald.co.nz
5:30 AM Friday Jan 7, 2011

Ngarimu Blair. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

It may not be the lingua franca of the business world but te reo Māori is finding a place at the business table as some groups aim to build relationships with commercial iwi interests.

Deloittes senior accountant Leon Wijohn says some organisations are recognising the benefits of a little cultural understanding.

As Māori businesses grow they are going to look for the best professionals, the right people for the job. But if there are two people of equal ability going for the job then iwi organisations will look at what other things they have done, such as their track record with Maori. There's a list of layers that come into play when it comes to choosing one over the other."

Ngati Whatua spokesperson and Supercity CCO member Ngarimu Blair encouraged some cultural competency but not at the expense of ones personal decorum.

As iwi we encourage all people to learn te reo. Any cultural understanding goes a long way to building relationships but at the same time it doesn't need to be forced. The last thing we want to see is anyone butcher their way through a mihi."

Blair is in no doubt that te reo deserves a seat at the business table.

"In a business sense it's always beneficial to know who you're dealing with and I think if organisations are willing to take on te reo they'd gain some cultural understanding and see what we're about."

Given the increasing size of assets held by Māori organisations, and the fact they won't be relocating overseas, they make attractive business partners.

According to Blair, te reo is the key for the private sector seeking business with Māori organisations, in order that true commercial value is created.

"For successful business partnerships to flourish they have to understand Māori and that is linked to te reo," says Blair.

One such partnership that is flourishing with te reo is the new shopping mall ‘Te Awa' on Hamilton's outskirts. The new mall is the latest addition at Te Rapa's shopping destination ‘The Base' and is part of the move into the retail sector by local iwi Tainui.

The Tainui Group Holdings project has grown from strength and has won the praises of shoppers and tenants with its use of te reo signage and cultural design.

Once completed, The Base will be New Zealand's largest retail centre covering 80,000 square metres of retailing space and will provide 770 fulltime and 760 part-time jobs, making it one of the country's largest employers.

"The vision was to create a very unique and modern shopping experience that incorporates some strong cultural and Waikato-Tainui identification," says TGH property manager Nathan York.

York sees the use of te reo and other cultural symbols as viable options within the retail sector and encourages more businesses to take up the idea.

"Other organisations could identify projects and integrate what they feel is appropriate for their own needs."

Blair says that in order to get an edge over competitors businesses should improve their understanding at all levels.

"In a situation where one business is trying to partner with an iwi organisation, the thing that may give one business an edge over another will be their ability to relate to Māori as partners understanding not just at a commercial level but at all levels. Separating two candidates on the basis of their cultural understanding makes perfect commercial sense."

By Adrian Evans.

A New Challenge

www.tewero.com - they are releasing a competition. The winner will get an opportunity of a lifetime!!! Are you or someone you know - talented in kapa haka, performing arts or can sing ? This is an amazing competition you must be a www.tewero.com member to enter!!!! Go for gold!!!

View our 2010 Panui »