A huge part of revitalising te reo Māori involves people using the language more often. There are so many people who have taken up opportunities to learn the language in some form or another but when it comes to using the language in everyday situations it doesn't occur. For the language to survive there needs to be more people using te reo Māori as an everyday language of communication.
Language in the home
For the language to survive it needs to be spoken in the home as the main language of communication. To change the main language at home is a challenge even for the most proficient of speakers, but it can be done.
For many parents using te reo Māori at home can just add extra stress and pressure onto an already stressed and busy household. This can be especially so for parents who don't have a strong grasp of the language. But it doesn't need to be. KMK is about working with you at your pace and in a manner which suits you to introduce the language.
Here is some advice about introducing the reo to a household with older kids who have predominantly grown up with English as their main language and for those whānau with new babies in the household who want to start using te reo Māori as soon as possible with pēpi.
There are however going to be issues, which raise their heads now and then that slow our pace a bit and push the stress levels up even more. Unfortunately the language isn't something that happens overnight, it takes time and a high level of commitment, and that's on top of all of the stumbling blocks along the way.
How to get around some of these issues are discussed in our hints and tips section but others that pop up can sometimes be unexpected and challenging. You are not alone. There are parents who perhaps have experienced the same thing that you have and could have some handy tips and advice to give you.
Encouraging the kids to speak Māori
-For families with children who have grown up predominantly speaking English
Babies and younger children will generally accept the introduction of a new language a lot more easily than older children will. A lot of this has to do with what is known as a language bond. From the instant that children are born they are developing relationships with people, whether it be Mum, Dad, Tāua, Nan or Uncle. The languages that they associate with each of these relationships is known as a language bond.
If Mum and Dad have only been speaking English to their children since birth and then for instance at 6 years old start the parents are wanting to introduce a new language to be the main language of that relationship, the child can feel unsettled and will in most cases rebel against Mum and Dad using that new language with them.
It is essential that the child is included in any decisions about the language and that they know why Mum or Dad want to introduce the new language. It is vital that the new language is introduced in such a manner that it is inclusive of the kids and done in a manner which is not threatening, as not only will they be more receptive to participating but by understanding why you are doing it will also give them a sense of responsibility for the language and hopefully make Mum and Dad's lives a bit easier.
For families of new babies
All children regardless of where they are from are programmed to learn languages. The more exposure that they have to any particular language before the age of 3, the more likely that they can become a proficient speaker of that language. In some European countries children are raised speaking up to 3-5 languages, easily and fluently.
The way that babies learn
Babies don't get taught language. Rather, they pick it up by being exposed to it. Baby language learning happens when others speak or interact with baby. Interaction is a critical part of language learning; merely hearing the language on TV or on radio is not enough by itself.
Baby talk by adults is part of this interaction. It involves simple sentence structure and vocabulary, exaggerated intonation and sounds, repetition, and questions, all of which help baby sort out meanings, sounds, and sentence patterns of a language.
A new pēpi is a great excuse to start learning and practising your reo. Remembering that you will have about 2 years from baby's birth til baby starts using simple sentences to build up your proficiency so that you can start interacting with baby in te reo.
You might start out by singing waiata to baby, or even using simple kupu with baby for everyday things. If you commit yourself to learning over the first two years of baby's life you should be in a great position once baby really starts talking to ensure that baby's first language is Māori.
