23 July 2007

Survey shows more Māori are speaking te reo

Survey results showing a healthy increase in the number of Māori who can speak te reo and revealing more Māori parents are speaking te reo to their children hold significant promise, Māori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia said today.

Mr Horomia released the 2006 Survey on the Health of the Māori Language at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt today.

Highlights of the survey include a nine per cent increase in the number of Māori who can speak more than a few words or phrases in te reo Māori since the last survery in 2001.

“A total of 52 per cent of Māori surveyed said they could speak te reo which is great news.”

“There has also been a seven per cent increase in the number of Māori who can speak the language either very well or fairly well. This reflects the general trend of the survey which reveals the greatest proficiency gains are among the higher proficiency levels.”

The ability among Māori to understand (by listening), read and write – more than a few words or phrases in te reo has also increased by eight, 10 and 11 per cent respectively.

“There have been significant increases in the number of younger Māori who can speak te reo and the number of speakers with high proficiency levels has more than doubled among the 15-35 age group, which is particularly heartening,” Mr Horomia said.

There has been a 13 per cent increase in the number of 15-24 years able to speak more than a few words and phrases in te reo and a 16 per cent increase among those aged between 25-34 years.

“Increasing compentency among the younger age group is of critical importance in achieving intergenerational language transmission - as is the speaking of the language in the home. This why the increases in the number of parents speaking te reo at home are so pleasing,” Mr Horomia said.

There has been a 17 per cent increase in the number of adults speaking Māori in their homes to pre-school children, a 14 per cent increase with primary school children and a 20 per cent increase with secondary school children.

The Research New Zealand Survey was commissioned in 2006 by Te Puni Kōkiri to measure the progress of the reo since the first survey was held 5 years ago. Nearly 4000 Māori were interviewed about their Māori language ability and use.

Mr Horomia said the results indicated significant progress towards the achievement of the goals of the Māori Language Strategy.

“The results support the government’s commitment to the revitalisation of the language, particularly into re-establishing the normal, everyday use of te reo among whānau.”

“Still, we have some way to go before we can declare te reo Māori 100% fighting fit. This survey tells us that a significant number of people who can use the language do not. We need to continue to find ways to make the use of Māori a normal everyday activity and then we can safely say that the language is in robust and excellent health”.

The survey will be officially released by Mr Horomia at Waiwhetu Marae, Lower Hutt from 5.30pm today.

Media are invited to attend. Mr Horomia and Te Puni Kōkiri Director, Tipene Chrisp, will be available for questions following the presentation at approximately 7 pm.

A full copy of the Survey on the Health of the Māori Language in 2006 will be available on the Te Puni Kōkiri website from 6pm. www.tpk.govt.nz

See Also:

ENDS

Māori Language Survey Q & A

What is the Survey on the Health of the Māori Language in 2006 (Māori Language Survey)?

In 1999, Cabinet approved funding to undertake a sociolinguistic survey of the Māori Language. This survey was approved as a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of the health of the Māori language, which was noted as an important part of the Government’s Māori Language Strategy.

In 2001, the Māori Language Survey was undertaken to collect information on the Māori language. This information provided a baseline against which the future health of the Māori language can be monitored and evaluated. Furthermore, the baseline would also allow the effect of the language policies, services and other interventions to be measured.

In 2006, the Māori Language Survey was again undertaken. This survey is based on the 2001 survey. This basis is a key feature of the 2006 survey as it ensures a degree of comparability between the two data sets. The information collected in 2006 has now been processed and will be released on 23 July 2007, during Māori language week.

What does the Māori Language Survey cover?

The Māori Language Survey describes, in quantitative terms, the status of the Māori language by examining Māori language proficiency, acquisition and use.

It provides valuable time-series data from which comparisons can be made between the current state of the Māori language and that in 2001. This information will be used to consider progress towards the goals of the Māori Language Strategy and Māori language revitalisation overall.

Who undertook the Māori Language Survey?

Research New Zealand was engaged by Te Puni Kōkiri to undertake the Māori Language Survey. Research New Zealand specialises in marketing and social research and has previously undertaken surveys on attitudes towards the Māori language.

What was the sample for the Māori Language Survey?

The sample for the Māori Language Survey included 3,858 Māori adults (aged 15 years and over). This sample was drawn from both city and non-city districts throughout New Zealand to ensure that it was representative of the national Māori adult population.

How was the Māori Language Survey undertaken?

The Māori Language Survey required respondents to undertake a face-to-face interview with trained field staff to complete the survey questionnaire. These interviews were able to be conducted in both Māori and English.

What is the difference between these results and those of the 2006 Census?

The Māori Language Survey is a better measure of the Māori language as it is a face-to-face interview and has a variety of questions that investigate language acquisition, skill and use. It asks a number of questions, each targeted at an aspect of language revitalisation that we need to know about.

This survey provides a more robust way to look at the health of the Māori language than a single question which requires a large degree of interpretation.

What happens to these results now?

Te Puni Kōkiri are currently considering these results along side other Māori language research it has undertaken and key demographic information from the Census. This will all be brought together to develop a report on the overall health of the Māori language to be released later this year.

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