Language modes and suggested contexts
At each curriculum level, there are suggestions for what students should be achieving in each of six language modes: whakarongo – listening, pānui – reading, mātakitaki – viewing, kōrero – speaking, tuhituhi – writing, and whakaari – presenting. There are also suggested contexts for the introduction and revision of language in meaningful situations: sociocultural themes, for example, manaakitanga (hospitality); topics, for example, routines and procedures on the marae; and text types, for example, waiata Māori.
Language associated with the achievement objectives can be introduced in the context of relevant sociocultural themes, topics, and text types. So, for example, language associated with achievement objective 3.1 (“communicate, including comparing and contrasting, about habits and routines”) could be introduced in the context of a short dialogue in which two speakers associated with different marae each talk about a way of extending hospitality to guests at their marae. The short dialogue would include familiar language along with at least one clear example of how habits or routines can be expressed in Māori. That example (or a series of examples) could then provide the basis for teaching this particular aspect of te reo Māori. In this way, the teaching of the language would take place in a relevant cultural context.
The sociocultural themes included in the curriculum guidelines provide tikanga Māori content. Although the themes suggested at each level have been selected with that level’s achievement objectives in mind, they can also be introduced effectively at other levels. The suggested sociocultural themes, such as whanaungatanga (relationships) and manaakitanga (hospitality), are intended to be neither exhaustive nor exclusive. The sociocultural content at each level should be both relevant and varied. Learning about tikanga Māori enables students to compare Māori culture with other cultures within New Zealand and overseas and to understand the wide variety of cultural characteristics of Māori people. To address tikanga Māori, teachers need to establish and maintain contact with local Māori communities wherever possible. In this way, they can become involved, wherever it is appropriate to do so, in Māori activities and keep up to date with local and national discussion of issues affecting Māori.
The topics suggested at each curriculum level, such as, for example, tangihanga (funerals), have also been selected with the achievement objectives for that level in mind. Teachers may integrate some of these topics with others of their own choice or decide to reassign topics to a different level.
At each curriculum level, different text types are also suggested. They too have been selected on the basis of their relevance to the achievement objectives and include tikanga Māori content; for example, mōteatea (traditional Māori songs and chants) and karakia (prayers). Examples of more general written texts are email messages and shopping lists. Spoken texts include announcements and conversations. As with the suggested sociocultural themes and topics, the curriculum guidelines only present selected examples of text types, because it is expected that teachers will supplement the suggested ones with others that are relevant for their students.
The following table lists some of the achievement objectives for particular curriculum levels alongside some of the language learning contexts (sociocultural themes, topics, and text types) suggested for that level, in order to highlight possible connections. It is useful to begin with an achievement objective and then decide what themes and topics might best achieve that objective through the use of appropriate text types.
Examples of relationships between achievement objectives and language learning contexts
| Achievement objective | Suggested sociocultural themes | Suggested topics | Suggested text types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3 communicate about likes and dislikes, giving reasons where appropriate | Te whānau (the extended family); te wharekai (the dining hall) |
Food preferences | Simple, short dialogues; questionnaires |
| 3.4 communicate, including comparing and contrasting, about how people travel | Te haere ki te marae (attending events at the marae) | Modes of transport | Informal and semi-formal conversational exchanges; maps and plans |
| 4.3 communicate about obligations and responsibilities | Whanaungatanga (relationships); te marae (the marae) |
Roles and duties at home, in the community, and at school | Informal and semi-formal conversational exchanges; rules and regulations; whakataukī (proverbs); pepeha (iwi-specific sayings) |
As students progress through the curriculum levels, their competence in language modes, both receptive skills (listening, reading, and viewing) and productive skills (speaking, writing, and presenting), will increase. Thus, for example, at level 1, students are encouraged to “write simple, familiar words, phrases, and sentences using the conventions of written language”, whereas at level 3 they are expected to “use resources (for example, dictionaries and glossaries) to experiment with some new language in writing”.