Te Reo Māori
Qualifications
BA, CertArts(TeReoMaori), DipTeReoMaori, BA(Hons), MA, MTeReo, GradDipArts
See also Māori and Indigenous Studies
Introduction
Kia ora koutou, tātou katoa.
Nau mai, haere mai, kia rongo koutou i ngā kōrero a ō tātou mātua tīpuna kua huri ki tua o te ārai, ā, mā koutou ō rātou tūmanako rangatira e whakatutuki mō te ao e huri nei.
The academic study of Māori and indigenous language, politics, history and culture has become an increasingly popular degree option and is increasingly seen as central to education in New Zealand, both as the proportion of people with Māori ancestry grows and as the country strives to define its place in the world as a Pacific nation. Many students come to Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous Studies to find and explore their identity as New Zealanders.
Students majoring in other subject areas such as History, Sociology, Political Science, English, Education, Religious Studies, Speech and Language Therapy, and Social Work often take Māori courses to support their main field of study.
Recommended background
No previous study of te reo Māori is required for entry into TREO 110.
100-level courses
Students with a previous knowledge of te reo Māori can enrol in TREO 111 Te Reo: Te Kākano – Introductory Language 1 in the first semester, and progress to TREO 112 Te Reo: Te Kākano – Introductory Language 2 in the second semester.
Those who have studied the language before will have the opportunity to enter the advancing language course directly. Thus majoring in Te Reo Māori will take either three or four years depending on how much Māori language you already know. Interested students should consult the School at the beginning of the year about the entry level appropriate for them.
Language learning needs continuous application and steady work every week. This teaches skills which are essential to a successful university career, and therefore you will find that learning the Māori language has benefits beyond the excitement of learning to express yourself in Māori. All our language courses place emphasis on both oral and written skills.
Many students combine Te Reo Māori courses with Māori and Indigenous Studies courses.
200-level and beyond
At 200-level, TREO 260 continues the immersion language environment. It aims to increase the range and fluency of conversational ability to help acquire the skills for formal speech at an appropriate level, and lay the ground work for future growth.
Language students are also able to the take the course TREO 220, which gives students an opportunity to contextualise their involvement in the Māori language renaissance.
Successful completion of the second-year programme leads you to continue intensive study of Te Reo Māori in your final undergraduate year.
Further study
Te Reo Māori as a subject in the BA(Hons) and MA or students can study the Master of Te Reo Māori. A PhD in Māori is available.
As a postgraduate student in Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous Studies an abundance of courses and research topics are available in either language, or politics, history and culture. Alternatively you may like to combine both and research and translate Māori language manuscripts from the nineteenth century.
All students undertaking postgraduate study are able to take one postgraduate course out of their majoring department. Students studying Linguistics, History, Sociology, Political Science and Pacific Studies often elect to take a course in Te Reo Māori to enhance their degree.
Career opportunities
Careers are opening up as a result of the increasing role of Māori culture and society as a defining element of national culture and New Zealand's future, and as a result of changing demographics, government policy, and social attitudes.
Career options for graduates of Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous Studies are rapidly increasing in iwi and other Māori organisations, research, teaching, government organisations and the wider community. Māori is a very rewarding field for postgraduate study because there are so many opportunities to investigate areas which have not been previously researched.
Contact
Aotahi: School of Māori and Indigenous Studies
Telephone: +64 3 364 2597