Te whakatōtanga
Levels 1 and 2: Beginning to use te reo Māori

Te tohu tauākī
Proficiency target statement

By the end of level 2, students can understand te reo Māori that contains well-rehearsed sentence patterns and familiar vocabulary and can interact in predictable exchanges. They can read and write straightforward versions of what they have learned to say. They are aware of and understand some of the typical cultural conventions that operate in interpersonal communication. Students are developing an awareness of the processes involved in learning te reo Māori.

Taumata 1
Level 1

Ētahi horopaki mō te ako i te reo
Possible language learning contexts

Possible socio-cultural themes

• te whānau (the family, belonging)
• kāinga noho (home)
• tūpuna (grandparents, ancestors, hapū, iwi)
• whanaungatanga (kinship, relationships, connections)
• ngā mihi (informal and formal introductions)
• ako (learning together)
• te wā (time, seasons, lunar calendar)

Possible topics

• whānau, hapū, iwi
• my home
• my classroom
• my school
• origin, identity, location

Possible text types

• kīwaha (idioms)
• pepehā (iwi-specific sayings)
• waiata Māori (Māori songs)
• whakataukī (proverbs)
• captions for pictures and photographs
• simple, short dialogues
• greeting and leave-taking routines
• class timetables

Ngā whāinga paetae
Achievement objectives

Students should be able to:
1.1 greet, farewell, and acknowledge people and respond to greetings and acknowledgments
1.2 introduce themselves and others and respond to introductions
1.3 communicate about numbers, using days of the week, months and dates
1.4 communicate about personal information, such as name, parents’ and grandparents’ names, iwi, hapū, mountain and river, or home town and place of family origin
1.5 communicate about location
1.6 understand and use simple polite conventions, for example, ways of acknowledging people, expressing regret and complimenting people
1.7 use and respond to simple classroom language (including asking for the word to express something in te reo Māori).

Ngā ara reo
Language modes

Whakarongo – Listening

By the end of level 1 students can:

• identify the sounds of letters of the Māori alphabet (arapū), letter combinations, intonation and stress patterns
• recognise and understand simple, familiar spoken words, phrases and sentences.

Pānui – Reading

By the end of level 1 students can:

• identify letters of the Māori alphabet (arapū), letter combinations, basic written language conventions and simple punctuation
• recognise and understand simple, familiar written words, phrases and sentences.

Mātakitaki – Viewing

By the end of level 1 students can:

• recognise the communicative significance of particular facial expressions and other body language
• interpret meanings that are conveyed in combinations of words and images or symbols.

Kōrero – Speaking

By the end of level 1 students can:

• imitate the pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm of Māori words, phrases, and sentences
• respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions
• ask simple questions
• initiate spoken encounters in te reo Māori, using simple greetings, questions and statements.

Tuhituhi – Writing

By the end of level 1 students can:

• write letters and numbers
• write vowels with macrons
• reproduce letter combinations and punctuation for Māori words, phrases and sentences in familiar contexts
• write simple, familiar words, phrases and sentences using the conventions of written language, such as appropriate spelling and punctuation.

Whakaatu – Presenting

By the end of level 1 students can:

• use appropriate facial expressions, body language and images to convey messages (with and without accompanying verbal language)
• use selected features of visual language to add meaning to simple written or oral text.

Taumata 2
Level 2

Ētahi horopaki mō te ako i te reo
Possible language learning contexts

Possible socio-cultural themes

• te whānau (the family, belonging)
• tuakana–teina (roles and responsibilities, reciprocity)
• whanaungatanga (kinship, relationships, connections)
• te marae (the marae)
• tūrangawaewae (my place to stand)
• ako (learning together)
• te wā (time, seasons, lunar calendar)

Possible topics

• the marae: its people and places
• whānau relationships (my family)
• my school
• weather and seasons
• food preferences

Possible text types

• kīwaha (idioms)
• pepeha (iwi-specific sayings)
• waiata Māori (Māori songs)
• whakapapa (geneology – students could use simple family tree charts)
• whakataukī (proverbs)
• simple written forms
• informal personal notes
• photograph albums with captions
• posters
• questionainaires
• simple email messages
• simple, short dialogues
• simple weather reports

Ngā whāinga paetae
Achievement objectives

Students should be able to:
2.1 communicate about relationships between people
2.2 communicate about possessions
2.3 communicate about likes and dislikes, giving reasons where appropriate
2.4 communicate about time, weather, and seasons
2.5 communicate about physical characteristics, personality, and feelings.

Ngā ara reo
Language modes

Whakarongo – Listening

By the end of level 2 students can:

• identify the sounds of letters of the Māori alphabet, letter combinations, intonation and stress patterns
• recognise and understand familiar spoken words even in some unfamiliar contexts
• understand a range of short oral texts containing familiar phrases and sentences
• get the gist of slightly more complex or less familiar reo Māori phrases and sentences.

Pānui – Reading

By the end of level 2 students can:

• identify letters of the Māori alphabet, letter combinations and simple punctuation
• recognise and understand simple, familiar written words, phrases and sentences
• understand short written texts consisting of familiar reo Māori words, phrases and sentences
• get the gist of slightly more complex or less familiar reo Māori phrases and sentences.

Mātakitaki – Viewing

By the end of level 2 students can:

• respond appropriately to meanings conveyed through selected visual texts
• understand and respond to combinations of visual and verbal language in selected texts.

Kōrero – Speaking

By the end of level 2 students can:

• begin to use pronunciation, intonation, stress, and rhythm for emphasis and to clarify meaning
• respond appropriately to simple, familiar instructions and simple questions
• ask simple questions and give simple information
• initiate simple conversations in te reo Māori.

Tuhituhi – Writing

By the end of level 2 students can:

• write simple, familiar words, phrases, and sentences using spelling and punctuation conventions
• write simple messages in te reo Māori
• write a series of sentences in te reo Māori describing the appearance or characteristics of something.

Whakaatu – Presenting

By the end of level 2 students can:

• produce visual texts to present information and/or ideas
• combine visual and verbal language to present information and/or ideas.