Nation's te reo Māori fluency can be predicted by new statistical modelling

Monday, 13 September 2021

The number of fluent te reo Māori speakers there will be between now and 2040 will soon be accurately predicted thanks to a new computer-generated statistical tool.

Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced the launch of He Ara Poutama on Monday, the first day of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), which he says will play a key role in the revitalisation efforts.

A summary report on its first findings will be published next month.

But Jackson revealed it had already shown that for rangatahi (young people), both Māori and non-Māori, having a te reo Māori speaker in the home was the biggest way to have them more likely speaking conversational te reo Māori.

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“We must identify more opportunities to grow te reo Māori use in homes and communities.

“Engari ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati. Ki te kāpuia e kore e whati. If we stick to this and come together it can only be a good thing for us all.”

Being able to see the impact of the language revitalisation efforts and see progress through a forward-looking lens was a powerful tool, he said.

“We all need to do our bit to ensure te reo Māori is a thriving and living language, and it’s heartening to see this happening across the motu (country).”

The tool was a great example of collaboration across the Māori language sector and would be important for helping research and decision-making within Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora (The House of Living Language), Jackson said.

The shared research project is being led by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), Te Mātāwai and Ministry of Education.