Hebrew lesson for Te Reo future

Iwi Director of Te Reo, Tikanga and Matauranga Jeremy MacLeod (far right) pictured with staff from the Israeli Hebrew Language Learning Institution.

Spending a week in Israel has proved an invaluable lesson to aiding the revitalisation of Te Reo Maori.

Director of Te Reo and tikanga at Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc, Jeremy Tatere MacLeod, recently returned from the trip.

While there he was immersed in its language and culture while visiting Tel Aviv, then Bat Yam and Jerusalem.

"The Hebrew language is a great example of how a language can be revived through a determined and concerted effort."

Hebrew, along with Arabic, are now the primary languages in Israel, with Hebrew being brought back from the brink of extinction.

The nation is trilingual, with all road signs posted in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic and English.

It is important to have a sense of need for the language. Without identifying a need people will not see the necessity to learn.

Jeremy Tātere MacLeod, director of Te Reo and tikanga at Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc

"The Hebrew language provided the identity and nationhood for the state of Israel," explains MacLeod.

The Israeli Government provides six months of free Hebrew language lessons to migrants through approved learning institutions known as Ulpan.

It's there that new migrants learn enough Hebrew to help them with their new life, a language skill that is essential to their everyday life.

Because the Hebrew language is used so widely in the country, without knowing the language it would be extremely hard for people to find employment.

New Zealand offers various Maori language programmes such as Te Ataarangi, a method with has been at the forefront of the language revitalisation for 30 years.

However, MacLeod says the ultimate challenge is creating a sense of nationhood here, where there is an actual need for the Maori language in New Zealand.

"It is important to have a sense of need for the language. Without identifying a need people will not see the necessity to learn."

His role at the iwi will now see his focus shift to revitalising the language through inter-generational transmission.

Meaning, it begins in the home, and that parents who are fluent in Maori and using the language are able to teach it to their children and so on.

"It's the ultimate holy grail of revitalisation and without that the language will ultimately die."

Because language is continually evolving, Te Reo Maori will inevitably be a different language now from what it was 50 years ago.

However, he encourages the changes to be embraced.

Fostering the language shift to constantly create new words and colloquialisms will help ensure the language is attractive to young people.