RNZ’s use of te reo should be applauded

MR Errol Chave (Letters, 19.7.21) ‘‘doubts whether any competent linguist’’ would think that New Zealand media, such as RNZ, are efficient in introducing te reo Maori.

From a pedagogical perspective, RNZ’s approach is efficient. By paying attention, regular listeners can figure out enough to find out more by making an effort. Translations are given when it is pedagogically useful, and not when it is not useful. Te reo does not disrupt the programme content any more than announcers making comments or puns.

From a linguistic perspective, the daily use of te reo Maori in the media is important for another reason. Te reo Maori is an endangered language, in which intergenerational transmission (from parents to children) has been disrupted. Although this issue is being addressed in the community, intergenerational transmission alone is insufficient to ensure language vitality.

One important condition for vitality is that a language is normalised and used for everyday purposes. This, too, is being addressed in the community, and by RNZ under its charter obligations. Using te reo in daily broadcasts is efficacious because it normalises the use of te reo.

Every step taken towards ensuring the survival of te reo Maori is important. All languages express our humanity and our relationship with our world, but each does so in a unique way. Losing a language is losing a part of ourselves and our understanding of our world. RNZ should be applauded for the small but significant step that they have taken.

Dr Anne Feryok Department of English and Linguistics University of Otago

I FOUND Errol Chave’s letter particularly well written (Letters, 19.7.21), in that he covered a potentially contentious topic in a comprehensive, objective and balanced manner. While a new language was certainly wrongly enforced upon Maori following settlement, he makes a good point that Janet Wishart seems oblivious to, the irony of the Maori language now being imposed on other New Zealanders. I would not think this is the best way to encourage people to learn te reo.

Whether one wishes to learn te reo or not, I believe throwing in the odd word either before or after the English word, is in no way instructive nor will greatly expand one’s te reo vocabulary.

It would appear that someone on high has obviously spoken.

Humphrey Catchpole Dunedin Central

YOUR correspondent Errol Chave (Letters, 19.7.21) seems to be beside himself with his rage over the use of te reo Maori on RNZ National.

If the increasing use of the Maori language is endlessly torturing Mr Chave, all he has to do is to simply switch to another station which provides mostly music and little/no talk at all.

It’s that simple.

Ashok Panjabi Mornington