Imagining a New Zealand where everyone in spoke te reo fluently was the premise to a lecture held at the University of Waikato.
Professor Pou Temara from Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao (the University's School of Māori and Pacific Development) gave his lecture "Te reo Māori in 2030 (Imagine)" today, focusing on the revitalisation of te reo Māori. The lecture was part of the University's celebrations for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week.
Professor Temara challenged the audience to think about te reo Māori in 2030 and to "imagine" te reo Māori being spoken fluently among Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders.
"One thing is evident – in order for reo to survive, we must play a crucial role in its survival," says Professor Temara.
He suggested four main areas that will work together to ensure language revitalisation and maintenance is successful.
The first was quality in the language.
"The language should be as close to our past as possible," he says.
The second was language trauma, and ensuring the language moves forward rather than "sideways, as that's where the language becomes extinct".
The third was having reo in the home, but emphasised that "having reo in the home is only one means to learn a language that is unhealthy. It takes Māori and non-Māori to make it healthy again".
Language renewal was the fourth area, and Professor Temara concluded with te reo Māori being the responsibility of the individual.
"Language is the responsibility for us all, and we must ask ourselves 'what contribution have I made to ensure the life of my language'."