NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Kahu

Giving Te Reo Maori the social media kick it needs

Lincoln Tan
By Lincoln Tan
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
29 Nov, 2015 05:24 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Dr Hinurewa Poutu says there needs to be more social use of Te Reo Maori. Photo / Getty
Dr Hinurewa Poutu says there needs to be more social use of Te Reo Maori. Photo / Getty

Dr Hinurewa Poutu says there needs to be more social use of Te Reo Maori. Photo / Getty

Maori youth are not speaking in Te Reo Maori because it lacks the "cool" factor and expressions for social media, a Massey University study has found.

The PhD thesis by Dr Hinurewa Poutu, written entirely in Te Reo Maori, found that that while school was the main domain where the language was spoken, youth switched to English for social interactions and social media.

"English tends to be used socially as there aren't enough opportunities to hear Maori in social situations or to learn Maori expressions for gossiping with your friends, courting, playing," Dr Poutu said.

"For most kids, Te Reo Maori is used in formal contexts only.

"We need to put more emphasis on colloquial usage. 'Make it cool' is a key message."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said words like "wekeneru" - a slang term coined by teens to mean awesome, wicked or to convey a sense of wonder - will make Te Reo more relevant in their lives and contribute to the language's future.

Another cool word according to Dr Poutu is "pororanaka", a slang used to describe something lame, dumb or stupid.

An online survey of 478 people, from high school students to those in their early 30s, was 51 face-to-face interviews with staff and graduates of Maori medium schools were conducted for the report.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The survey found the top three things youth in wharekura talk about with their friends everyday are music, Facebook and twitter, and school sports.

"These are all social contexts," said Dr Poutu, who is a board member of the Maori Language Commission. "Promoting the language in contexts that youth find appealing is important in making the language 'cool' for them."

She chose the topic for her thesis because recent census data suggested a decline in Maori language speakers.

"In the 1980s there was a big, passionate movement and drive. Now that you see buildings like ours (Mana Tamariki), with Maori Television on air, it gives a false impression the language is alive and well," Dr Poutu said.

Discover more

New Zealand

Thousands rally against climate change

28 Nov 01:16 AM
Opinion

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Yes NZ, it's time to become Aussies

28 Nov 07:30 AM
Entertainment

Another current affairs show cut in half

08 Dec 11:13 PM

"But we're at that critical stage now where we have to be proactive engaging in revival efforts."

Maori was not the main language at home for some students currently attending Maori medium schools, her survey found.

Participants said being bilingual opened two worlds and made them more comfortable in Maori situations and connected to the spiritual element - wairua - of their culture.
Her thesis is titled 'Kia Tiori ngā Pīpī: Mā te aha e kōrero Māori ai nga taitamariki o ngā wharekura o Te Aho Matua?', which is translated as: 'May the chicks sing: What leads to Māori language use among youth raised in wharekura that adhere to Te Aho Matua?'

About half of 134 older respondents who had been through language immersion now have children, and half of them spoke only Te Reo Maori to their children and more than half used the language some of the time.

Dr Poutu said the study had given optimism about "the passion out there" for Te Reo Maori.

"There's a love for the language and desire to pass it on to the next generation and to use it," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"A desire for it to be normal, to go to Pac 'n Save and speak Te Reo, that's the long term goal."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

OpinionUpdated

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

16 Jun 11:11 PM
New Zealand

From 5% to 70% survival rates – the conservation team taking eggs from kiwi nests

16 Jun 11:05 PM
Premium
New Zealand|education

The case for Year 14s to play First XV rugby

16 Jun 11:00 PM

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today
New Zealand

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

16 Jun 11:11 PM
Why Kiwi businesses are cautiously optimistic about the future
Economy

Why Kiwi businesses are cautiously optimistic about the future

16 Jun 11:01 PM
Thousands raised for family of Samoan fashion designer shot dead at protest against Trump
World

Thousands raised for family of Samoan fashion designer shot dead at protest against Trump

16 Jun 10:56 PM
Murder victim’s family say she would still be alive if killer’s deadly past was known
New Zealand

Murder victim’s family say she would still be alive if killer’s deadly past was known

16 Jun 10:52 PM
Pair accused of $735k illicit cigarette scheme arrested at airport, to appear in court today
Crime

Pair accused of $735k illicit cigarette scheme arrested at airport, to appear in court today

16 Jun 10:47 PM

Latest from New Zealand

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

16 Jun 11:11 PM

Want to have your say on our stories? Here's how.

From 5% to 70% survival rates – the conservation team taking eggs from kiwi nests

From 5% to 70% survival rates – the conservation team taking eggs from kiwi nests

16 Jun 11:05 PM
Premium
The case for Year 14s to play First XV rugby

The case for Year 14s to play First XV rugby

16 Jun 11:00 PM
Labour MPs apologise for swearing at acting PM David Seymour

Labour MPs apologise for swearing at acting PM David Seymour

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka
sponsored

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search