This word cloud depicts some of the words used in a recent study into how many te reo M膩ori words non-speakers of the language recognise and understand. (Larger type sizes indicate more people understood the meanings of these words).
颁辞-补耻迟丑辞谤听Professor Jeanette King, from Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | University of mini传媒鈥檚 New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour, says the new study,听,听has provided ideas about how 鈥渋ncidental exposure鈥 to language is helpful for anyone who wants to learn a language.
鈥淭he Government鈥檚 aim is for one million New Zealanders to be able to speak te reo听by 2040. This body of research helps us understand what our baseline understanding is now for non-M膩ori-speakers. It has provided information about the M膩ori proto-lexicon 鈥 the words we don鈥檛 even know we know,鈥 Professor King says.
鈥淚t initially came about because a couple of University of mini传媒 linguistics lecturers were listening to their preschoolers chatting and singing in the backseat after picking them up from preschool.听They were singing M膩ori songs, using the right sound patterns but making up the words.听For instance, M膩ori words never end in a consonant and their mimicking showed they had understood that 鈥 they understood what we call phonotactic sound patterns,鈥 she says.
鈥淎nd so, the lecturers thought, 鈥榠f children are picking up this knowledge about the M膩ori language sound system, what about adults?鈥欌澨
When they started to research the topic, they found that most New Zealanders not only have great understanding of M膩ori sounds, but they also subconsciously recognise a lot of words.
鈥淭eachers of second languages advise you to have movies with the language you want to learn on in the background as you go about your day.听The more you can build up sound patterns and word knowledge, it鈥檚 going to be helpful.听By understanding that people already have a knowledge of M膩ori sound patterns and words, we鈥檙e hoping that will encourage more people to learn M膩ori.鈥
The findings support events such as M膩ori Language Week, the use of bilingual road signs and increased use of te reo M膩ori in public places.
鈥淥ur newest findings show that people really can鈥檛 define these words that they subconsciously recognise. Non-M膩ori-speaking New Zealanders have a considerable knowledge about a word before they know its actual meaning.鈥
The research paper, published today in international journal听PLOS One,听will be of interest to academics worldwide, Professor King says.听
鈥淣ew Zealand is the perfect place to study the proto-lexicon*, with only one indigenous language and reasonably strong 鈥榠ncidental鈥 exposure to the language.听The status of the language here and promotion of M膩ori language also play a part.鈥
The research team has taken their commitment a step further and are all on their journey to learn te reo M膩ori.
鈥淲e have a responsibility as New Zealanders to see that M膩ori language flourishes.听It鈥檚 part of not just taking language for granted.听It feels important and appropriate, and of course being based in a university, we have good access to M膩ori language courses.鈥
- A proto-lexicon is the type of word knowledge where you know the form of the word but not its meaning. The proto-lexicon is an important part of the process by which infants acquire language. That is, through repeated exposure to running speech, infants gradually learn to separate words from strings of sound and then begin to attach meanings to these words.听
