| Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | | Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | |
Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - Pepeha are a way of introducing themselves through sharing whakapapa, connections to whenua, ancestral waka, and significant landmarks, such as mountains and rivers.
- From a Māori worldview, pepeha are a treasure handed down by tīpuna.
- Pepeha are a way of upholding the values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga.
- Sharing connections to whenua, whakapapa, and whānau can express who people are and where they are from, while also establishing connections with others.
- There are dialectical differences that may impact structure, words, or sounds:
- ahau/au/awau
- tīpuna/tūpuna
- kāinga/kaika.
| | Pepeha Ko [name] tōku/te maunga. Ko [name] tōku/te awa. Ko [name] tōku/te waka. Ko [name] tōku/te iwi. Ko [name] tōku/te hapū. Nō [place] ahau. Ko [name] tōku ingoa. Plural form - Ko [name and name] ōku/ngā maunga
- Ko [name and name] ōku/ngā awa
Mihi Tēnā koutou kātoa [e te whānau] I te taha o tōku māmā Nō [country] ōku tīpuna I te taha o tōku pāpā Nō [country] ōku tīpuna Ko [name] tōku ingoa Kei [place] ahau e noho ana. Nā/Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. | - Mihi is a practice which includes greeting and acknowledging places, people, and space in both formal and informal contexts.
- During mihimihi, people mihi (acknowledge) significant landmarks, people, and places they connect to through whakapapa.
- Mihimihi is a time when tangata Tiriti can share their ancestral connections to where they come from, while acknowledging and paying tribute to the whenua they now stand upon in New Zealand.
| - Using greetings and introductions to acknowledge relationships in formal situations
| Mihi Kei te mihi au ki te kaihanga. Kei te mihi hoki au ki tngā tīpuna o tēnei rohe, me ngā uri whakaheke o te iwi. Kei te mihi au ki ngā mate. Kei te mihi au ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa. |
| - Pepeha follow a specific structure made up of key elements that each serve a purpose in expressing identity, belonging, and whakapapa.
- Pepeha structure varies depending on iwi, regionality, whānau, and whakapapa. Building relationships with local Māori communities (iwi, hapū, and whānau) will support kaiako to deepen their understanding and knowledge of the local area.
- For non-Māori, a mihimihi may be more appropriate than a pepeha.
| - There are a range of sentence structures that can be used to mihi:
- Ko te mihi tuatahi
- Kei te mihi au
- Ka mihi au.
- The order in which people are acknowledged during mihi differs depending on tikanga, beliefs, and context.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Te reo Māori relies on context to understand whether tāna or tōna refers to his, hers, or theirs (singular).
| - Communicating about possession
| Ownership - He ngeru tāu?
- He ngeru anō tāku.
- He pōtae ōu?
- He pōtae anō ōku.
- He ngeru tā Wiremu.
- He ngeru anō tā Wiremu.
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| - There are different forms of the possessive based on the A-category and the O-category and whether the possession is singular or plural:
- O-category: ōku tīpuna (my ancestors), tōku kuia (my grandmother)
- A-category: taku tama (my son), aku tamāhine (my daughters).
- There are different ways to ask possessive questions, depending on whether the possession falls under the A-category or O-category and whether it is singular or plural:
- He pene tāu? He pēne āu?
- He waka tōu? He waka ōu?
- The use of the A-category and the O-category can be extended to include food, clothes, transport, and other objects.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | | | | - In te ao Māori, kupu whakarite are more than poetic devices — they are fundamental to how Māori understand and relate to the world.
- Kupu whakarite often connect to the natural environment and are woven throughout expressions of cultural knowledge, such as mōteatea, karakia, pepeha, and whakataukī.
| - Exploring figurative language to describe people, places, and phenomena
| Figurative language - He makariri a Ōtepoti, anō nei e ngawī ana te hau.
- He poupou tērā maunga, anō nei he kaitā.
- He toka tū moana koe.
- He manu tīoriori koe.
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| | - Anō nei is a phrase used to compare one thing to another, often in poetic or metaphorical language, and means ‘as if’, ‘as though’, or ‘like’.
- Whakataukī and whakatauākī are used to express and highlight a person's qualities or characteristics through figurative language. He toka tū moana (which literally translates to ‘a rock standing in the ocean’) can describe someone who is resilient, steadfast, and unshaken by the challenges that surround them.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - From a Māori worldview, time is understood as interconnected and cyclical rather than linear.
- Events can be woven into a broader narrative linking relationships and ancestry through storytelling, whakapapa, and metaphor, showing how the past, present, and future are all part of one continuous journey.
| - Communicating about events and experiences in time
| Event - Kei te aha ia?
- Kei te haka ia.
- Kei te whakatika ia i te wharekai.
- I aha ia?
- I haka ia.
- I whakatika ia i te wharekai.
- I te Rātapu i haka ia.
- Ka aha rātou?
- Ka haka rātou.
- Ka aha koe āpōpō?
- Ka moe au āpōpō.
Event in context of direction - Kei te haere a Pare ki hea?
- Kei te haere a Pare ki te taone.
- I haere a Pare ki hea?
- I haere ia ki te taone.
- Inanahi ka haere ia ki te taone.
Event in context of location - Kei te noho ia i hea?
- Kei te noho ia i ngā toa.
- I noho ia i hea?
- I noho ia i ngā toa.
- I tērā wiki ka noho ia i ngā toa.
| | - Communicating about a series of events and activities using time-related connectives
| Conjunctions - I mutu te hui, i muri i tērā i kai tahi mātou.
- I hōroi a Manawai i ngā rīhi, kātahi ka whakamaroketia.
Sequencing - Tuatahi ka ako mātou i te kaupapa matua.
- Tuarua, ka mahi mātou i tētahi mahi pānui.
Ordinal numbers |
| - The use of i at the beginning of the sentence marks actions that have happened in the past.
- Ka marks future or imminent actions, and adding a time adverbial (e.g. āpōpō, ināianei, ā te Rāhina) helps clarify when the action is expected to occur.
- Kei te is a tense marker used when communicating about actions in the present.
| - Conjunctions (e.g. ā, me, engari, otirā, nō reira) guide the flow of conversation and writing, making it easier to express complex thoughts, sequence events, and maintain coherence in storytelling or speech.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Māori travel has changed over time — from waka (canoes), walking, and horses to motokā (car), tereina (train), and pahi (bus) — and te reo Māori has grown to include new words for these ways of moving.
- The word ‘waka’ has extended in modern usage to also mean ‘car’, showing how vocabulary adapts as new technologies emerge.
| - Communicating about travel, including comparing and contrasting how people travel
| Enquiring about means of travel - Mā hea koe haere mai ai?
- Mā hea koe hoki atu ai?
- Mā runga paihikara.
- Mā raro.
- Mā runga i te pahi.
- Mā runga waka rererangi.
- Mā runga waka rererangi au haere ai.
Comparing and contrasting travel | | - Communicating about, comparing, and contrasting routines
| Habits Routines Comparing and contrasting routines - Mekemeke ai a Rāwiri i ngā Rāhoroi, ēngari mekemeke ai a Rei i ngā Wenerei.
- Haere ai a Pare ki te marae ia rā, ia rā, ā, haere hoki ai a Tame.
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| - The phrase mā runga is used to indicate the mode of transport someone is using.
- Mā runga translates roughly to ‘by way of’ in English and is followed by the type of vehicle or transport.
- Mā raro means ‘by (on) foot’.
| - The word ai is added to a verb when describing a repeated or habitual action, or referring to a known time, place, or manner. When there is no tense marker, the tense is usually understood from context.
- The word ia is used to mean ‘each’ or ‘every’ when talking about time and is placed before a time word to show that something happens regularly or repeatedly.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Communicating likes and dislikes within a Māori context includes understanding and respecting the perspectives of others, acknowledging collective values, and upholding tikanga. This is essential for nurturing whanaungatanga.
| - Communicating about likes and dislikes and justifying where appropriate
| Question Response - He pai ki ahau te [like].
- Kāore i te pai ki ahau te [dislike].
- He pai ki ahau te [like] me te [like].
Justification statements - He pai ki ahau te hākinakina nā te mea he ngahau.
- Kāore i te pai ki ahau te horoi rīhi nā te mea he hōhā.
- He pai ki ahau te utu mō ngā āporo.
- Kāore i te pai ki ahau te utu mō ngā āporo.
| - Phrases like ki ōku nei whakaaro are used to invite dialogue when sharing an opinion.
- From a Māori worldview, it is important to recognise the mana of others by listening with respect. Everyone brings their own whakaaro, which is shaped by their whakapapa and experiences.
- In te ao Māori, there is no absolute right or wrong — just different perspectives, all of which have value.
| - Expressing a basic opinion
| Opinion statements - Ki ahau nei, he mea nui te ako i te reo Māori i ngā kura katoa.
- Ki ōku nei whakaaro, he rawe ngā roopu kapa haka kātoa.
- E ai ki a Wiremu, me ako te katoa i te reo Māori ki te kura.
Disagreeing respectfully |
| - Kāore is used to show negation when something didn’t happen, isn't true, or isn’t liked.
- Nā te mea is used to give a reason for something and helps connect ideas and sentences to explain likes, dislikes, actions, and feelings.
| - There are set expressions that can be used to communicate personal opinions and reference others’ viewpoints, such as:
- Ki ōku nei whakaaro.
- Ki ahau nei.
- E ai ki a [name].
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - While monetary value can be directly stated, Māori culture often places greater emphasis on:
- reciprocity — what has been given should be met with equal respect or contribution (utu)
- koha — giving from the heart without fixed value where cost is relative to relationship and context.
| - Communicating about the quality, quantity, and cost of things
| Cost - He aha te utu?
- E toru tāra te utu mō te [noun].
Quantity - E hia ngā āporo?
- E whā ngā āporo.
- Kotahi te āporo.
- Kia hia ngā āporo?
- Kia whā ngā āporo.
Quality - Pēhea tēnā āporo?
- He maoa.
- He reka.
| - In te ao Māori, emotions are often shared by the group, and they are deeply connected to whakapapa, whānau, and whenua.
- Expressing and responding to feelings is deeply connected to manaakitanga, reflecting care, respect, and the nurturing of relationships.
| - Describing states and feelings
| Present states and feelings - Kua kī te ipu.
- Kua makariri au.
- Kua pukuriri te tama.
Past states and feelings - I pēhea tō rā tuatahi i te kura?
- I tino harikoa au i te rā tuatahi o te kura.
- I makariri au.
- I pukuriri te tama.
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| - Mō is used to show that something is for someone or for a purpose and helps express who something is intended for or why something is done.
- Adjectives are used to describe the quality or characteristics of things, such as maoa (cooked), reka (sweet/delicious), and pirau (rotten).
| - Kua marks completed states or recent changes. It is used before stative verbs like mate (to be dead), mākū (to be wet), kī (to be full), and mā (to be clean).
- Kua does not describe an action, but rather the resulting condition (or the state of something, someone, or something).
- I pēhea is used to ask how something happened or how someone felt in the past. It combines the past tense marker i with pēhea and is followed by subject and context.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Weather and seasons are deeply connected to maramataka and whakapapa.
- The maramataka is the traditional Māori lunar calendar that tracks the phases of the moon and seasonal changes to guide activities like planting, fishing, and harvesting.
- There has been a significant increase in the use and application of the maramataka and Māori astronomical knowledge, led by different celebrations such as Matariki and practices such as celestial navigation and cultural ceremonies (e.g. hautapu).
| - Communicating about the weather and seasons
| Weather - He pēhea te āhua o te rangi?
- He makariri.
- He paki.
- He ua.
- He rangi kāpuapua tēnei.
Seasons - He aha tēnei wāhanga o te tau?
- He ngahuru.
Sentence structure - He aha tēnei wāhanga o te tau?
- He raumati.
- Ko te aha te wāhanga o te tau?
- Ko te Raumati.
- Ko te Raumati tēnei wāhanga o te tau.
| - Understanding the maramataka involves engaging with local mātauranga Māori which guides seasonal activities such as planting, fishing, and gathering.
- Different regions, iwi, and hapū have different tikanga associated with maramataka. For example:
- if a specific tree appears to be moving with no wind, it is a sign that rain is coming (weather)
- if a mountain has a hat of cloud at its tip, do not approach the sea (weather and caution)
- when the pōhutukawa blooms, it is a sign that kina is fat (harvest).
| - Comparing and contrasting the weather and seasons
| Contrasting and comparing seasons - I te raumati he mahana ngā rangi, ēngari, i te takurua he makariri.
- He makariri te Hotoke, ā, he māku hoki.
- He pai ake te Raumati i te Hotoke.
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| - In te reo Māori, he helps to generalise or specify nouns and phrases, adding flexibility and richness to expression.
- He serves as an indefinite article and a sentence classifier, not a personal pronoun.
- Āhua means appearance, form, or shape, and can also describe a state, condition, or manner, making it a versatile and positively expressive term.
| - Descriptions can be made richer and more detailed by using ēngari to compare differences in weather or seasons and hoki to add similar ideas.
- Conjunctions such as ā can be used to join two complete sentences together.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - When giving and following instructions, it is important they are respecting tikanga, using polite language, being clear and purposeful, and acknowledging relationships and place.
| - Giving and following basic directions
| Giving and following directions - Haere ki te taha o te whare.
- Haere tōtika.
- Huri whakatemauī.
- Huri matau ki te mutunga o te tiriti.
- Whiti atu i te huarahi.
- Tū ki konei.
- Hoki whakamuri.
- Haere ki te Raki.
- Āta haere.
Checking directions are clear - He pātai tāu?
- Kei te mōhio koe?
| - Giving instructions in te reo Māori requires culturally appropriate language which reflects respect, relationships, and collective responsibility.
- The tone, formality, and directness of the instructions are shaped by the context, the roles of those involved, and tikanga Māori.
| - Giving and following basic instructions
| Giving and following instructions - Tikina te rākau.
- Horoia ngā rīhi.
- Whakawetohia te rama.
- Whakapaingia te whare.
- Whakatikahia ngā moenga.
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| - Directions usually start with the verb at the beginning of the sentence, which places the action at the front and clearly signals what the listener needs to do.
| - Verbs in passive constructions can have a variety of suffix forms depending on which area or tribal region the speaker is from (e.g. a verb like kōrero has three different suffix forms, which are hia, ngia, and tia).
- Inserting the prefix whaka often turns a word into a causative verb, showing something is being made to happen (e.g. whaka + pai = whakapai).
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - In traditional Māori culture, narratives are primarily communicated orally and are passed down through generations to preserve knowledge, values, and identity.
- Knowledge from the past is shared through oral forms such as whaikōrero, mōteatea, waiata, karanga, haka, and pūrakau.
- Complex narratives, whakapapa, and mātauranga ā iwi/ā hapū can be conveyed through visual story art forms such as whakairo, raranga, and tukutuku.
| - Using simple narratives in the past tense
| Past tense - Kua haere ahau ki te mākete.
- Inanahi, i haere ahau ki te konohete.
- I tēnei ata, i karanga ia ki ngā manuhiri.
- I karanga ia ki ngā manuhiri.
Past tense time markers | | - Using simple narratives in the future tense
| Future tense - Ākuanei, ka whakarite ngā tamariki i te hāngī.
- Āpōpō, ka kai ngātahi ngā tamariki i te hāngī.
- Ā tērā, marama, ka haere ahau ki t Ōtautahi.
- Ā tērā marama haere ai ahau ki Ōtautahi.
Future tense time markers - Ka
- Ākuanei
- Āpōpō
- Ā tērā mārama.
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| - They can use a combination of grammatical structures to convey time, sequence, and context.
| - Future tense is usually shown by using the particle ka before the verb, often with time expressions like āpōpō (tomorrow) or ā tērā wiki (next week) to indicate when the action will happen.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge | - Kīwaha are formulaic expressions or phases that reflect cultural values, humour, emotion, and social norms that add richness and authenticity to everyday conversations.
- Kīwaha add nuance and depth to communication, strengthening social bonds and conveying meaning efficiently.
| - Using kīwaha to enhance everyday communication in te reo Māori
| Kīwaha - A tōna wā.
- Engari mō tēnā.
- Karawhiua.
- Ihu hūpē.
- Ihu mānea.
- Tau kē.
- Ka wani kē.
| | - Exploring the use of a wider variety of formulaic expressions, such as kīanga
| Kīanga - Tino pai.
- Ngā mihi rā mō ngā rā kei mua i te aroaro.
- Nau mai e hine/tama ki te ao tūroa.
- Ki a māmā/pāpā me te aroha nui, nā [name].
- E kore e mutu te aroha mōu.
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| - Incorporating kīwaha into spoken language can help to develop greater fluency, deepen cultural understanding, and express emotion, reactions, and personality in a uniquely Māori way.
- Their meaning is most often figurative, not literal.
| - Kīanga refer to words of a positive manner such as congratulations, acknowledgements, and celebrations.
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