About this resource

This page provides the draft Learning Languages – Te Reo Māori Learning Area. This is now available for wider feedback and familiarisation. The current Learning Languages curriculum remains in effect until 1 January 2028 and can be found here The New Zealand Curriculum – Learning Languages.

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Ko tōu reo, ko tōku reo, te tuakiri tangata.

Tihei uriuri, tihei nakonako.

Your voice and my voice are expressions of identity. May our descendants live on, and our hopes be fulfilled.

Purpose statement

The Learning Languages learning area equips students with the linguistic, cultural, and sociolinguistic knowledge that enables them to communicate within their own cultural communities (heritage language learners) and across different cultures (additional language learners). It fosters intercultural understanding and appreciation for diverse worldviews.

Through the study of an additional language, students are taught how to interpret meaning and adapt their communication to suit different audiences and situations. As students learn how to speak, write, read, listen, sign, and interact in their target language, they start to communicate more authentically and purposefully in increasingly complex contexts.

The Learning Languages learning area exposes students to new ways of thinking about themselves and their world and can increase their understanding of their first languages. It can also contribute to the vitality of a language and strengthen cultural connections.

As students progress through the Learning Languages curriculum, they deepen their understanding of the cultural and social contexts in which languages are used and begin to recognise that language reflects and upholds the values, stories, and practices of different communities and cultures. By learning how to communicate in an additional language, students are empowered to engage confidently with others and contribute meaningfully to our diverse society and increasingly interconnected world.

Learning area structure

The Learning Languages teaching sequence lays out the knowledge and practices to be taught during Novice and Emergent. In Learning Languages teaching is structured around two strands:

Linguistic knowledge focuses on how language works. It develops student understanding of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.
Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge focuses on how language is shaped by culture and context. It develops student understanding of cultural practices, values, beliefs, and social norms, and supports the development of intercultural communicative competence.

Students learn through five modes of communication:

signing, watching, and interacting in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)
listening, speaking, reading, writing, and interacting in all other languages.

The curriculum supports 13 languages: Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), Gagana Sāmoa, Gagana Tokelau, Lea Faka-Tonga, Te Reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani, Vagahau Niue, French, German, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, and Korean. These are grouped into five categories: Te Reo Māori, NZSL, Pacific Languages, Asian Languages, and European Languages.

Students may begin learning a language at different year levels and with varied prior knowledge. The curriculum supports flexible entry points through the following sequences: Novice 1, Novice 2, Emergent 1, and Emergent 2.

These sequences, organised through strands and elements, set out what is to be taught. Their enactment is shaped by teachers, who design learning in response to their learners, adjusting the order and emphasis, and adding contexts as appropriate.

Te Reo Māori introduction

Learning te reo Māori during the Novice and Emergent sequences supports students to connect with identity and culture, while deepening their understanding of tikanga mātauranga Māori, and the Māori worldview. As the indigenous language of New Zealand, and an official language, te reo Māori is a taonga. The vitality of te reo Māori plays an integral role in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strengthening connections with whānau, community, and mana whenua. For Māori, learning can be a deeply empowering experience of reclaiming their heritage, culture, and language. For non-Māori, it offers a pathway to shared cultural understanding and respect, thereby strengthening New Zealand as a whole.

In Novice 1 and 2, teachers play a central role in supporting students to build a strong connection between te reo Māori and the cultural values carried within the language. Teachers guide students to notice how language varies across iwi and how values like manaakitanga and whanaungatanga shape behaviour and relationships. By weaving cultural knowledge into everyday learning, Teachers help students see te reo Māori as a living expression of identity, community, and connection. While all five modes—speaking, listening, reading, writing, and interacting—are taught, oral language is the foundation for communication in the Novice teaching sequence.

In Emergent 1 and 2, Teachers guide students to use pepeha and/or mihi to express identity and share whakapapa and connections to whenua, in both formal and informal contexts. Teachers show students how kupu whakarite and whakataukī enrich and enhance language and meaning, and that communication reflects collective values and respect for others’ perspectives. Students learn how to use kīwaha to reflect cultural values, humour, emotion, and social norms, and to enrich everyday conversations. Teachers engage with the maramataka and local mātauranga Māori to create meaningful experiences for students and help deepen their understanding of Māori worldview knowledge.

The Learning Languages area prepares students with the knowledge and practices to access related Curriculum Subjects for Years 11–13, such as Te Reo Māori.

Te Reo Māori Glossary

Word of Phrase	Description
Additional language learner	Someone who is learning a new language in addition to the one(s) they already know.
Adverbial	A word, phrase, or clause that functions like an adverb, typically modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
Celestial navigation	Practice of navigation that functions as a traditional compass. It involves finding latitude and longitude by observing the positions of the sun, moon, and stars.
Cognate word	A word in different languages that have a similar form and meaning because they share a common origin.
Communication	Process of sharing information, ideas, thoughts, or feelings. Refers to all modes of communication: signing, watching, and interacting in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and listening, speaking, reading, writing, and interacting in all other languages.
Cultural communities	Groups of people who share common cultural traits such as language, traditions, beliefs, values, customs (tikanga), heritage, and stories that shape their identity.
Cultural value	Fundamental and enduring principles or standards that a particular society collectively regards as important, guiding the behaviours, judgments, and interactions of its members.
Cyclical	Something that happens in a circle or cycle which repeats again in the same order.
Definite article	A word used to refer to a specific person, place, or thing that is already known or has been mentioned before.
Dialects	Different versions of the same language spoken by people in specific regions and groups. Grammar and pronunciation may differ and unique words used.
Formulaic expression/language	Chunks of language that follow a fixed pattern and are learned as whole units.
Glottal stop	Sound produced by briefly closing the vocal cords (glottis) and then releasing them, creating a momentary interruption in airflow which sounds like a small pause or catch in the voice.
Gregorian calendar	The calendar system used by most of the world today.
Habitual action	A routine or habit that is done regularly and repeatedly.
Hapū	Sub-tribe.
Hautapu	Sacred ceremony to mark the Māori New Year. It involves offering food to the Matariki cluster of stars and is performed in the hush of the night before the first bird sings, as the sun begins to rise.
Heritage language learner	Someone who is raised in a home where a language other than the dominant societal language is used. They may understand, use, or feel connected to that language, even if they don’t use it all the time or know it perfectly.
Indigenous language	A language that is native to a particular region and spoken by the original people of that area.
Intensifier	A word, especially an adverb, that increases the degree of emphasis.
Intercultural understanding	The ability to recognise and respect cultural diversity.
Interrogative word	A word used to ask questions.
Intonation	The rise and fall (pitch pattern) of a spoken sentence.
Iwi	Tribe.
Karanga	Ceremonial call conducted by women which takes place during pōwhiri and other formal processes
Kīwaha	Colloquialism, colloquial saying, slang, idiom.
Kupu whakarite	Metaphor, simile.
Language families	Groups of languages that share a common ancestral origin.
Language revitalisation	The process of promoting the use of a language.
Linguistic knowledge	The understanding of how a language works, including formation of signs, vocabulary, articulation, pronunciation, spelling, and grammar.
Mana	Spiritual power or authority a person, group, or place has inherited through whakapapa, personal qualities, and/or actions.
Mana whenua	The whānau, hapū, or iwi who hold authority and responsibility over a particular area of land. Some have adopted the term tangata whenua instead.
Manaakitanga	Hospitality, kindness, generosity, support.
Māori worldview	A way of understanding the world, guided by Māori values, beliefs, and knowledge.
Maramataka	Māori lunar calendar that helps guide planting, fishing, harvesting, and cultural events according to the phases of the moon.
Mātauranga ā iwi, ā hapū	Knowledge, customs, and ways of understanding the world that are specific to a particular iwi or hapū.
Mātauranga Māori	Māori knowledge, system of beliefs, learnings, and understandings that underpin the Māori worldview.
Mihi	To greet, pay tribute, acknowledge, thank.
Morae	The rhythmic units of sound in te reo Māori. Each mora represents a single beat or sound unit, and they help shape the flow and pronunciation of words.
Mōteatea	Chants or laments, often performed to express grief, tell stories, or preserve history and knowledge.
Negate	To express denial, contradiction, or the absence of something.
Nuance	A subtle difference or distinction in expression.
Ordinal number	A number, such as 'first', 'second' and 'third', that shows the order, position, or importance of things in a list or sequence.
Particle	A small word of functional or relational use, as an article, preposition, or conjunction, whether of a separate form class or not.
Passive constructions	A grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence is acted upon rather than performing the action.
Poetic devices	Techniques used in poetry and oral storytelling to create rhythm, enhance meaning, and evoke emotion.
Possessive pronoun	A word that shows ownership or belonging.
Productive skills	The ability to sign, speak, write, interact, and present.
Pūrākau	Traditional narratives that help people make sense of the world around us.
Raranga	Art of weaving using natural materials such as harakeke, muka, raupō, kiekie, and pīngao.
Receptive skills	The ability to understand signed, spoken, or written language.
Reo Torohū	Receptive language
Reo Whakaputa	Productive language
Repertoire	The entire stock of skills, techniques, or devices used in a particular field or occupation.
Sentence classifier	A word or phrase that shows what kind of sentence it is (e.g. a question sentence, a describing sentence, etc).
Sociolinguistic knowledge	Understanding of how social factors (e.g. age, gender, race, class, location) influence language use and how language shapes social identity and relationships.
Target language	The language a student is learning.
Te ao Māori	The Māori world and worldview, encompassing Māori beliefs, values, customs, and ways of understanding the world.
Tense marker	A word or affix that indicates the time when an action takes place (past, present, or future).
Terms of address	Words or phrases used to refer to someone directly, often reflecting the speaker's relationship to the listener.
Text	Signed, written, spoken, or visual materials that students use to understand and practise the target language (e.g. passages, dialogues, recordings, posters, menus).
Tikanga	Customs, protocols, and the correct way to do things according to Māori cultural values and practices, which includes lore and methods.
Time markers	Words or phrases that indicate whether something happens in the past, present, or future.
Tohi ceremony	A ceremony that welcomes and protects a person, often a child or baby.
Tukutuku	Traditional latticework panelling of pīngao and kiekie, often seen in many ancestral houses.
Vitality of a language	How strong and actively used a language is within a community.
Whaikōrero	Formal speeches.
Whakairo	Traditional Māori carving.
Whakapapa	The concept of genealogy that traces the layers of connection between atua, whenua, tīpuna, and people.
Whakatauākī	A proverb or significant saying used to pass down wisdom and guidance, which is attributed to a known ancestor or source.
Whakataukī	A proverb or significant saying used to pass down wisdom and guidance, where the source is unknown.
Whanaungatanga	Relationship, kinship, sense of family connection.

Te Reo Māori supports and resources

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NZC – Te Reo Māori – Overview