Abstract:
During the 1970s research showed that less than 20% of Māori people were
proficient in the Māori language. Leading sociolinguists of that time predicted the
Māori language would be extinct by 2000. This provided the impetus for the
emergence of various Māori language revitalisation strategies. Te Whanake and
Te Ataarangi are two examples of such diverse language acquisition programmes
developed in response to these findings. This thesis will provide a comparative
analysis of both programmes through an examination of the respective historical
backgrounds, the methodological factors particular to each programme and
consequently highlight why they continue to be successful models after 30 years
at the forefront of Māori language revitalisation.
