Media power couple and language revitalisation advocates Scotty and Stacey Morrison have been appointed to new roles at the School of Māori Art, Knowledge and Education at Massey University. The announcement accompanies the launch of their new Māori language book, Māori At Home.
A new book aimed at helping families speak Māori at home.
Morrison says, "My wife and I wrote this book based on 11 years' experience of raising Māori speaking children."
He says the book holds gems for speakers at all levels of competency.
"Words of praise, contexts such as going to the beach, before school, after school, helping the children with their homework," says Morrison.
Morrison has been teaching Māori at tertiary level for 25 years. He says informal language is often overlooked.
"This type of language isn't being taught to students, the language of the home, to say turn the light on, flush the toilet, those types of sentences aren't being taught."
"It doesn't focus on grammar, instead it focuses on helping people speak the language," says Morrison.
Scotty and Stacey Morrison were recently appointed to Massey University to support the new direction and help the development of Māori initiatives, not just within the School of Māori Art, Knowledge and Education but throughout the wider university as well.
Scotty Morrison will complete a PhD next year while partner Stacey Morrison will begin her Masters.