Cook Islands Māori L6: Example 2
Example 2: Father–daughter conversation
Tiare — Kia orāna koe ‘e pāpā. ‘Ākara ‘anga makimaki koe. ‘Ea ‘a tērā ‘apinga ‘e aua ‘i mai ra nā roto mai ‘i tō ‘ou taringa? Kore ake koe te ta‘u a ‘i mai na.
Pāpā — ‘E mā ‘ine, meitaki kino atu ‘a pāpā ‘i tēia taime. Ko tā ‘au e kite mai ra ‘e vai rākau nō pāpā. Me kāre ‘a pāpā e kai i tōna vai rākau, pekapeka te ngutu ‘are.
Tiare — Pāpā, te ‘akape ‘ea mai na koe? Teia te nutipeapa ‘e ‘akamatakite nei ‘i te kino ‘o te ‘ava ‘ava, te mārō atu rāi koe. Tenā ‘oki koe ‘e pūngae ‘ua ana. Kāre ‘oki ‘ē peke ana te ‘oko ‘i tā ‘au ‘ava ‘ava. Te mārōki ‘aki ‘a i ā koe?
Pāpā — Ka ‘akape ‘ea nei rā ‘oki au e mā ‘ine. ‘Ea ‘a atu tāku nei rāvenga. Kā mate rai tāua ‘ā tēta'i rā.
Tiare — ‘Akaruke ‘ia ‘oki tā ‘au ‘ava ‘ava. Kāre koe ‘e ‘inangaro ana ‘i te kite ‘i tā ‘au au mokopuna?
Pāpā — Auē! koe taku tamā ‘ine ē. ‘Ati rava tē ngākau ō pāpā i tā ‘au tuatua. Nō te a ‘a, ka ‘inangaro au ‘i te kite ‘i tāku au mokopuna.
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Context and text type
Tiare is concerned about her father’s smoking and the effects this is having on his health. She is trying to persuade him to quit.
Text type
Conversational exchange, semi-formal. Receptive.
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Observations a student might make concerning:
Communicating information, ideas, and opinions beyond the immediate context
Tiare provides relevant information to support her argument:
- Teia te nutipeapa ‘e ‘akamatakite nei ‘i te kino ‘o te ‘ava ‘ava, te mārō atu rai koe.
Tiare uses questions effectively to keep the focus on her father’s smoking:
- Kāre koe ē ‘inangaro ana ‘i te kite ‘i tā ‘au au mokopuna?
Tiare uses dramatic and figurative language for humour and to make her point, for example, when she comments that smoke comes out his ears, and that he looks like a burning rubbish heap:
- ‘Ea ‘a tēra ‘apinga ‘ē aua ‘i mai ra nā roto mai ‘i tō ‘ou taringa? Kore ake koe te ta ‘u a ‘i mai na.
Tiare stands up to her father’s objections and finds new arguments with which to challenge him; for example:
- Akaruke ‘ia ‘oki tā ‘au ‘ava ‘ava. Kāre koe e inangaro ana ‘i te kite ‘i tā ‘au au mokopuna?
Throughout the conversation Tiare’s father counters her objections in a respectful manner, for example:
- Meitaki kino atu a pāpā i tēia taime.
Expressing and responding to personal ideas and opinions
Tiare uses questions to express her opinions and persuade her father to listen to her; for example:
- Te mārōki ‘aki ‘a i ā koe?
In response to her father’s points of view, she offers facts about consequences:
- Tenā ‘oki koe ‘ē pūngae ‘ua ana. Kāre ‘oki ē peke ana te ‘oko ‘i tā ‘au ‘ava ‘ava.
Pāpā uses comparisons to try and convince his daughter of his point of view:
- Ko ta ‘au e kite mai ra ‘e vai rākau nō pāpā.
Communicating appropriately in different situations
Through the way she greets her father, Tiare demonstrates the Cook Islands values of 'piri ‘anga' (relationships) and 'tā ‘aka ‘aka' (respect):
Pāpā uses emotive language to convey a point of view:
- Auē! koe taku tamā ‘ine ē.
Even though Tiare is persistent, her father continues to be respectful of her opinion; for example:
- Auē! koe taku tamā ‘ine ē. ‘Ati rava tē ngākau ō pāpā i tā ‘au tuatua.
Understanding how language is organised for different purposes
The text illustrates the use of short, simple sentence patterns which are a feature of conversational exchanges; for example:
- ‘Ea ‘a atu tāku nei rāvenga.
The use of emotive language to convey a point of view is a feature of persuasive language; for example:
- Ka ‘akapē ‘ea rā oki au e mā ‘ine.
The father shows respect for Tiare’s concern for him:
- Meitaki kino atu ‘a pāpā ‘i teia taime.
The father uses a generalisation to avoid responding directly to the issue:
- Ka mate rāi tāua ‘a tēta ‘i rā.
The value of 'tā ‘aka ‘aka' (respect) is evident throughout the conversation. For example, the father uses terms that indicate his respect for his daughter and emphasise the importance of their relationship:
- ‘E māi ‘ne, e taku tamā ‘ine.
The value of 'piriꞌanga' (relationships) is further expressed when Tiare stands up to her father’s objections and finds new, family oriented arguments with which to challenge him:
- ‘Akaruke ‘ia ‘oki tā ‘au ‘ava ‘ava. Kāre koe ‘ē ‘inangaro ana ‘i te kite ‘i tā ‘au au mokopuna?ꞌ
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Investigate the kinds of language that family members in the Cook Islands use when talking to each other. What particular words are used: for example, ways of addressing or referring to family members? What formulaic expressions are regularly used, for example, greetings? What kinds of respectful language are used? How are these language forms different from those that a non-family member would use?
How might students use the knowledge they have gained to communicate respectfully with other speakers of Cook Islands Māori?
Think of possible subjects (for example, alcohol) for discussions that could be conducted in socially appropriate ways in Cook Islands Māori in a range of different texts (oral, visual, written).
Last updated March 27, 2013
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