Abstract
He mātaitanga te rangahau nei o te rōpū e kīia nei ko Kapa Kōrero, he rōpū ā-hapori tēnei kia tautoko i te whakaoranga o te reo Māori. I whakatūria te rōpū nei e ētahi tauira pakeke o te reo i a rātou i te whare wānanga e ako ana i te reo Māori. He uaua te whakawhanake i ō rātou pūkenga kōrero ki a rātou i te mea hāunga te wā i roto i te akoranga he iti rawa te wā me ngā wāhi ki a rātou ki te whakamahi i tō rātou reo. Nā reira, i runga i te whakaaro me māori te karawhiu o te reo kia whakawhānui ai ngā horopaki mā tātou katoa ki te kōrero, i whakatūria te rōpū. Mai i taua wā kua hui te rōpū a Kapa Kōrero ia marama, ia marama ki tētahi wāhi tūmatanui ki te kōrero, ki te whakaharatau, ki te tiaki hoki i ngā hononga i waenga i te reo. Kei te tipu tonu te rangapū, ā, ko te rangahau nei he paku tirohanga ki ngā āhuatanga me ngā hua kua puta mai mā ētahi o ngā mema o te kapa.
This research is a study of a community driven language revitalisation initiative known as Kapa Kōrero. This group was established by a cohort of adult Māori language students while studying the language at university. It was difficult for them to develop their oral language skills, because, aside from their time in the classroom they had very few other times and places available to them to use their language. Hence, with the thought in mind that the use of the language needs to be normalised to expand the contexts available to use it, the group was formed. Since its inception, the group comes together monthly in a public setting to speak, to practice, and to nurture relationship established in the language. The group continues to grow, and this research is a brief insight into the aspects and outcomes of the group as seen by some of its members.
