Course syllabus

2017, Semester II (15.0 points)

 

Description:

The aim of the course is to teach the basic structure of simple sentences in Māori so that you can compose, read and understand basic Māori. You will also learn a set of terms which will enable you to talk about and analyse the structure of Māori and many other languages.  Another skill you will acquire, or improve upon, is the ability to translate Māori sentences and simple texts into English and English sentences into Māori. 

This course is designed for students with little or no knowledge of the language, and for those with some fluency wishing to understand simple sentence structure and composition. 

Course Convenor:       

Professor Margaret Mutu                                

 Office: Rehutai (Building 253) Room 206                                                     

 Phone: +64 9  9237465                                

Email: m.mutu@auckland.ac.nz   

Tutor

Te Whainoa Te Wiata

Office: Rehutai (Building 253) Room 102

Email: ttew245@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Lecture Times:

Mondays 4-6pm and Wednesdays 10-12pm. Venue: Please check Student Services On-line as lecture room allocation does often change due to class size.

During the first hour and part of the second hour of each session there will be a dictation exercise followed by a short self-marked test on the previous lecture’s material and then new material introduced from the lecture notes provided in the course workbook. The rest of the second hour will focus on reviewing the day’s work and working through exercises (tutorial). Two extra optional tutorials will also be offered at times and a venue to be advised.

Workload:

As with other 15-point courses, the University of Auckland expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on this course. If you want to pass, you need to attend all lectures and tutorials and tests and examinations - there are only 48 hours of attendance in a space of 12 weeks, excluding the final examination time. The lecture gives information. The tutorial allows you to clarify and discuss that information and do exercises. The test looks at your ability in understanding the material.

But your learning does not end with the 48 hours attendance and participation. You have to work diligently on your own. Work on the principle that every hour in class requires 2 to 3 hours work on your own.

Lecture recordings:

While we post lecture recordings on Canvas, these are never a substitute for lecture attendance. The lecture recordings are particularly important for reviewing the dictation exercise given each week. However we cannot guarantee that the recording technology will work smoothly each week. You will learn more effectively by using recordings to supplement your in class learning.

Assessment:

Coursework:  Two tests, each 1 hour long and worth 20% (both to be held in the usual lecture time and place).  The tests will be held on  Wednesday 23 August and Wednesday 11 October.

Final Examination: Two hours long and worth 60%. Provided both main tests are completed satisfactorily, your final grade will be either your combined coursework and final marks, or your final exam out of 100%, whichever is to your advantage. 

Course Workbook:

Please collect the course workbook from Arts1 reception before lectures start. They will be available for collection by 17 July. You will be tested on the contents of the workbook, anything given in lectures and any additional handouts.  Each lecture contains further references to Bruce Biggs’ Let’s Learn Māori, although the teaching material is arranged in a different way.

The workbook is arranged with the full lecture notes for the topic(s) to be covered in each lecture, including exercises to be worked during the lecture time. The notes for each lecture are followed by a revision summary and review which will be covered in greater depth during the tutorial. There are also supplementary exercises to each lecture which are to be completed in your own study time. At the very end of this workbook are model answers to all the exercises given in the lecture and in the supplementary exercises along with past tests and an exam.

Dictionaries/Vocabulary learning

An important part of learning any language is learning its vocabulary. You are required to memorise and retain all vocabulary used in the workbook and lectures. Although you will use your dictionary regularly in class and your own study time, no dictionaries will be permitted in main tests or the final exam. To assist your learning of vocabulary, make up your own dictionary adding new words (or new meanings of words you have met with previously) from each lecture and tutorial, memorising and using them, day by day.

Course Outline

Lecture No. Date                     Topic (Subject to Adjustment, depending on time taken to master each topic)

 1          Mon 24 July               Introduction,  start on phonology

                                             Phonology : Pronouncing and Writing Māori

 2          Wed 26 July               The Phrase : bases, particles, affixes;

                                                Phrase types

                                                Detailed structure of the phrase

                                                Introduction to Personal Pronouns (table)

                                                Tutorial on lecture 2

3          Mon 31 July                Verbal Sentences

                                                Imperatives with e and me

                                                Asking Questions (hia? aha? wai? (w)hea? pē(w)hea)

                                                Tutorial on lecture 3

4          Wed 2 August              Subject and Predicate

                                                Fronting subject NP

                                                Nominal (NP & NP) sentences

                                                Expanding within NPs and VPs (adding modifiers)

                                                Tutorial on lecture 4

5          Mon 7 August             Object Noun Phrase

                                                The preposition i (object marker)

                                                Subject fronting in a verbal sentence

                                                Tutorial on lecture 5

6          Wed 9 August                Continuing to expand within NPs and VPs (adding                                                           particles)

                                              Positional Particles nei, nā, rā

                                              Definitives tēnei, tēnā, tērā, taua, tēwhea

                                                Plurals of some kinship terms

                                                Tutorial on lecture 6

7          Mon 14 August             Directional particles mai, atu, iho, ake

                                                Tutorial on lecture 7

8          Wed 16 August             Location Noun Phrase

                                                Locative Particles i, kei, hei, ki

                                                Locative Bases runga, raro, whea, Papatoetoe etc.

                                                Tutorial on Lecture 8

          Mon 21 August             Go over test from a previous semester

                                                Tutorial: Revise lectures 1-8

          Wed 23 August  *  *    Test 1 (covers lectures 1-8 inclusive.)   *  *

            Mon 28 August           Return and go over tests and start lecture 9.

9          Wed  30 August          Active to Passive sentences

                                                Passive imperatives

                                                Tutorial on lecture 9

*         *       * 4 - 16  September   Mid-semester Break*       *       *

10        Mon 18 September      Statives  (pai, ora, mate, pau etc.)

                                                Tutorial on lecture 10

11        Wed 20 September     Personal Pronouns.

                                                Tutorial on lecture 11        

12        Mon 25 September      Introduce possession markers a and o.

                                                Tutorial on lecture 12                      

13        Wed 27 September     tā/tō and t-class possessive marking

                                                Tutorial on lectures 12 and 13

14        Mon 2 September         More on Possession:

                                                Saying someone has something -        He pātai tāku. 

                                                                                                    ‘I have a question’

                                             n-/m-class possessives

                                                the Actor Emphatic construction

                                                Negating nā, nō, mā, mō phrases, including A.E.

                                                Tutorial on lecture 14

15        Wed 4 October            Negation

                                                Tutorial on lecture 15                           

16        Mon 9 October            Negation (cont)

                                                Tutorial on lecture 16

                                                Revision for test 2 (lectures 10-16)

           * Wed 11 October         TEST 2  (covers lectures 9 – 16 inclusive) *                             

            Mon 16 October          Return test scripts and go over test.

             Wed 18 October         Go over past finals exam.

                        tba                    Extra exam preparation tutorial.

                        tba                    Extra exam preparation tutorial.

*          *        *                 Final exam           TBA           *        *        *