Reading: judging a writer's stance on te reo and social media
A class reads a 220-word opinion piece in a school newsletter. The writer, a Year 13 student, argues: 'Kei te piki haere te whakamahinga o te reo Māori i runga i ngā pae pāpori. Engari, ehara i te mea ko te nuinga o ngā rangatahi e mōhio ana ki te whakamahi tika. He maha ngā hapa, pēnei i te kore macron, i te kupu Pākehā noa, i te whakamāori kē. Ahakoa tērā, kei te ora te reo.' Students answer comprehension questions. One student says, 'The writer is angry and wants fewer English words on social media.' Another says, 'The writer thinks social media is bad for te reo Māori.' The teacher asks them to identify the writer's stance and the function of the linking words. Students must quote evidence and explain implied meaning, not just translate. The text is 220 words and students have 15 minutes.
1. What is the writer's overall attitude towards te reo Māori on social media? Support your answer with two phrases.
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The stance is supportive but critical - not angry, and not anti-social-media. The opening 'Kei te piki haere te whakamahinga' is positive: use is increasing. 'Engari, ehara i te mea ...' introduces a qualification: many young people do not use it correctly. The examples - missing macrons, ordinary English words, mistranslation - are criticisms of quality, not a rejection of the platform. 'Ahakoa tērā, kei te ora te reo' ends with optimism. So the writer sees social media as a useful but imperfect space. The first student overstates the criticism as a ban; the second ignores the positive opening and conclusion.
2. Explain the function of 'ahakoa tērā' in the third sentence and how it changes the force of the criticism.
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'Ahakoa tērā' means 'despite that' or 'even so'. It is concessive: it acknowledges the errors just listed, then signals that they do not overturn the main point. Without it, the paragraph would end on a complaint and sound negative. With it, the writer balances criticism with the claim 'kei te ora te reo'. It does not erase the criticism; it limits its force. This is similar to 'engari' in that it marks a contrast, but 'ahakoa' is more concessive - 'although that is so' - and it prepares the reader for the final positive judgement.
3. A reader says the writer wants English borrowings banned. Is that a fair reading? Give evidence from the text.
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No, that is not a fair reading. The writer criticises 'kupu Pākehā noa' and errors, but criticism is not the same as advocating a ban. The phrase 'ehara i te mea' denies an extreme claim - it is not the case that most young people know how to use it correctly - rather than demanding purity. 'Ahakoa tērā, kei te ora te reo' accepts that the language is living with these changes. A fair reading is that the writer wants better quality and more care, not fewer English words by rule. To argue for a ban, the reader would need a proposal or imperative such as 'me aukati', which is not there.