title: Māori and English textbooks designed for language learners at intermediate level: A comparison in terms of the occurrence and use of insights from research on discourse analysis

authors: Fester, Anthea

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: Over the past two decades, research in the area of discourse analysis has expanded rapidly and has yielded insights that could usefully inform the teaching and learning of languages. In this paper, we report on the results of a comparative study of a number of commercially available textbooks designed for learners of English and learners of te reo Māori at intermediate level in terms of the extent to which they can be shown to have been influenced by specific aspects of discourse analysis research. In the textbooks designed for learners of English, there is some evidence that the writers are aware of, and have been influenced by some aspects of discourse analysis research, particularly in the teaching of writing skills. In the textbooks designed for learners of te reo Māori, however, there is almost no sign of influence of research of this type. In view of the importance of the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in relation to the maintenance of the language, and in view of the fact that many young people in New Zealand now learn a range of academic subjects through the medium of te reo Māori, this raises issues that we believe need to be addressed.

text: Māori and English textbooks designed for language learners at intermediate level: A comparison in terms of the occurrence and use of insights from research on discourse analysis Over the past two decades, research in the area of discourse analysis has expanded rapidly and has yielded insights that could usefully inform the teaching and learning of languages. In this paper, we report on the results of a comparative study of a number of commercially available textbooks designed for learners of English and learners of te reo Māori at intermediate level in terms of the extent to which they can be shown to have been influenced by specific aspects of discourse analysis research. In the textbooks designed for learners of English, there is some evidence that the writers are aware of, and have been influenced by some aspects of discourse analysis research, particularly in the teaching of writing skills. In the textbooks designed for learners of te reo Māori, however, there is almost no sign of influence of research of this type. In view of the importance of the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in relation to the maintenance of the language, and in view of the fact that many young people in New Zealand now learn a range of academic subjects through the medium of te reo Māori, this raises issues that we believe need to be addressed.

year: 2007-11-21

title: Ya got ta know when ta hold ‘em: Maori women and gambling

authors: Morrison, Laurie Elena

subjects: Maori

abstract: Gambling among Maori women is under-researched. In this study, I interviewed thirty Maori
women to investigate how they got involved in gambling, what maintained their gambling and
what they thought might help to moderate their gambling. I found that the whanau was central
to understanding these issues. As children, my participants were exposed to gambling within
their whanau. As adults, whanau and other social support relationships were an integral part of
their gambling, which most commonly occurred in the context of card schools and housie. A
sense of reciprocity was important in both forms of gambling. Card schools were reported to be
close-knit groups within which the money circulated, giving all a chance to win. By playing
housie, the women felt that they were contributing to the welfare of their marae. Through the
social bonds of gambling and the acquisition of skills, gambling contributed to these women’s
sense of identity. On the other hand, financial and relationship difficulties were identified as
negative consequences of gambling. The women felt there was a need for Maori-focused
services for problem gambling.

text: Ya got ta know when ta hold ‘em: Maori women and gambling Gambling among Maori women is under-researched. In this study, I interviewed thirty Maori
women to investigate how they got involved in gambling, what maintained their gambling and
what they thought might help to moderate their gambling. I found that the whanau was central
to understanding these issues. As children, my participants were exposed to gambling within
their whanau. As adults, whanau and other social support relationships were an integral part of
their gambling, which most commonly occurred in the context of card schools and housie. A
sense of reciprocity was important in both forms of gambling. Card schools were reported to be
close-knit groups within which the money circulated, giving all a chance to win. By playing
housie, the women felt that they were contributing to the welfare of their marae. Through the
social bonds of gambling and the acquisition of skills, gambling contributed to these women’s
sense of identity. On the other hand, financial and relationship difficulties were identified as
negative consequences of gambling. The women felt there was a need for Maori-focused
services for problem gambling.

year: 1999

title: The effect of infrastructure access and quality on non-farm enterprises in rural Indonesia

authors: Gibson, John

subjects: infrastructure

abstract: There is growing interest in the rural non-farm sector in developing countries as a contributor to economic growth, employment generation, livelihood diversification, and poverty reduction. Access to infrastructure is identified in some studies as a factor that affects non-farm rural employment and income but less attention has been paid to the constraints imposed by poor quality infrastructure. In this paper, we use data from 4,000 households in rural Indonesia to show that the quality of two key types of infrastructure—roads and electricity—affects both employment in and income from non-farm enterprises. It appears that there would be gains from development strategies that improve both the access to and the quality of rural infrastructure.

text: The effect of infrastructure access and quality on non-farm enterprises in rural Indonesia There is growing interest in the rural non-farm sector in developing countries as a contributor to economic growth, employment generation, livelihood diversification, and poverty reduction. Access to infrastructure is identified in some studies as a factor that affects non-farm rural employment and income but less attention has been paid to the constraints imposed by poor quality infrastructure. In this paper, we use data from 4,000 households in rural Indonesia to show that the quality of two key types of infrastructure—roads and electricity—affects both employment in and income from non-farm enterprises. It appears that there would be gains from development strategies that improve both the access to and the quality of rural infrastructure.

year: 2010-05