language
Arohatia te reo – love the language.
Before I started learning Māori, the only time I ever came into contact with the language was on formal occasions. I could lip-synch at pōwhiri like a pro. I knew how to line up outside the marae and wait for the sound of the karanga to lift into the air and pull me forward, as if […]
MoreTe Reo Māori – A key to our future
My mum forced me to take Japanese all through high school. She believed that a second language would open doors for me and that Japanese was the pick of the options. A passport to another life, she promised. The world at my bilingual feet. There was only one fly in the ointment. I hated Japanese. Instead, in […]
MoreFive things you should know about learning te reo.
A lot of people have asked if I’m fluent in Māori after my year of total immersion. The answer is absolutely … not! Sadly, there’s no such thing as a fast track when it comes to te reo Māori. That’s lesson one for you. Lesson two is that you have to go backwards into […]
MoreDon’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
About 10 years ago, I tried to enrol my two-year-old son in kōhanga reo. I was enthusiastic and excited to immerse him in te ao Māori. I didn’t want him to feel ashamed of his Māoritanga as I so often felt when I was growing up. I wanted great things for him, as all parents […]
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