NBR Maori Language Week

I'm pakeha but an advocate for learning Maori - I wish I knew more actually!

This week is Maori Language week - I've learned a couple cool things. Shortland Street has it's people making wee 'learn Maori' vids, which is amazing! From those, i learned 'ktk' or 'kei te kata' - Maori for LOL/laugh out loud.

I also was shown this yesterday and learned to order my coffee in Maori!

Do you try and learn/use Maori in Maori Language Week? I love the sound of it; I genuinely wish it were a compulsory subject in NZ <3

* sorry no macrons, they wouldn't work!

Thanks for that PDF Trudi, will definitley use in the future. I've been trying to learn more Te Reo during Maori language week, and am planning on going to an event Te Papa museum is holding this Sunday - should be fun! 

I love ktk, except it's a little hard to say out loud! I've seen a few posters for Te Reo Maori week around, but haven't really had a chance to learn any maori. 

i like learning things in other languages, i'm bilingual anyway.

Maori sounds amazing and i find the pronunciation pretty easy, which helps.

My other fave new word I learned is 'pukamata' (facebook)

This week my two kids had projects for school . My big girl did Kapa Haka (Perfoming Arts) and my son did his Pepeha in Assembly this afternoon. I have their Pepeha on the wall in their rooms and we say karakia (prayer) every night before bed . 

When I went to school there was no Maori beyond the national anthem. I hope it becomes a compulsory school subject because my knowledge is a bit non-existant. My pre-schooler knows more than I do! I'm happy for her but sad for me!

My grandchildren are all learning Maori and their different schools and they love it. It is good for them to be part of our full culture and I wish I was as confident of the ability to speak Maori.

It's generally Maori in our house every week because I love my language and speaking it.  I agree Trudi I wish it were a subject in all schools too.  I want my son growing up knowing his heritage so speak it when and where I can.  I love this week personally because I hear it everywhere and it really is a beautiful language.  I wish I could speak it more fluently but I understand more than I can speak.  

We don't go a day without speaking in te reo since Al five of my kids have Maori names. Plus we speak broken Maori in the whare with karakia mo te kai and the likes.
I teach in two schools te reo and had a daily quiz going at the intermediate with a poster competition compiled with a pukapuka mahi each student got a book which is 1100, then each class had a chance to enter their poster of the vowels for judging I had my five classes display theirs but the most outstanding class added qr codes to their poster which when scanned you hear tamariki sing the waiata arapu. I teach te reo in two decile 10 schools with the roll being 10%Maori and always stipulate how it's inclusive and special to all as it's part of our identity. Plus the culture goes hand in hand with the language you can t leave either out so we do go into more then then learning words or phrases but not too much with phrases just enough to be used and remembered. As they get 1 lesson per week, for 1hour at intermediate and 1lesson per week for 25mins in primary. I find students engaging, motivated & enthusiastic. Last week going into one class a student came up and showed me what he got from the library the Maori raupo dictionary which I pointed put how it could help with sentence structure but was very proud of him taking his interest outside of my classes. I've tried posting this numerous times but I think because of macrons on my kupu it wouldn't let me post, hope this works

I went to bilingual school a dn my grandmother never approved because one transliteration te reo and two she was punished for speaking her native tongue so saw no relevance for it to be learnt and for this she sent my mother and siblings 20kms further to be schooled with European farming children instead of the local country pa kids thankfully my parents kept me at this school I was too old for kohanga but kotahi my brother who continued onto kura kaupapa I then went to Maori boarding school so everything was in Maori even church. Like Ta Airana Ngata said, "e tipu e rea kia mau ki to reo mana kia kaha kai maia kia manawanui e te iwi Maori ka ora mo ake ake" holdonto our powerful language be strong be steadfast be heartfelt for our people live to forever.

That's really interesting to hear about your grandmother Keri, thanks for sharing! I do have to 100% agree about the Maori language being powerful. Whenever I hear anyone speaking even semi-fluently it's both beautiful and powerful sounding.