RONGO app- listening/speaking and pronunciation.

 

“We love Rongo’s focus on learning through speaking. Te reo Māori is traditionally a spoken language, and some practitioners believe it’s better to learn it through listening and speaking, rather than reading and writing.

In each lesson, the voice of a kaiako (teacher) will speak phrases which you’ll repeat back. On-board language processing (of the same kind used by digital assistants such as Alexa or Siri) assess whether you’ve pronounced the phrase correctly. If you have, the kaiako moves on – if not, you’re provided with the spelling of the word to help you practise and get it right.

There are 24 lessons, each with at least 10 new words to learn. The focus isn’t necessarily on developing vocabulary, but on building confidence in pronunciation, which is a more foundational skill. By the final level, you’ll be able to pronounce the most complex Māori words and easily string them together. At the end of each lesson, you can read the English translations for the phrases you learned.

The method does rely on having a quiet space where you can hear and speak into your phone, which could be a limitation for some. If you can, we recommend turning off the lights and closing your eyes during lessons – it can make for a very meditative experience!”

Source: Consumer: By Nick Gelling

Product Test Writer | Kaituhi Whakamātau Hautaonga

 

Tatau- An app for learning to count and use numbers in Māori

Tatau makes learning the Māori counting system into a game. You are timed as you attempt to translate numerals like “2023” into spoken Māori – e rua mano, e rua tekau mā toru. The numbers begin at a single digit and work up to six-digit behemoths.

It’s a simple app but the gamification is extremely effective. High scores are global and public, so if you do well, you can proudly trumpet your name for all to see. Use that as motivation, and in no time, you’ll know tahi to iwa without even thinking. Try to beat my score of 1896 points!

Tip: if you’re new to numbers in Māori, or your knowledge ends at e iwa tekau mā iwa, tap “Learn” in the main menu for a quick crash course before you jump into the game.

 

The Open Polytechnic (Kuratini Tuwhera) has an online course (Level 1) for Beginner level te reo learners.  Te Pōkaitahi Reo (Te Kaupae 1) or New Zealand Certificate in Te Reo (Bilingual) (Level 1). 

The aim of the course is to build a foundational knowledge and understanding in Te reo. It looks at the culture and worldview embedded in te reo Māori, as well as grammar and technical knowledge at a foundational level.

The course is free.

The course is made up of 4 modules which need to be
completed in order. Each module is worth 15 credits and to gain the certificate you need to complete the 60 credits in all four modules. The website suggests putting aside 10 hours work per credit.  The qualification must be completed within 3 years.

 

Have trouble with your a's and your o's. Confused with tōku and tāku? Do I need to use i or ki? If you would like to learn more about grammar then this book could be a good self study guide. 

David Kārena - Holmes has a background in learning Italian and studying Linguistics. Married to a native speaker, his own te reo journey led to him working as a tutor at Otago Polytechnic where he became interested in the grammar of Māori. This book is an outcome of that journey. A resident in Whakatū (Nelson) for several years (where he wrote a successful series of te reo Grammar articles for the Nelson Mail) he has recently returned to Otakou.

The title of this pukapuka Te Reo Māori- the basics explained says it all really.

It is a look at the basic ways that phrases and sentences are constructed (syntax) while also unpicking the morphology of words- how words are formed. It is well set out, with well sign posted sections, and rather than being a text book that you study from cover to cover, operates as a text which you can dip in and out of in the quest to conquer the challenges of learning about possessives, verb and noun phrases, determiners and particles.

This book will help. It may clear some issues up for you. It may act as a springboard for learning more.

There are some copies floating about in various parts of the Health school throughout the motu- so ask someone in the TKW at your site if they have a copy that they could share with you. 

 

 

 

 

For many years the Te Rangatahi series (Books 1-3) were the only Māori textbooks available. If you learned Te reo back in the 1970’s at High school and University then this was the pukapuka in use. They were written by the late Hoani Waititi (there is a marae named after him in West Auckland and his grand nephew is a Member of Parliament) who was a Kaiako at Queen Victoria (Kuini Wikitoria) College and Hato Tipene  Tamaki Makaurau, but also held positions at Ardmore Teachers College and the Ministry of Education. 

The title Te Rangatahi comes from the whakatauki- “ka hao te rangatahi.” “The new net goes fishing.” (the old net is cast aside).  

The 3 books (they get progressively more difficult as you progress from books 1 to 3) follow the lives of Hata, Pani, Tamahae and Mere- with their buddies Rewi and Marama in a small rural Tai Rawhiti village (based on Hoani Waititi’s home marae at Cape Runaway (Whangaparaoa) amongst his iwi- Te whānau- a – Apanui) It is a beautiful snapshot of a changing cultural landscape and elicits so much nostalgia for not only te reo learners from back in the day, but anyone remembering the 1960’s and 1970s. You will go with the whanau on several trips and celebrate different occasions- te pikiniki, te kanikani, te whakangau poaka, te rama tuna. There are a host of activities with the addition of new vocabulary and grammar. There are some simple exercises to complete- such as cloze exercises and whakapakehatia and whakamāoritia (translations from Maori to Pakeha and visa versa). However, the greatest joy is learning within the unique context of a small rural Māori community. Maybe I am too nostalgic- but these stories are great fun and there is lots of good learning to be had.

Scour those second hand bookshops and look out on Trademe- these books are gold!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Te Aka is a Māori online dictionary with Māori to English and English to Māori translations. Te Aka should sit in your tool bar as a useful support mechanism for your Te reo journey.

Te Aka started life as a dictionary in book form created by John Moorfield from AUT in Tamaki makaurau. You can purchase the app for your phone- but I think there is a small cost. There are about 24,000 head words in the dictionary.

You will also find that there are dialectual differences as well to take into account. For many new learners of Māori they are surprised when they learn that some iwi and rohe (regions) may have a different kupu (word) or grammar or pronunciation. Don’t let this put you off, as if anything- this makes the language even more interesting and dynamic.

Like any dictionary- be aware that some words may suit some occassions and context- so just saying that you found the word in the dictionary may not be enough!

 

Drops is another phone app- a language learning device that is available in 45 different languages (the company also owns Kahoot and other apps). They have a Māori version but you may wish to share Drops with students learning other languages.

It is free- or you can pay for upgrades- as the free version has a daily limit based around a five minute activity. It is interactive with visual/word association (matching activities) with the aim to develop your vocabulary around a pool of 2000+ basic words. Some ākonga in a night class I am involved in have loved it as it gives them a daily burst of learning that reviews and reinforces  basic common or high frequency vocabulary such as animals, face and body, colours and food.  

Check it out. It’s free and it may just be the learning tool that suits you.