New Year, New You - How to start learning maori in the New Year

Kia ora! Since it is the new year, I thought I'd change up the format, we will still have a whakatauki, then I thought I'd share my thoughts on language acquisition, and answer some common questions that pop up, and share some person experiences.

Whakatauki - E tia, me te wheke e pupuru ana. [Te Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo, pg. 54]

- regular exposure is the key. - focus on the sound of the language. - track your time spent exposed to the language. - the only resources you need are: something to listen to something to track your exposure Te Wiremu Maori Dictionary

- when trying to express yourself in the reo, ask: 'how would I express this if I had no knowledge of English?'

- common questions, thoughts, and concerns: question - how long will it take to become fluent? answer - It's better to change your perspective, ask instead 'how long will it take to express myself in the reo?' This answer gives your the flexibility to build upon your experience. If you have no knowledge of the reo expressing yourself could be as simple as 'Matekai au' - I'm hungry, 'Kei te ako au.' - I'm learning.

question - should I buy a reo maori course? answer - A course gives you the opportunity to be held accountable, be part of a community of like-minded individuals pursuing a similar goal, and access to someone that is more knowledgeable in the reo than you are that can act as a source of help for you. A course isnt necessary but if you are the type of person that feels will benefit doing a course, then go with what you think is best.

question - What books should I use? I hear the Scotty Morrison books are good for beginners? answer - You can purchase and use any books you like if you think it will be beneficial. My outlook is that we are all naturally lazy, the less things we need to do, the less friction there is, the less thinking involved the more likely we are to continue with it. The reason why I recommend Te Wiremu Maori Dictionary as the sole book of study is that it is free, fairly easy to navigate, has a nice structure - it has a word, gives a definition, and has an example sentence (though not all the time). It's also a good resource to just browse the book, to increase your time exposed to the language.

question - Should I learn my pepeha? answer - It's up to you really. Pepeha is a means to draw connections between you and the people you are encountering. It's finding a common ancestor, iwi, waka etc to whakawhaunga with each other. If you want to pepeha, then the general format is: maunga, awa, waka, iwi, marae, whanau, you.

question - I live overseas. How can I learn the reo when nobody around me speaks it or even knows about it? answer - Kia ora! We are in the same waka. I've lived overseas, and continue to do so. 6 years ago I decided I would start my journey to improve my reo. I followed the above steps and have reached the point I am at in my life now.

question - I don't agree with the commercialisation or productisation of our reo maori, we shouldn't have to purchase our language after it was forcefully taken away from our ancestors. answer - We have all felt the effects of past injustices, and continue to feel them today. Let me ask this, "Will you start today reclaiming your own reo maori?" You don't need a course to help you reclaim your reo maori, you don't even need to pay anything. You can reach the level I am at doing the same things I did. Regular exposure to the reo, and consistency. I'm 6 years in, and I'm excited to see where I will be in another 6 years. Play the long game.

question - Wouldn't my time be better spent learning a more "beneficial" language? answer - Define 'beneficial'?, define which language you think would be better to spend your time on? Now ask yourself "Why have I not starting learning it?, Will I start today?" Ultimately, you do you. Don't rely on what you think you 'should' do.

question - What listening content do you recommend? answer - Ideally you want to listen to the same few thi