Learning Te Reo Maori, why it is important to learn your mother tongue.
In celebration of the Maori Language Week - Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, Mary Aue catches up with Dr Will Flavel (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Whatua).
WHAT DO YOU DO? I have two cool jobs! I work for Te Hononga Akoranga COMET as the Kaihautū Māori, where I get to connect with schools and community groups to find ways to challenge the education system to better cater for the learning needs of Māori learners and their whānau.
Secondly, I am elected to the Henderson-Massey Local Board. This is my fourth term, so I get to be at the decision-making table, listening to the community about local issues and supporting their dreams and aspirations
HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SPEAK? Our beautiful indigenous language, te reo Māori, A bit of Samoan, Japanese and English, of course.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE WANTING TO LEARN TE REO MĀORI? Consistency is key - immerse yourself in te reo Māori every day. Surround yourself with the language, use it positively, find a learning buddy, and practice conversing regularly to accelerate your learning journey.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LEARN YOUR MOTHER TONGUE? I am a strong advocate for people to learn their heritage language! The loss of a language is a loss of a particular worldview. I live in Tāmaki Makaurau where many languages are spoken in our diverse city. I also love seeing the resurgence of te reo Māori in our schools and public. However, we must continue to push for more funding and resources to support language learning in Aotearoa.
HAVE YOU TAKEN ANY CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES PACIFIC LANGUAGE CLASSES BEFORE? WHICH ONE? Over many years, I have taken Gāgana Sāmoa.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT PARTICULAR CLASS? WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT IT? I have loved learning Gāgana Samoa over the last few years. As a former teacher at Rutherford College, I had many Pasifika students learn te reo Māori. I thought to myself, if Pasifika students are going to learn my heritage language, I should take up the challenge and learn a Pasifika language. That's the reason why I started doing the classes. I enjoy practising speaking with my Samoan friends too. The last time I was in Samoa was when I volunteered with friends to help out with the measles epidemic, and I hope to return sometime soon.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND CENTRE FOR PACIFIC LANGUAGES? Yes!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE Te reo Māori whakatauki? Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua – Look back and reflect, so that you can move forward.
So’o le fau i le fau – Unity is strength.
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