Tutor Spotlight: Manawaroa, Te Reo

What are the main components of the programme? 

Building on foundation Level 1 Te Reo, Level 2 focusses on expanding sentence structure, building vocab and three aromatawai (assessments) across the year. 

What do you like about teaching Te Reo? 

I love Te Reo Māori, I don’t ever want to see it die. As a fluent speaker who grew up in the language I feel as though I have a responsibility to ensure its survival, so I do my part by teaching it to others.   

What do you want your students to get out of the Level 2 programme?  

I want my students to come away from Level 2 Te Reo feeling confident about continuing their reo journey. 

What led you to become a Te Reo tutor? 

I sort of fell into teaching Te Reo – I had been asked many times if I would consider it in the past but timing never worked out. For this role, I knew one of the teachers Evan Hippolite who asked me to join the programme at the end of 2021, and if you knew Matua Evan then you know it’s impossible to say no, so here I am nearly two years later! 

Do you have any tips or advice for anyone wanting to start learning the basics of te reo? 

I get asked about tips and tricks for reo learners all the time and I think probably the tip I give out the most is to build your vocab – a new word a day is an awesome way to build your word count. By simply creating a habit of replacing the English word with a Māori kupu hou (new word) then eventually you’ll start replacing multiple words in a sentence. There are a ton of resources out there now so find some that work for you.   

What does Te Wiki o Te Reo mean to you?  

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is a great way to celebrate our language and recognise the journey it has been on, particularly the revitalisation period.  It’s a good time to think about your own aspirations for learning the language, dive in to the history of the language, and speak it (no matter your capability)!   

Manawaroa’s favourite resources: 

For beginners; 

• Everyday Māori on Instagram 
• Te Aka – Māori Dictionary 
• Māori Made Easy – YouTube videos and books 
• Taringa Podcast 

For more advanced; 

• Whakamāori Podcast - also available on Spotify or YouTube 
• Something for the People