Over the years I have been wanting to learn Te Reo Māori. It is a beautiful sounding language and is an important asset to any New Zealander in understanding Māori culture. It is of particular importance to every New Zealand teacher, as their use and encouragement of Te Reo will help the language to grow and flourish, and show the next generation of New Zealanders its importance. By giving the language a place in the classroom, we in turn show that using the language, for our Māori students, is of great value.
My problem is that I’m not the best when it comes to learning languages. I never have been. I suspect that to learn enough for me to fluently rattle of sentences will require both time and dedication, and then some more time. This, however, is very difficult to find in the teaching profession. There has been murmurings that Te Reo support for teachers should be a priority for the government if it is serious about upskilling educators to pass on the language to the next generation.
However, I shall not give up, and I have begun to compile a selection of common phrases teachers often use in the classroom, in the hope that some of these will stick for me, and become a little more natural as I work towards learning Te Reo Māori.
Directions and Instructions
| E tu | Stand Up |
| E noho | Sit Down |
| Haere mai | Come here |
| Haere atu | Off you go |
| Kia tere! | Be quick / Quickly! |
| Rārangi mai/atu | Line up over here/there. |
| Rārangi ki waho/roto | Line up outside/inside |
| Whakamaua/Tangohia tō potae | Put on / Take off your hat |
| Katia/Huakina te kūaha | Open / Shut the door |
| Kuhu mai ki roto | Come inside |
| Hoki atu ki tō tūru | Go back to your seat |
Commands
| Titiro (mai) | Look (this way) |
| Huri mai | Turn this way |
| Huri atu | Turn away |
| Kia tau | Settle down |
| Taihoa | Wait |
| Kāti | That’s enough |
Praise and Encouragement
| Ka Pai | Very good |
| Ka mau te wehi! | Awesome! |
| Mīharo! | Wonderful! |
| Ka taea e koe! | You can do it! |
Questions
| Kei hea tō pukapuka/pene rākau? | Where is your book/pencil? |
| Kei hea ia? | Where is he/she? |
| Nā wai tēnei pukapuka? | Whose book is this? |
| Kua reri? | Are you ready? |
Have you got any more phrases or vocabulary that you use in your classroom?
Please comment your ideas below!
Notes:
Thanks to Tom Robinson for his guide to macron use in HTML.
Another great idea is to learn a word a day. Here are 365 of them! NZ History
This is another great resource I suggest getting your hands on! He Reo Ora