Exposure To A Vast Majority Of Job Opportunities.

In 2023, living in a generation where competition for jobs is at an ever high – setting yourself apart from the crowd is a good way to cope. By presenting yourself as a multilingual professional, you immediately attract attention and employers will inevitably have a keen eye for what you offer.

Some of the top professions that spark interest are:

1. Translation Jobs.

With an increase of international travel, whereby we have tourists from all over the globe coming into New Zealand, there is a huge gap in the translation industry.

To give you better context – in September of 2022, data released showed that there were 151 million international tourists who visited the country. Now, with such enormous numbers, there is bound to be a surge in visitors that need translation services to better connect with the locals.  After all, the visitors might want to hear the description of the Māori culture and beliefs right from the horse’s mouth. Having a translator (you!) by their side is indispensable.

2. Sales.

One thing about sales is that it’s universal. Every company (whether big or small) is always looking out to sell their products in the market. Their top priority is always to sell sell and sell more.

Now imagine you –  coming into a sales team and offering your multilingual skill set. Mind you, this was a team that previously couldn’t connect with certain customers (ideal customers to be precise)  or ever dare to try and sell them on anything. I think it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that your addition to such a sales team could prove priceless. You would be able to tap into an evergreen market (of the Māori speakers) that will inherently boost the company sales which is also good news for you.

3. Teaching jobs.

Yes, now imagine you’ve learned the Māori language. But do you know that it could get even better?

Just like you when you initially set out to learn the language, there are tons of other people (potentially millions) who are ready to go the mile to learn the language too. You can enroll to become a teacher/tutor in various online platforms that offer the Māori course or maybe even opt to teach physically with physical students. The potential of getting a teaching role as a Māori tutor is so lucrative yet so overlooked. If you can hop onto it early, you are bound to achieve success.

Personal Growth.

Personal growth is all about improving your viability. And there is no better way to do that than through learning a language like Māori. In a world that is becoming ever-so competitive, improving yourself by being competent in all areas is the only way to cope.

Here are the 5 personal growth areas that will Māori will help you improve:

i) Mental Growth.
Through your studying process of the Māori language, you unwittingly think more, you become more analytical and your brain eventually develops. And again, learning Māori improves your mental amplitude as you face and overcome the challenges that come when learning a new language.

ii) Social Growth.
Social growth comes as a result of improved communication skills. When you learn Te Reo Māori, you become an active listener and a clearer speaker hence you can easily socialize with people of the same mold. Be it in the workplace, at school or even at the park. Basically, it will be easier for you to bond and form friendships with people who speak the Māori language – which can ultimately lead to more opportunities for you.

iii) Spiritual Growth.
You’ll become more spiritually adept because you can read and understand spiritual scriptures written in Māori language. The Te Paipera Tapu (full Māori Bible) is the version that most Māori communities have been using for over half a century – and it can be a great way to fill your spiritual cup. Even though the Biblical content might be similar to what you’ve already read, reading it in Māori improves your perspective and stampens your knowledge compared to before.

iv) Emotional Growth.
The Māori language represents the Māori people. And a common theme among the Māori people is that they are known to be cheerful and joyous in any undertaking. When you start using the Māori language, the Māori spirit of cheerfulness and joy will always surround you and through that, you will have found a constant source of happiness.

v) Economic Growth.
Speaking the Māori language is bound to open doors for you. Your chances of landing a role in the international scene vastly improves when you have the Māori language under your wing. And also, the likelihood of a conversation between you and another Māori speaker leading to a lucrative job opportunity should also not be underrated.

Allows You To Travel Confidently And Interact With New People.

A common reason as to why most people (maybe even you!) are afraid of traveling to new countries lies within the language barrier factor.

Arriving in, and navigating a foreign country (like New Zealand) can be quite the task if the native tongue is unfamiliar to you. It’s a given that –  when verbal communication is taken away from you, even the simplest tasks such as ordering room service, socializing with the locals or even asking for directions become intimidating. Fumbling through these awkward situations can be embarrassing if not confidence-draining. And on top of that, there might be misunderstanding which can culminate into you losing money or even worse – getting lost.

Sometimes because we want to avoid this, we end up paying extra charges for explorers and locals to act as our translators. So that’s why in our opinion, having a language like Māori in your repertoire is simply a no-brainer. Not only will you become more confident in your travels to New Zealand, but you’ll also:

1. Socialise better.
2. Save money.
3. Get to experience New Zealand culture on a different level.

And you know what?  New Zealand flights are also now set up to have announcements in the Māori language too. So it’s clear that – Māori’s impact is hitting deeper and deeper. We’d say – the sooner you grasp it, the better your travel experiences will be.

Access To More Information And Entertainment.

We live in an information era. Especially considering what the past 3 or 4 years have shown us (with the onset and progress of the Covid 19 pandemic), most people have had to live an almost in-house lifestyle. And with that, there has been a huge surge in the daily exposure to information through our phones, laptops and TV’s.

But what use is information consumption if it’s not elevating you?

Now, imagine if you could have the ability to consume information (that is actually useful) about the Māori people, their language and their culture. Imagine what that could do for your cultural diversity, imagine what that could do for your confidence, imagine what that could do for your social life. Heck, imagine what that could do for your economic status. By learning the Māori language, you’ll be able to engage with extensive information from within the Māori community. You’ll be able to read and understand their mythology, their way of life and also trace their existence all the way from their origin.

And when it comes to the entertainment part, you aren’t even ready! There are tons of Māori movies that depict the perfect picture of the Māori culture in its natural setting. If you are into culture and all things related to the ancient world, then Māori movies will do a good job for you.

Examples of Māori movies that will scratch your itch are like:

• Utu
• Whina
• Ngati
• Waru

You’ll Become Smarter.
Learning the Māori language (just like all other languages) makes you smarter because you know more words and grammar. Your memory improves, your attention span increases, your concentration heightens and your problem solving abilities become much much better.

But, why is becoming smarter even more important? (especially in 2023)

As you probably are well aware, the AI revolution is here. I’m pretty sure you’ve probably come across some great feats conducted by AI. We have AI like ChatGPT that probably answers and accomplishes anything a human could. AI will eventually improve and become even more better. So how do you counter this? Well, it’s by becoming smarter and increasing your skill sets and the value you bring to the market. Being multilingual by knowing other languages (like Māori) is a great step towards that.

Having a language like Māori under your belt allows you to stand out among everyone and everything else because you can transition that language knowledge into numerous job sectors (and we doubt AI could ever beat that) And the idea that because you are a bit aged you can’t become smarter is an absolute fad. If anything, your older years are your primal years and they are the times when learning the Māori language is easy and fun.

Conclusion.
The benefits of learning the Māori language speak for themselves. By learning how to communicate effectively with Māori, you are priming yourself for success. You’ll be able to reach more people – and it’s these same people that might be holding the keys to your success. So as we stretch further into the decade, why not endeavor into learning a language like Māori. It could change your world!