Testimonials

Several months ago, I started investigating for a course, to allow me to learn Te Reo Maori. Everywhere I looked, the learning Institution’s were full up with waiting lists of people wanting to learn Te Reo. I searched online and found a Maori Language Study Course called “Reo Ora Ko Te Pū For beginners Level 1 and 2. That looked to be for me. I wanted a course that would allow me to study at my pace, which had support online learning, and interaction with other learning students, as well as a tutor online once a week to facilitate a classroom learning environment, and answer all those questions that come with learning something new. Reo Ora also offered great payment options, if required for me, and the pricing structure was reasonable. The course also provides self-assessments during the period of the course so you can track and know where your strengths are, and of cause where you need to spend more study time on specific chapter content. Nine weeks into Reo Ora program, my knowledge of the structure of the language, and my vocab has increased dramatically, and of course, my “kōrerorero” of the language in actual sentences that are structured correctly, not just words are thrown together. Look, I have a long way to go before I reach my personal goal of “Whakahuatanga matatau” at a level, Ngā tāngata actually can understand what I am saying.

If you want to succeed with this learning language program then below are the points I believe I need to do to achieve:

• Set a study goal of at least 10 hrs per week (turn the TV off)
• Study in a quiet place
• Every day practice pronounciation of vowels and follow the practice exercises in your course documentation. Very good!
• Learn to record yourself, and hear how good/bad, you sound on your own computer/ laptop
• Practice Practice Practice
• Revision every 2 weeks so you don’t forget what you already have learned
• Ensure you attend every weekly Virtual classroom learning hour. Its great being among other ngā akonga ako te reo
• Remember it’s not a race and don’t beat yourself up if things are not always right. With practice, they will come right

Finally, this course is for all ages. Young and not so young. At 67 years of age, I am finding this course mīharo. My confidence in speaking te reo is at a level that pushes me to go on further after this course comes to an end. The course has now shown me to go and think outside the square and create sentences that mean something, and I can practice and help fill taku pukapuka o ngā kupu hou.

So I say to all that are pānui raro

“Kaore e taea e koe te ako i te kuri tawhito he tinihanga hou”.

Ae  ka taea e koe!

Taku Mihi

Liquid Financial Advice’s owner and director Peter Moore is currently doing the Reo Ora course, motivated by his whānau history.

“My grandmother spoke fluent Te Reo, then my dad was told he shouldn’t as it would impact on his ability to get ahead – it also meant I was never given the opportunity – looking back, it’s a tragedy.

“So, I looked around for ages trying to find ways to learn Te Reo, researching textbooks and a range of other options. Then I came across Reo Ora. I’ve come such a long way with this course, which is great through the app as I’m too busy to attend lectures.

“Te Reo has a grammar structure that is crucial to understand – the way this course is structured has helped me to pick that up. I’ve learnt a lot. Discovering my language has been a privilege – it would have been lovely to have had the opportunity to kōrero with my grandmother,” Mr Moore said.

Kia ora – I have been learning Te Reo Māori on and off for 30 odd years since our first two boys started at kohanga reo – I have done many different courses at a few different institutions which I have always enjoyed. From my learning journey so far, and the experience I have had with many different teachers and courses, I can fully and confidently endorse the Reo Ora programme and its associated resources. Rāpata is a native speaker of Te Reo Māori. He is patient and understanding of the learning process when it comes to language acquisition. He is kind and funny and has a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and experience in teaching Te Reo Māori to students at any level. Tēnā koe Rāpata.

Ngā mihi.

Ko Te Reo Māori te mauri o te mana Māori

For anyone wanting to learn the Reo in a diverse and technological environment, I whole heartedly recommend Reo Ora. COVID-19 has shown us that working and learning differently changes our normal to a new normal.

This programme is user friendly, with all the processes and systems in place to make it the success that it is. Classes are amazing and others get to participate online and join the class.

The content is fun, easy to retain and you can go on demand if you have missed a class. One hour a day for mahi kainga and the exercises you are asked to participate in on the app. Māmā noaiho. Easy as.

I am writing to express my support for Dr. Rāpata Wiri and the online interactive te reo Māori learning module that he has recently developed for use with organisations. Manaaki Whenua late last year contracted Rapata to provide a 3-month beginner and intermediate learning programme for a cohort of 15 staff located at several different sites across Aotearoa.

The sessions utilised our in-house Skype for Business video-conference platform and Rāpata’s excellent online learning app, Rāpata’s teaching style was highly interactive and engaging, with universally positive feedback from the course participants. He has a relaxed and inclusive teaching style which went a long way towards fostering the ongoing enthusiasm of those who participated in the programme.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Rāpata to other organisations. We have an ongoing demand for these courses. They’re particularly attractive because they allow work colleagues to learn together across multiple sites. Noho ora mai.

Kia ora! Konnichiwa! My name is Minako Hama and I live in Tokyo, Japan. My interest in learning Māori language and culture began in 2017 when I first visited Aotearoa. I was amazed with the spirituality and culture of the Māori people and found many similarities between Māori and Japanese cultures. I was fortunate to participate in Rāpata’s te reo Māori classes during the recent Covid-19 lockdown and join his classes with his whānau, through Zoom, from Japan.

I learnt karakia – Māori prayers, waiata – songs, cultural explanations and Te Reo Māori. I enjoyed the social interaction with other Māori in the classes and found the pronunciation of Māori similar to Japanese.

I enjoyed Rāpata’s teaching. His style is interactive, fun, engaging and informative. He is an excellent teacher and language coach. The Reo Ora programme helped me develop a deep spiritual connection to the Māori culture and language. It also helped gain more confidence in saying Māori words and phrases.

I highly recommend Reo Ora to all peoples and cultures of the world who are interested in learning the Māori language and culture.

Rāpata has a tremendous amount of patience and was able to recognize each individual’s uniqueness with their learning & catered for them. I’m dyslexic with a delay response time of processing thoughts.

Rāpata has a natural way, to merge in with people of all walks of life. A true sense of connection with my learning was made for the first time of my 40 plus yrs. Kia Ora Rāpata, ngā mihi aroha ki a koe.

My Te Reo Māori journey has started and stopped a couple of times in my life, but never had I experienced such a truly rich and rewarding experience, like I did when I joined Rāpata’s “Ngāti Ruapani Reo Wananga” in 2019. Rāpata helped me to combat my fear and whakamā of learning to kōrero Te Reo Māori. Rāpata was able to expertly weave the learning of Te Reo Māori, alongside learning our Tribal histories into an amazing experience for people who were lucky enough to be a part of this wānanga.

Rāpata has a fun, empathetic, and safe way of teaching, which builds good confidence in students of all levels, ages and capabilities. Rāpata provided us with all the necessary e-Books, online learning apps, resources and materials we needed, but then on top of that, exposed us to amazing speakers and experts in their respective fields, to compliment his teaching and our learning. Two things I appreciated the most about Rāpata, is that:

1. Rāpata truly cares about his students, and goes that extra mile to help when we were struggling.
2. Rāpata loves teaching and is passionate about sharing his knowledge selflessly, and is very generous of heart and spirit in his teaching style, and as a person. I respect him for this.

Thank you Rāpata for helping me immensely in my ongoing journey with learning Te Reo Māori, I wish you all the best.

I have spent years growing my reo and found Rāpata is engaging and supported me to participate as an adult learner. The learning structure and use of technology, supported me to grow my reo. The Reo Ora programme is clear and supportive for those with little time and a desire to learn Te Reo Rangatira.