Te Ataarangi is a very distinctive reo learning approach, is based on a model of learning first developed in Europe.  It was first adapted to reo Māori in the late 1970's by Ngoi Pēwhairangi and Katerina Mataira, two staunch advocates for reo Māorie. It gives the highest priority to speaking and interacting in a group.  

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"Te Ataarangi, (I) just found that suited my learning style better...the process and the methodology of learning, and with our amazing kaiako, Whaea Te Mahoe, her style of teaching us."

- Tau Careswell, Te Huanui December 2024

 

"Everybody was making mistakes and it was fun.  It wasn't scary. Making mistakes was how we learnt. No one put any pressure on you to get it right. No one made a fool of you.”

Jesse Jenkins, December 2024

 

Here are the five key features of Te Ataarangi you should know:

1. Fluency from the start:  All our learning is done in reo immersion. Right from the very first word you become fluent without needing to translate.  Then each lesson is structured to gradually build your reo.

2. Learn by listenting and speaking:  Repeated practice of spoken reo helps tune your ability to hear what sounds right and what sounds wrong.  Before long you feel comfortable hearing reo and working out what people are saying.  You can feel in control of your learning.

3. A close circle of supportive fellow learners:  Being in the same small group of learners each week builds your confidence to speak more.  Your group becomes your best support to continue speaking, not judging you or pushing you faster than you are able to go.

4. No assessments:  We don't run examinations.  We don't give formal qualifications that place external criteria on your learning (although Ataarangi has tried in the past to work in tertiary education). Your best qualification is your ability to kōrero Māori and participate in reo rumaki (immersion).

5. It's about communities:  For over forty years Te Ataarangi has run classes in communities.  Just low-key small community groups getting on with learning reo together.  Te Ataarangi online gives people access to reo Māori across Aotearoa and around the world.

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"What is a tohu (qualification) if you can't speak? If I can't turn up to my workplace and kōrero confidently with my patients, or I can't kōrero with others then what's that tohu worth? I see the value in the fact that I can now speak it and I never could three years ago."

- Brownwyn Gullivich, December 2024

 

Nō reira he aha nei e rerekē ana ki te ipurangi?    So how does Te Ataarangi online work?

For many years Te Ataraangi has been reluctant to use online learning. That's because of concerns that there would not be the close personal connections between ākonga (learners) and their kaiako (tutors) which is such a big part of Te Ataarangi's kaupapa. The best support for your reo is the community of speakers you build around you. For this reason, we have been trialling extensively how we might run online reo Māori classes. We have used the advanced features of Zoom while creating and testing new online resources to support the rākau method being used easily in online classes. We have evidence that ākonga can build connections and learn the reo effectively online. We are confident that our programmes will create that sense of community for ākonga (learners) no matter where they are living. 

"There were 10 regulars. Every week they kept turning up. At the end of it we found out that we were turning up for each other."

- Jesse Jenkins, Te Huanui December 2024
 

  Here are five benefits of learning the reo online:

 

1. You access some of the most experienced Ataarangi kaiako available.  No matter where they live they can run classes, give presentations and provide tutorials.

2. There is no travel or venue costs saving everyone time and money.  You may not need to arrange childcare.  Your children or mokopuna can sit alongside you as you learn and use your reo.  There are costs for providing online resources, Kaiako and Zoom support, but they are considerably less expensive.

3. Are you travelling?  No problem, take your device with you and find some WiFi.  While we always advise that you attend class in person if you absolutely can't make it to class then watch the recorded lesson to catch up. We know how to use Zoom to make sure you return to your same breakout room (kopaiti) with your tutor and class mates.

4. We can group learners from particular regions or iwi together and provide tutors who have the same identity and distrinctive regional reo. These rōpū can help connect you with others from your rohe.  You'll need to let us know your preferred rohe/iwi connection in the registration form.

5. You can continue to practice while others are having their turn at speaking, just by muting your microphone.  The more you speak the faster you learn.  If you make mistakes that is just a natural part of learning.  As you correct your mistakes you become better at managing your learning by listening and speaking.

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"Only speaking Māori becase normal for that two hours every week, and every week I was looking forward to it. It was funny because I would get up the next day and be fumbling and mumbling my English. I'm like, "wow". I'm thinking Māori."

- Jesse Jenkins, Te Huanui December 2024

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He aha māu kia uru mai ai?    How do you join a Te Ataarangi online programme?

To get started all you need to do is register by filling in a short and simple form.  Once registered you can choose the course that suits your learning needs.  You will then receive an automatic response with a bank account number to deposit your payment. 

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We do not receive any Goverment funding so there is a cost for these programmes. Your payment covers pay for your tutor and the running costs of the programme operations. We are actively looking at ways to generate funding to get the price lower.

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The base cost for the programmne is $650 (inc. GST) for a 20-week programme.  Some courses might be more expensive.  You will soon have the option to make weekly pre-payments until you reach the cost price. 

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"I think it should be free. But obviously it's hard to do that. But (Te Huanui), it's definitely worth it. The content and just what you get out of it is worth it."

- Brownwyn Gullivich, December 2024​​