Te Wānanga o Aotearoa_Te Reo Māori_Te Pīnakitanga

Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi

Full immersion classes

Level 7
Noho learning
No fees
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa_Te Reo Māori_Te Pīnakitanga

Tirohanga whānui

At this advanced stage of your reo journey, you’ll refine fluency and expression to a high level. Learning will focus on critical analysis, advanced translation, and the confident use of reo across both formal and informal settings.

You’ll also engage deeply with oral traditions — from pūrākau and waiata to karanga and whaikōrero — strengthening your voice as a reo Māori leader. Through immersion and research, you’ll grow the capability to others and contribute to the ongoing revitalisation of te reo Māori.

He aha tāu ka whiwhi?

Skills you'll leave with

Your reo is refined through advanced immersion and critical practice. You’ll:

  • Use te reo Māori fluently and precisely across complex contexts

  • Analyse, critique, and express ideas and theories confidently in te reo

  • Apply advanced language, metaphor, and register in formal and informal settings

  • Lead kōrero and kaupapa independently, guided by tikanga

  • Research and evaluate topics that support the growth and revitalisation of te reo Māori

Mā te mahi ka ako

Learn by doing

Your reo development will be shaped through immersive practice. You’ll:

  • Take part in noho marae and wānanga where advanced reo and tikanga are lived and shared

  • Engage in translation, analysis, and debate to sharpen your reo and critical thinking

  • Explore oral traditions, including waiata, haka, karanga, and whaikōrero, applying them in authentic contexts

  • Grow your confidence to lead and contribute in advanced marae and community settings

Ngā ara e wātea ana

Where will this take me?

On completion, you’ll be ready to:

Keep studying
Advance your reo abilities with our master's programme, Te Tohu Paerua o Te Reo Kairangi.

Career opportunities
Your advanced reo skills can support roles such as:

  • Translator or interpreter

  • Teacher (from early learning through to tertiary)

  • Cultural advisor, education coordinator, or consultant

  • Liaison or mediator

  • Broadcaster, marketer, or positions in public and private sectors where reo Māori adds value

You may also be able to take on a kaiako role for lower level te reo programmes. 

Community involvement
As a graduate, you’ll be equipped to support and lead kaupapa Māori across kāinga, marae, and hapori, strengthening te reo Māori for generations to come.

He meka

Quick facts

  • Level 7 (Advanced)
  • 120 Credits
  • 40 Weeks
  • NZ Diploma in Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi Level 7
  • No fees
  • NZQA Accredited
  • Marae Experience

Paearu whakauru

Entry criteria

You can enrol if you: 

  • Are 16 years or older 

  • Are a NZ citizen or resident (includes Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau) or Australian citizen/permanent resident 

  • Currently reside in New Zealand 

  • Have completed a te reo Māori qualification at level 6 OR

  • Pass an assessment of your reo level

  • Attend an interview or information hui with the kaiako

Te wā

Time commitment

This programme is:  

  • Full-time  

  • 120 credits  

  • 40 weeks long 

  • Noho-based, with weekly kura whakaako

Kōnae ako

Learning modules

Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?

Where and when can I learn?

No classes are currently open for application.

Kaupapa anamata

Upcoming events

Close up of a red and black korowai

He Puāwaitanga Tauranga 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Tauranga

Bethlehem Baptist Church - 90 Bethlehem Road, Tauranga
Free
Graduation ceremony outside the wharenui

He Puāwaitanga Tāmaki Makaurau 2026, 4 - 6 May 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Auckland

Church Unlimited - 3 Te Atatu Road, Glendene, Auckland 0610
Free
Two hands clasp a korowai cloak together

He Puāwaitanga Waiwhero 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Rotorua

390 Fenton Street, Rotorua
Free
Hands clasping a korowai cloak together

He Puāwaitanga Whakatāne 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Whakatāne

67 Keepa Road, Coastlands, Whakatāne
Free
Graduating students watch the awards stage

He Puāwaitanga Kawerau 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Kawerau

Rautahi Marae - 117 Onslow Street, Kawerau
Free
Close up of a red and black korowai

He Puāwaitanga Whirikoka 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Gisborne

Gisborne War Memorial Theatre - 159 Bright Street, Gisborne
Free
Close up of someone wearing a korowai

He Puāwaitanga Ōpōtiki 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Ōpōtiki

Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre - 127 Church Street, Ōpōtiki
Free
A woman in graduation robes and a man hongi outside the wharenui

He Puāwaitanga Waihōpai 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Invercargill

Southern Institute of Technology - 133 Tay Street, Invercargill 9810
Free

Pitopito kōrero o te wā

Latest news

MoU signing ceremony

Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership 

Te Tatau and Te Ngaru

Upholding reo Māori beyond kura kaupapa

At 18 years old, Te Tatau Strother walked into his first Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa feeling like the youngest voice in a room full of experienced reo Māori speakers.

Rich and Riri Rio

Weaving a shared journey of growth

What began as an opportunity to learn something new for Riri (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Pākehā) and Rich Rio (Kuki Airani, Ngāti Maniapoto) grew into a journey of confidence, deeper connection to te ao Māori, and a shared sense of purpose as husband and wife.

Elizabeth Harvey

Cambridge Museum project guided by wānanga tikanga studies

Cambridge Museum manager, Elizabeth Harvey, is combining her tikanga studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with her passion for local history, to support the museum’s Voices of Cambridge project.

Tātai Whetu

Wānanga launches first of their kind mātauranga Māori certificates, marking a new era for Indigenous knowledge education

Responding to the growing needs and aspirations of tauira, iwi and communities, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is breaking new ground with the launch of 2 new Level 4 certificates that will be the first standalone programmes of their kind in Aotearoa.

Almaz_Bergz

Learning tikanga to strengthen community work

After making the move to Aotearoa in 2014 from Germany, Almaz Bergz set out to gain a better understanding of the people, whenua, and culture that shape life here.

Marlena_Martin

Thriving as a kaiako after He Korowai Ākonga

When Marlena Martin began her studies in He Korowai Ākonga – Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) in 2023, she never imagined where it would take her and how much she would grow as an individual.

Hands holding a hei tiki pounamu

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new international reo Māori learning

iReo is a flexible, self-directed, online short course made up of 5 standalone modules, each running over 6 weeks. Learners can study at their own pace, weaving te reo Māori into everyday life alongside work, whānau, and other commitments.

Jane_Dungey

Wānanga business programme helps launch The Dog Nanny

Ōtautahi local Jane Dungey turned her passion for animals into The Dog Nanny after completing the Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Manaaki Tangata - Craig Kara

From closed doors to open pathways

After the closure of Grace Foundation Whanganui, Craig Kara used his Manaaki Tāngata studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to create Te Ara Kimihia, a kaupapa supporting tāne toward positive futures. His journey of healing, leadership, and transformation now inspires others to find their own pathway forward.

Olly Jonas and Neville King

Governance grounded in te ao Māori for future generations

Discover how Māori governance grounded in te ao Māori is shaping future generations. Learn about Manu Taiko – Toro Parirau, a unique programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that empowers whānau with tikanga-based leadership and decision-making skills.

Te Rita Papesch, musician, educator, and kapa haka stalwart,

Companion of Te Apārangi, Champion of Te Reo Māori

Te Rita Papesch, musician, educator, and kapa haka stalwart, has been inducted as a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. Discover her inspiring journey of music, haka, and te reo Māori, and how her lifelong dedication to Māori culture shaped generations.

1 / 12
Share Share
Feedback