Huakina te tatau
Start your reo journey
Curious about why te reo Māori sounds the way it does? Explore the sounds, patterns, and tikanga that shape the language. See how words, rhythm and culture connect. There are four connected parts that bring the language to life:
Learn how reo Māori sounds and fits together
Use basic reo Māori in everyday situations
Recognise cultural expressions and tikanga that shape the language
Understand the value and significance of te reo Māori in Aotearoa today
Learn through examples and activities that bring the language to life. Feel confident to introduce yourself, recognise local expressions, and explore the stories behind words. You’ll gain understanding that helps you connect more deeply with the language and its people.
Designed for real-life contexts, this programme focuses on beginning your reo journey. Build a strong foundation for both the language and the culture before you move to higher levels of study.
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
What you’ll gain from this programme
You’ll be able to:
Use and pronounce basic reo Māori in familiar, everyday situations
Describe key features of reo Māori grammar
Recognise and describe tikanga (Māori customs) in context
Explain the cultural and national significance of te reo Māori in Aotearoa
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
You will get to:
Practice speaking te reo Māori with other tauira
Develop your listening skills to support real-world use of Māori words and phrases
Practice tikanga and cultural concepts in familiar contexts
Reflect on your personal reo journey
Research the history of te reo Māori in Aotearoa
Develop tools to work through uncertainty, discomfort, and fear caused by language trauma and past challenges with learning
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
Keep studying:
Progress your studies with one of the following programmes:
At work:
This programme may support careers in these industries:
Language support assistant and administration
Education
Early Learning including Kōhanga Reo
Primary – rumaki syndicates, Kura Kaupapa Māori
Secondary – teacher aide, alternative education, neurodiversity support
Tourism and retail
Forward facing customer service and people engagement
Support to advisory roles
Health
Forward facing customer support/service and people engagement
Support to advisory roles
Support to cultural departments
Social Services
Kaiāwhina
Support to cultural and language advisors
Broadcasting
Support to cultural and language advisors
Forward facing people engagement support
Community involvement:
Support your community, whānau, hapū, or iwi with:
Whakapapa
Tikanga
Iwi, hapū, marae trustee
Papakāinga/reserves trustee
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 1 (Introductory)
- 20 Weeks
- NZ Certificate in Te Kahupapa o te Reo (Kaupae 1)
- No fees
- NZQA Accredited
- Beginner-friendly
- 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
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Full-time
60 credits
20 weeks long (includes holiday breaks)
Classroom-based, with workshops and noho marae
Kōnae ako
Learning modules
Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?
Where and when can I learn?
Kaupapa anamata
Upcoming events
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new reo Māori programmes to help te reo thrive for generations to come
For over four decades, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has created pathways for generations of tauira to learn, speak, teach and live te reo Māori. That legacy has supported the return of te reo Māori to everyday life, from whānau learning their first kupu, to tauira carrying reo onto marae, and into workplaces, classrooms and homes.
Turning a passion for rongoā into community healing
Rongoā Māori has always been part of Patricia Tangira-Falwasser's life, but it was her studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that deepened her knowledge and inspired her to start a business that now serves her wider community.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi claims gold at Waka Ama World Championship
Ken Henry (Te Whakatōhea, Waikato-Tainui) is a Tauira Support Advisor at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Whakatāne campus who took home gold at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore in August.
A passion for taonga Māori takes Chanel to Oxford
What started as a desire to strengthen her reo Māori has taken Chanel Coromandel (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Whanaunga) on an unexpected path, leading to an opportunity to contribute to the care and preservation of taonga Māori at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
