I have very much enjoyed Te Reo and Tikanga lessons with Jack. He made them fun and low stress (“every mistake is an opportunity to learn”) with his engaging and positive manner and incredible knowledge of the subject. Understanding the cultural and linguistic foundations of commonly heard elements of Tikanga Maori has made a huge difference to me and led me to love making Te Reo part of my daily life in written and spoken form... Learning Te Reo gives me an insight into how Tāngata Whenua construct reality and allows us to see into that construct for ourselves, not just read about it or see it from the outside… and that’s only after a few lessons!

Each lesson was so much more than learning words or phrases, but involved really understanding what they meant, their origins and learning more broadly about Te Ao Māori and Tikanga principles. The course has provided me with an invaluable start to a lifelong journey as a learner of Te Reo Māori.

As a young Māori who had never been exposed to formal education around my language or culture, the ability to learn the basics of te reo in a safe environment while also absorbing context around the history of Māori culture, kept me engaged and excited to attend every class. For that reason alone I would jump at any opportunity to re-join another Te Tari course as I know I will still learn invaluable knowledge around my culture in a fun and engaging way.

The course presented te Reo and Tikanga in an integrated way which made sense and enhanced the learning.