Tautoko App

The major focus with the first release of Tautoko - supporting the reo journey, is pronunciation, followed by this and that, pronouns and locatives. This description explains the units that you will work through, why these have been chosen for tautoko (support) and details about this app's other features. You will listen to fluent speakers of te reo Māori and be given time to repeat the kōrero aloud, in your own space, in your own time. This app gives you tautoko (support) to practice some key learning steps on your te reo Māori journey.

The first unit of Tautoko is pronouncing the single vowel sounds, a, e, i, o, u. Then you move onto the long vowel sounds that are a feature of te reo Māori. The use of macrons (when written) indicates that the vowel is to be elongated. The differentiation of these sounds is important and the use of the incorrect length of vowel sound can give the word a completely different meaning. Focus is given to all te reo Māori consonant sounds in this unit also.

Next, you’ll master diphthongs or vowel blends by practicing all possible combinations of vowels and consonant sounds. Since these differ significantly from English, repetition of this unit is encouraged. Some of the most common words in te reo Māori are used as examples when practicing diphthongs.

Referring to nouns in te reo Māori using the words tēnei and tēnā or tērā, which mean this and that, is the next unit of learning. Tēnei, meaning this here and the two variations of that tēnā and tērā as well as their plurals are repeated for you to learn. You will then practice this learning by translating from te reo Māori to English and back again. The ‘this and that’ unit is a short unit but repeating it periodically until it is engrained is necessary on the journey towards fluency.

The next unit, possessive pronouns, includes the words my, your, his/her, me and you, in both the singular and plural forms. As with the above units, after you practice each word individually, you will translate between Māori and English. Learning these words will help you with your pepeha (genealogy) and is helpful for basic introductions.

The personal pronoun unit that follows, repeats some of the pronouns in the previous unit but extends to include words like them, those two, and all of us. The word mātou in this unit, meaning me and them, does not have an equivalent in English. This is a unit that you will probably need to revisit a number of times on your reo journey.

The following unit focuses on locatives like on, in, under, and in between. This set of vocabulary is useful in contexts like; Kei runga te pukapuka i te tēpu (the book is on the table) to more complex applications like; Me waiho tēnei whakaaro ki te taha (This idea should be put to the side).

Quick games in Tautoko make learning fun, helping you to recap your learning or revisit an earlier unit. A feature of this app is that you are able to challenge friends to these learning games and keep score for added engagement. Games include most of the units mentioned plus the opportunity to practise the correct use of ‘i’ and ‘ki’. A tricky two letters with each having multiple meanings. A quick game will keep the vocabulary fresh and keep your reo Māori progressing.

Ko te reo kia tika, ko te reo kia rere, ko te reo kia Māori (Ensure the Māori language is correct, let it flow, ensure it maintains it’s Māori essence). This whakatauākī by Sir Tīmoti Karetu, for the Māori language encapsulates many wawata (dreams) for this taonga (sacred treasure). The Māori language was once on the verge of extinction, with laws established to ensure it was so but the heart and love of the Māori people for their language and the effort of many great advocates for the language, have ensured it is alive and well. This app, Tautoko - supporting the reo journey, hopes to support in a small way, the efforts of those that came before and to tautoko you on your te reo Māori journey. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui.