Learning a language might be an individual pursuit, but your relationships matter.

I’ve been lacking motivation to continue developing my Reo while on this enforced study break. I’d convinced myself that daily flashcards was enough, but the honest truth is if I’m trying to push towards some kind of fluency I need more than that.

I need more fluency.

I need more grammar.

I need more conversations.

So I started a WhatsApp group with a few (literally three) of my classmates who were keen for some kind of interaction in Te Reo Māori. And it’s paying dividends already.

I had a half-hour Zoom call with one classmate where we managed to kōrero Māori anake for the first 10 minutes of the chat.
I learnt about 10 new words from a three message interaction last night with another classmate.
I’ve realised (again) how limited my Reo is, so I’m motivated to get back into Te Kākano and keep learning new grammar structures in my holidays.

The Reo Project | Day 203

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.

I believe that place matters.

Our connection to whatever little corner of the planet we find ourselves in, or choose to place ourselves on, matters.

I'm relentlessly curious and continually learning.

My interests are scattered across topics including property, strategy, acoustics, psychology, theology, systems theory, quantum physics and leadership. I read, listen, watch, and learn about whatever grabs my attention in the moment.

This is a learning experiment.

I come here to try to make sense of something I’ve come across, by writing about it.

I’m immersing myself in a new language.

I’m learning to speak Te Reo Māori, the language of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand and one of our official languages. After spending 2020 studying, I’m figuring out how to keep the journey going outside the classroom.

You’re welcome to follow along.