51 more weeks of Te Reo please

51 more weeks of Te Reo please

Tena koutou katoa. For the third year running, I have done my best to embrace Maori Language week, introducing phrases into my conversations and changing my electronic email signature into Te Reo. Its a way of challenging myself to be better

Te Reo week offers me two challenges, firstly to learn Te Reo and secondly recognize when best to use it so that it seems natural

But I watched Dan Corbett ( One News Weatherman ) stumble his first attempt of Te Reo on Monday and my reaction was ' good on him '. Good on him for trying ! Tau ke koe Dan ( you're awesome ). To my delight I tuned in on Tuesday night and for the remainder of the week to see Dan continue with his attempt to deliver Te Reo and become so much more fluid, so much more confident. 

Dan has created a turning point for all of us that introducing Te Reo into your team meetings, Agile daily stand-up, monthly KPI performance report and Board meeting is OK. 

My personal challenge and self-improvement is to continue to employ Te Reo throughout the other 51 weeks of the year. 

Ryan Ashton

AFQY + Smartspace.ai + GOVERNANCE4 ~ Fractional Client Engagement | Community Builder | People & Culture | Technology | MC | Mental Health Advocate

6 年

I say stumble as much as it takes to walk and then to run, if anyone has a problem with stumbling, or even butchering then they are not fostering the interest and effort that one is making to adopt something new. I have learned 7-8 languages to a conversational level, and I still stumble through them all, but I have learned so much about the cultures that come with the languages that bridges understanding through a new level of empathy that simply having it explained in english doesn't enable or do justice. The famous Maori proverb, "What is the the most important thing in the world? The people! The People! The People!" does not say "Get it perfect first time or don't bother" So I appluade you and I personally feel you should not feel anything but pride for being a Kiwi learning and using Maori, whether you are 51 and white or blue, green or purple, a language and culture is not owned by one person (especially not one with a negative opinion), it is part of all the people over all time.

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