Te reo Māori classes - popular across the region

Te reo Māori is being taught at four Ucol campuses.

With the nation celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori next week across the country, Ucol is gearing up for a big week of activities and events, bringing together new and fluent speakers.

But for many learners this won't be a change, with Ucol's te reo classes more popular than ever.

Ucol offers te reo Māori across its four campuses and has nearly 200 students currently enrolled, and more than 1700 students have taken classes since they began.

Maverick Digital tourism marketing content manager Mahalee Guieysse, started learning te reo in late August.

"My te reo Māori for Beginners class has been incredible.

"Each week keeps getting better and better.

"I never knew this type of learning existed and it's a really beautiful way to learn not only te reo Māori but also the important cultural aspects."

Te reo is Mahalee's sixth language – she already speaks Tagalog (from the Philippines), English, French, Spanish, and Swedish.

However, te reo is already her favourite, and she says it will help her better connect with her tourism industry clients – and tell their stories.

"My kids are also learning te reo at school, so I wanted to be able to speak it with them.

"I'm definitely going to continue with intermediate classes.

"Tahi Gotty is an incredible teacher and brings a genuine passion to each class that is just infectious."

For Studylink officer and PSA national delegate Morrison Aldridge te reo had been on the 'would love to learn' list for a long time.

"I've always had so much respect for the people who use te reo in their everyday life, and who could introduce themselves, bless the food or open a meeting.

"Recently I realised there was nothing stopping me from becoming those people, so here I am.

"Te reo is a beautiful language that is right on the door step of every New Zealander - it just seems a shame to not take advantage of the opportunity to learn it.

"Each week I find myself walking out of Ucol with more te reo then I thought I'd ever have, practising it in the car on the way home.

"My favourite piece so far has been learning a mihi, which I now feel really confident saying."

Te reo Māori is being taught at four Ucol campuses.