This article was first published by Stuff.
When Caitlin Marett walks into her te reo Māori class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, she’ll leave English at the door. It’s full immersion - especially in the kīhini (kitchen), where everything from asking for a spoon to sharing kai is done entirely in te reo.
Now in her third year of learning te reo Māori, Marett describes the journey as full of challenges - but also joy, connection, and purpose.
“It’s been a journey,” she told her The Girls Uninterrupted podcast co-host, Gracie Hitchcock. “And I love it so much - but it is a struggle. It’s quite hard learning another language as an adult. Still, I’ve got the wairua - I’m committed.”
And that’s the heart of Marett’s message: learning te reo isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, giving it a go, and celebrating the small wins. Even if you get a few kupu wrong, it still matters.
There are lots of ways to get involved. Marett’s top tip? Start with what you already enjoy. Watch te reo Māori versions of Disney films like Moana or The Lion King with your whānau. You’ll be surprised how much you understand - and how quickly you pick things up.
“If you’re looking for something to do to celebrate Matariki and te reo, those movies are such a great start,” she says. “And it’s cool to do it together.”
There are also excellent learning tools out there - like the Māori Made Easy books, or the free Te Aka app: a Māori dictionary Marett uses to save and quiz herself on new words.
“I’ve starred about 300 kupu,” she says. “It’s my little study hack when I’m sick of scrolling social media.”
Most importantly, Marett believes we should celebrate te reo because it’s taonga - a treasure.
“We’re so lucky here in Aotearoa - we hear it a lot on the news and on social media. It’s such a beautiful language, and we should celebrate it.”
- Stuff
