'It's really wonderful' - Te Reo Maori courses enjoying a surge in popularity

December 15, 2017

Hare Paniora, who teaches te reo at Auckland’s Unitec, says classrooms are made up of a diverse mixture of races and cultures.

Te Reo Maori language courses are surging in popularity and a teacher of te reo says the diversity in classrooms is "really wonderful".

Hare Paniora of Unitec, speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast said the way Maori is taught has changed a lot and is really inclusive.

"With teachers of Te Reo Maori, you learn as soon as you enter the classroom - you're totally immersed," Mr Paniora said.

"Before I felt that, even with me in teaching Te Reo Maori, it was more structured in terms of trying to find a way.

"It makes the recipients of the language feel comfortable and energised to want to learn."

The students of his course are a very diverse mixture of cultures and races, Mr Paniora said, which is "really wonderful".

"We want more Maori of course, but non-Maori, Asian - it's right across the board." he said.

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