Maori is both the name for the people indigenous to New Zealand and the language spoken by them. The Maori have been in New Zealand for centuries and today make up 15% of the country's population.
Not only are the people an essential part of New Zealand both past and present, their culture and language are fascinating and whether you're Maori or not, learning the language is an excellent way to connect with any culture.
The Maori language is known as te reo Maori and is a Polynesian language related to other Austronesian languages such as Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Samoan.
It's also the official language of New Zealand alongside English and New Zealand Sign Language and was spoken in the country long before European colonisation brought the English language.
Though cultural assimilation and colonisation led to the decline of te reo Maori, there have been efforts made to revitalise the language in recent years through language immersion programs, community initiatives, and government support.
If you're interested in learning Maori, there are plenty of ways to do it, but we'll look at one of the most cost-effective ways, working with a private Maori teacher or tutor.
Hiring a Maori Teacher
Working with a private Maori teacher or tutor isn't the only way to learn the language, but as it's the focus of this article, let's have a look at the pros and cons of hiring a Maori tutor before looking at the best ways to find them.
The Pros of Hiring a Private Maori Tutor
There are several advantages to working with a private Maori tutor and while we think that they definitely outweigh the downsides, we'll let you see what they are before making your decision.
Cultural Insights
One of the best things about working with a private Maori tutor, especially one who's also Maori and a native speaker, is that you can learn about Maori culture.
Language and culture are linked and you can't really have one without the other. There are words in Maori that exist to refer to concepts and ideas unique to the Maori people and you can never really understand what you're saying in Maori if you don't understand the concepts that the words refer to.
Similarly, by learning any language, you'll naturally learn more about the culture whether you want to or not, especially since speaking the language will expose you to more Maori culture.
Your tutor can also point you in the direction of the best Maori resources.
Flexibility
Private Maori tutors offer a way to learn a language while also making sure everything is right for you, including where and when the lessons take place.
While some Maori tutors will be busier than others and arguably harder to schedule sessions with, you'll generally get more flexibility for organising lessons with a private tutor than you would at a language or cultural centre, for example.
Learn at Your Own Pace
With private Maori tutoring, you can also learn at your own pace. If you opt for one-on-one tutoring, then you can rest safe in the knowledge that your lessons will also take place at the pace that's right for you.
There's no point in the tutor moving on if you're still struggling with something or wasting time on something that you grasped immediately.
Tailored Lessons
Private tutoring is about tailoring every lesson to the student, especially when they're there's only one student in the class.
With private Maori tutoring, you can learn what you want at the pace you want to learn. Naturally, you'll get fewer choices in terms of course content if you're studying for a particular exam, but in most cases, the tutor has quite a lot of flexibility on what and how they teach you.
The Focus is on You
In one-on-one classes, you won't just be a face in the crowd. If you have an issue or are struggling with something, you can immediately point it out to your tutor, though they'll probably already be aware of it because you're the only student there.
The Cons of Hiring a Private Maori Tutor
In the interest of fairness, we also have to mention some of the downsides of private Maori tutoring so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not it's right for you.
Availability
While most private tutors are quite flexible, it can be difficult if both you and your tutor have limited availability and can't regularly schedule lessons. It can very quickly become a waste of money if you only have your private Maori class every once in a while.
Since regular classes will take place at the same time each week, they can sometimes be easier to attend.
Cost
The cost is arguably the biggest issue for most people wanting to learn any language with private tutors. Private tutoring isn't free and because you're the only student, you can't split the cost of the tutor's time with anyone else.
Fortunately, with more and more people choosing to offer private tutoring in many subjects, including Maori, you'll likely see that there are tutors for all budgets. While you tend to get what you pay for, there are some very affordable options when it comes to private tutoring and plenty of free Maori resources out there.
Dependency on Your Tutor
If you only learn Maori from your tutor, there's the risk that you'll become dependent on them. Most tutors will try to turn their students into independent learners and give them the skills they need to improve their Maori even when the tutor isn't there.
However, there's still the chance that the student will become over-reliant on their tutor since they're always available to help them during the session.
Limited Interaction with Other Learners
When it comes to learning languages, you need to regularly practise speaking it. While private tutoring does mean you can practise speaking with your tutor throughout the entire session, you won't get to practise with other learners or people who speak the language at your level.
It can be quite daunting for some students to practise a language with somebody who is clearly much better at it than them and having other learners can be helpful.
Limited Teaching Styles
Another downside of private Maori tutoring is that with one tutor, you only get one teaching style. A good tutor will adapt their lessons to each student, but they'll still be lessons from just one particular tutor.
If you have a different teacher each year in school, you'll not only be exposed to different teaching styles but also become a more adaptable learner as you're forced to learn whether or not the teaching style is perfectly adapted to you.
The Cost of a Maori Tutor
The average price of Maori tutors on Superprof is $40 an hour, but the range of rates can vary wildly because no two tutors are alike.
Many things can affect the cost of tutoring so make sure you take them into account when thinking about the cost of Maori tuition.
Experience
Naturally, the more experience a tutor has, the better they'll tend to be. This experience also comes at a cost and it's quite common for the most experienced tutors to charge a premium for their tutoring services.
Expertise
You'll want your private Maori tutor to be an expert in the Maori language and culture and also an expert in private tutoring.
Much like with experience, expertise comes at a cost and if you require a very specific expertise, you'll see the cost of your lessons shoot up.
Lesson Frequency and Duration
You can sometimes save money on your private Maori lessons by opting for longer sessions or more frequent sessions.
By paying for several sessions at once, for example, you may be able to organise a discount with your private tutor. Similarly, by booking longer sessions, your tutor won't have to travel as much and may be able to pass these savings onto you.
Location
Where you are can greatly affect the cost of private Maori tutoring. The cost of living, the number of Maori tutors in the area, and the number of students looking for Maori tutoring will all play a part.
Some places are just more expensive than others so make sure that you only compare the prices of tutors in a given area because you can't expect tutors in one place to charge the same as tutors elsewhere when there are so many other factors to take into account.
Qualifications
Tutors with more qualifications in Maori or teaching can also charge more than their counterparts with fewer qualifications.
The more accolades they have on their tutor profile, the more you'll pay for them.
Level
Generally, higher-level tutoring will cost more because it requires more expertise from the tutor. However, absolute beginners may also pay a premium because starting from scratch requires a lot of work from the tutor, too!
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