For children especially, TV shows and cartoons offer an excellent way for them to learn a language.
Adults can also learn languages through visual media, but since very young children will happily sit down and watch TV shows whether they technically speak the language or not, they make for excellent resources for learning a language.
When it comes to te reo Māori programming, the start was fairly slow and it wasn't until the late 1980s that there were even any signs of a breakthrough with TV shows in the language.
Following the creation of the Māori Language Commission (Te Reo o Aotearoa), whose goal remains to promote Māori language and culture, the stage was set for more media to be in the language.
With some of the first regular Māori language TV shows in the 1990s and Māori language segments in English-language shows, there are now plenty of TV shows for all ages in Māori and much better Māori representation on TV in New Zealand.
There are also plenty of Māori versions of TV shows and cartoons from around the world, but if you want to help your child learn Māori, you might want to start with the shows that are either originally in Māori or feature characters and stories from Māori culture.
Darwin and Newts
Darwin and Newts (sometimes stylised as “Darwin + Newts”) is an educational kids show for young children (ages 3 to 6).
The show is about crafts and science and is available in both English and te reo Māori. In addition to the te reo versions of the show, the characters are also Māori.
Beyond the show, the website also features plenty of activities, experiments, arts and crafts, and songs, though these are in English. Nevertheless, if your kids have seen something in the show in the te reo version, there's no reason why they couldn't still do the extra activities to learn more about science.
He Rourou
He Rourou is a te reo Māori cooking show that's aimed at a young audience and features recipes that parents can do with their kids.
There are plenty of different recipes and while some are healthier than others, most are simple enough that children can help out with almost every part of cooking and preparation.
Naturally, there may be certain parts of the recipes you may want to take care of yourself, especially parts with sharp knives or high temperatures, the little ones can listen to Māori and learn to cook some delicious meals and snacks.
Huhu
Huhu is aimed at preschoolers and features a puppet that reads te reo Māori books and stories to children.
It's a great option for anyone with very young children who enjoy stories and even better for those parents who want to read stories in Māori to their kids but mightn't necessarily have the language skills to do it.
Ideally, if you can also read stories in Māori to your kids, that's even better as stories are some of the best ways to learn the language and an important part of Māori culture and traditions.
Kai Time on the Road
Kai Time on the Road is a Māori language cooking show that's aired for decades now and while it's probably not suitable for the youngest kids, there's no reason that older kids with an interest in cooking and the Māori language couldn't watch it on their own or with their parents.
While there are segments in English when the show's host Pete Peeti talks to English speakers, it's mostly in te reo.
If you've never seen it, it's also been airing since 2003 so there are plenty of episodes to catch up on.
Kāinga Whakapaipai
Kāinga Whakapaipai is a Māori language show that follows two children completing their household chores.
Whether it's making the bed, cleaning the bathroom, or washing the laundry, they can also count on the help of Whaea Patupaiarehe. If you don't know who or what that is, you'll find out by watching these short episodes that are all under 10 minutes long.
Kapaemahu
This is a short animated film (with a running time of 8 minutes) that was shortlisted for Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards (The Oscars). The film is actually in Niihau Hawaiian but watchable on Māori Television.
The reason we're mentioning it is because it tells an indigenous story in a native language and was even given a special mention at the New Zealand International Film Festival as part of the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts collection.
Mahi Pai
Mahi Pai is a Māori TV show for kids that features cute and colourful versions of taniwha, Māori mythical beings.
In addition to the spoken Māori language, the show also features New Zealand sign language and the Mahi Pai can even be booked for events like birthday parties.
Since kids learn well through play, consider checking out these te reo games and apps.
Mauri Reo, Mauri Ora
Mauri Reo, Mauri Ora is a mixed bag of content for wharekura and includes a lot of educational content on a range of different topics including sport and exercise, digital and social media, Māori music, and waiata, haka, and pātere.
While probably too advanced for some of the younger viewers, this is a good option for children aged around 9 and above.
Pīpī Pao Pao
Pīpī Pao Pao is a TV show for very young children that is essentially karaoke with Pukeroa Ōruawhata, Manurewa, Ngā Hau e whā o Pukekohe, Te Ākau, Te Koutu and Pukeroihi kōhanga reo.
It won't be particularly appealing for older kids, but very young children may enjoy this one quite a bit, especially if they like singing.
Pūkana
Pūkana is a long-running te reo educational entertainment show for tamariki and rangatahi. While maybe too advanced for the very youngest viewers, the show is aimed at mainly children aged 8-14, but since it's been running for so many years, there are also older viewers (12-25) who still enjoy this award-winning production.
Pūrākau
This animated TV show covers Māori myths and legends. The episodes are all very short (around 8 or 9 minutes) and are a great way to learn both about the Māori language and the culture, which are fairly inseparable.
There are a dozen different legends to enjoy and the show is actually available both in New Zealand and Australia.
Tākaro Tribe
Tākaro Tribe is another hugely educational TV show for very young children that covers the Māori language and the vowel sounds and base words in particular.
The show is available on Māori TV and YouTube and is aimed at teaching Māori to English speakers.
Taki atu Taki mai
Taki atu Taki mai is a show for very young learners or anyone looking to learn very basic Māori words and expressions.
The show is very relaxing and is something you could easily put on the TV in front of infants, too.
Get More Help Learning te reo Māori
While TV shows, cartoons, and other kinds of audiovisual media are great resources for improving language skills, they shouldn't be used in isolation and it can help a lot to get structured guidance from a teacher or tutor.
Luckily for you, you can search for private te reo Māori on the Superprof website. Just search for Māori where you live and you can start browsing and comparing the various tutors' profiles, see how much they charge, and read the reviews left for them by their other students.
In the event you can't find any suitable local te reo Māori tutors, just remember that you can learn Māori from anywhere in the world thanks to online tutoring. For academic subjects such as languages, online tutoring can be just as effective as face-to-face tutoring and is often cheaper since the tutor doesn't have to travel to their students and can schedule more sessions each week.
Online tutoring mightn't be the best option for very young learners as they mightn't be willing to sit still in front of a computer or a tablet for extended periods, but for adults and older children, they're a great option.
You can save even more money on tutoring if you opt for group sessions since every student helps to pay for the tutor's time. Naturally, group Māori tutoring won't come with some of the benefits of one-on-one tutoring, but with languages, group tutoring can also be beneficial as learners can enjoy more opportunities to practise using the language with their peers.
Since many of the Māori tutors on the Superprof website offer their first session for free, you can try a few different ones out before deciding which one is right for you and your children. Your tutor could even suggest more Māori language media for you and your little ones to enjoy!
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Ka pai e tama/tamahine I show aroha for all of these Reo rua shows. Aroha mai!¬