This article about the Kuini is a good read if you're interested in little insight into Māori culture and language. It's an interview with a Māori community leader and academic, who shared his...
This article about the Kuini is a good read if you're interested in little insight into Māori culture and language. It's an interview with a Māori community leader and academic, who shared his optimism about Nga wai hono i te po as the new Kuini.
I watched her coronation, and it was really very beautiful to see. I look forward to seeing how she grows into her role, and grows the role into herself.
I'll just clarify, the position doesn't hold any constitutional power. It's also not necessarily recognised by all Māoridom. But it's still a position with a lot of mana -- strength and dignity -- and influence.
The Kiingitanga -- the Māori monarch movement -- is very vocal politically. They've been in the spotlight recently calling for unity among Māori to stand against the anti-Māori policies of the current right-wing Government.
The New Zealand left loves a strong young female voice, so the coronation of Nga wai hono i te po will no doubt be a massive signal boost for Kiingitanga. We're all just waiting now to see what she does with it.
To clarify a little further because I see people misunderstand sometimes; the position has never held constitutional power. It wasn't some prior monarch that became vestigial after colonisation,...
I'll just clarify, the position doesn't hold any constitutional power.
To clarify a little further because I see people misunderstand sometimes; the position has never held constitutional power.
It wasn't some prior monarch that became vestigial after colonisation, and it isn't an indication that supporters think monarchies are good actually. It is and has always been a purely social and non-governmental role established after colonisation in an attempt to give the Maori people a political voice of equal status to the British crown.
On a very unrelated sidenote, this post finally convinced me to try to learn te reo Māori after I'm done with the language I'm currently learning. It always sounded like a really beautiful...
On a very unrelated sidenote, this post finally convinced me to try to learn te reo Māori after I'm done with the language I'm currently learning. It always sounded like a really beautiful language to me.
Out of curiosity, when do you consider that you are "done" learning a language? I feel like language learning is not a thing you can ever finish doing.
Out of curiosity, when do you consider that you are "done" learning a language? I feel like language learning is not a thing you can ever finish doing.
That's a good question. And you're right – language learning is not a "learn it and leave it" type of thing. Especially considering that colloquial language can change pretty fast (compared to...
That's a good question. And you're right – language learning is not a "learn it and leave it" type of thing. Especially considering that colloquial language can change pretty fast (compared to "formal language") & that learning a language more or less also involves learning a lot about the culture of the people using it.
I generally consider it being "done" when I'm able to communicate fluently on a C1 or C2 level, including receiving a relevant certification (if applicable) that proves this knowledge.
I'm currently learning the language of the country I've moved in, and I definitely have not reached this level of proficiency in it yet.
That's up to you generally, but research indicates that once you reach a B2 level of proficiency it's "locked in" and you won't forget much of the language even if you don't use it for years on...
That's up to you generally, but research indicates that once you reach a B2 level of proficiency it's "locked in" and you won't forget much of the language even if you don't use it for years on end.
That being said, B2 is pretty high - it's enough that you could go to university in another country and do fine in coursework. So realistically few people ever reach it in a given foreign language.
This article about the Kuini is a good read if you're interested in little insight into Māori culture and language. It's an interview with a Māori community leader and academic, who shared his optimism about Nga wai hono i te po as the new Kuini.
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/nga-wai-hono-i-te-po-is-the-right-woman-for-the-job/
I watched her coronation, and it was really very beautiful to see. I look forward to seeing how she grows into her role, and grows the role into herself.
I'll just clarify, the position doesn't hold any constitutional power. It's also not necessarily recognised by all Māoridom. But it's still a position with a lot of mana -- strength and dignity -- and influence.
The Kiingitanga -- the Māori monarch movement -- is very vocal politically. They've been in the spotlight recently calling for unity among Māori to stand against the anti-Māori policies of the current right-wing Government.
The New Zealand left loves a strong young female voice, so the coronation of Nga wai hono i te po will no doubt be a massive signal boost for Kiingitanga. We're all just waiting now to see what she does with it.
To clarify a little further because I see people misunderstand sometimes; the position has never held constitutional power.
It wasn't some prior monarch that became vestigial after colonisation, and it isn't an indication that supporters think monarchies are good actually. It is and has always been a purely social and non-governmental role established after colonisation in an attempt to give the Maori people a political voice of equal status to the British crown.
On a very unrelated sidenote, this post finally convinced me to try to learn te reo Māori after I'm done with the language I'm currently learning. It always sounded like a really beautiful language to me.
Out of curiosity, when do you consider that you are "done" learning a language? I feel like language learning is not a thing you can ever finish doing.
That's a good question. And you're right – language learning is not a "learn it and leave it" type of thing. Especially considering that colloquial language can change pretty fast (compared to "formal language") & that learning a language more or less also involves learning a lot about the culture of the people using it.
I generally consider it being "done" when I'm able to communicate fluently on a C1 or C2 level, including receiving a relevant certification (if applicable) that proves this knowledge.
I'm currently learning the language of the country I've moved in, and I definitely have not reached this level of proficiency in it yet.
That's up to you generally, but research indicates that once you reach a B2 level of proficiency it's "locked in" and you won't forget much of the language even if you don't use it for years on end.
That being said, B2 is pretty high - it's enough that you could go to university in another country and do fine in coursework. So realistically few people ever reach it in a given foreign language.