Maori Language Week
Sir, — Dual or multi-lingual-ism is beneficial for travellers and even in New Zealand. It promotes communication, courtesy and respect. Immigrants excel in this sphere, often with credit. Dictionaries cost less than many spend at the T.A.B. or on alcohol each week. Relatively inexpensive polytechnic language courses are available to youngsters or octogenarians. Maori Language Week is back. Maori, not grammatically difficult like French or German, is musical and expressive. Possessing both Maori and French dictionaries, I know more Maori words than most young Maoris. Why? In childhood, Maori schoolmates provided us with easily assimilated Maori words. No Maori child, in my experience, was ever punished for speaking thus. Alas, many Kiwis cannot even speak English properly, my radio suggests. “Homai te ringa ringa. More hari, less wauwau please,” (shake hands; more joy, less grumbling). — Yours, etc.,
JOHN LESLIE. July 22, 1986.
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Press, 24 July 1986, Page 24
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144Maori Language Week Press, 24 July 1986, Page 24
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