W
hen our family were given the
chance to learn te reo Māori, the
language of the Māori people
of New Zealand, via our kids’
school in Auckland, we thought
it would be fun. It’s an unusual
language for Europeans, but its words are used daily in
New Zealand; ‘ka pai’ meaning OK or good, or ‘kia ora’,
the famous catch-all for hello. We also felt it our duty- like Welsh, the language had been dying but was
enjoying a resurgence and we wanted to support it.
We knew that learning a language benefits mental
and emotional wellbeing as well, with studies showing
it can help prevent Alzheimer’s, among other things.
“The process of language learning improves neural
activities in the area of the brain that controls
behaviour, problem-solving and emotional balance,”
says Dr Arghya Sarkhel, lead consultant psychiatrist
and founder of Living Mind, a holistic private health
care clinic. “So exercising this part of the brain can
hugely benefit mental health.”
According to Dr Sarkhel, studies suggest that
those able to f luently communicate in more than
one language are more cognitively creative and
mentally f lexible than those who can only speak
one language. For us, however, there was another
unexpected bonus; learning te reo Māori offered a
completely different lens through which to view life.
To learn te reo (literally ‘the language’), you have
to become immersed in the culture. Māori language is
wonderfully descriptive and many words have a story
to tell. For example, we lived near a place called Te
Atatu, which is a description of the way the light falls
on the water, while the word hōtoke, meaning winter,
tells how the worms lay still in the frosty ground.
The structure of the language radiates out from
Māori tikanga – or protocols – so your elders are
always addressed in the ō category, which is sacred,
along with clothing, medicine, feelings and drinking
water, while the ā – or normal – category, is for pets,
partners, money and food. It speaks volumes about
where Māori society’s priorities are.
The language also values the collective above the
individual. The popular whakataukī – or proverb – ‘he
waka eke noa’, translates literally as ‘just a canoe
ride’ but the true meaning is closer to, ‘we are all in
this together’ – referring to the collective effort that
humanity needs to succeed. The language defines
the person talking by the subject of the conversation
and their relationship to the people or places in it.
As our family progressed we found our experience
of the world and the way we interacted with it
changed. Our home, for example, once our ‘castle’
adopted a new open doors policy, where there was
always food on the table. We began to see our white
privilege and address it through simple acts of
solidarity, like pronouncing non-English place names
correctly, and we began to see ourselves as ‘manuhiri’- or visitors, rather than the British ‘explorers’
and ‘discoverers’ we learned we were at school. We
framed ourselves in a gentler, less entitled way which
positively affected our work, parenting and self-care.
The ultimate gift of language though is friendship.
Learning te reo Māori opened us up to a whole new
group of people. We were invited to visit marae (sacred
Māori meeting places) and we met many people living
a culturally Māori lifestyle, plus we met many pākehā
(non-indigenous New Zealanders) who were keen
to expand their knowledge of Māori culture, too.
Dr Sarkhel agrees that using a language socially
is essential to reaping those promised rewards.
“Although the process of learning something new
can be challenging and stimulating for the brain,
the skill is put to waste when the only person you can
communicate with is yourself,” she acknowledges.
Language consultant Lindsay Williams
(lindsaydoeslanguages.com), also believes the social
element is key to language learning, especially when
you want to communicate with people who don’t speak
English. “Being able to form connections with people
through their own language makes for much more
positive interactions,” she says, also noting that
people can experience different personalities in
different languages. “My husband noticed that
when complaining about a hotel room in Brussels,
‘French Lindsay’ was much more assertive than I
perhaps would have been if complaining in English.”
Four years on from our initial te reo classes and
we still use the language daily, even though we
now live back in the UK. It anchors our family in our
experience of living in New Zealand. As a language,
it has shaped our family’s understanding of ourselves
and our place in the world, and has very much
increased our enjoyment and gratitude for life.
Opposite: Jai
and her family
embracing Māori
culture while living
in New Zealand –
visiting a marae and
performing a haka in
the school playLIFE LESSONS“Learning te reo Maori offered
a completely different lens
through which to view life”W
henourfamilyweregiventhe
chancetolearntereoMāori,the
languageoftheMāoripeople
ofNewZealand,viaourkids’
schoolinAuckland,wethought
it wouldbefun.It’sanunusual
languageforEuropeans,butitswordsareuseddailyin
NewZealand;‘kapai’ meaningOKorgood,or‘kiaora’,
thefamouscatch-allforhello.Wealsofeltit ourduty- likeWelsh,thelanguagehadbeendyingbutwas
enjoyinga resurgenceandwewantedtosupportit.
Weknewthatlearninga languagebenefitsmental
andemotionalwellbeingaswell,withstudiesshowing
it canhelppreventAlzheimer’s,amongotherthings.
“Theprocessoflanguagelearningimprovesneural
activitiesintheareaofthebrainthatcontrols
behaviour,problem-solvingandemotionalbalance,”
saysDrArghyaSarkhel,leadconsultantpsychiatrist
andfounderofLivingMind,a holisticprivatehealth
careclinic.“Soexercisingthispartofthebraincan
hugelybenefitmentalhealth.”
AccordingtoDrSarkhel,studiessuggestthat
thoseabletof luentlycommunicateinmorethan
onelanguagearemorecognitivelycreativeand
mentallyf lexiblethanthosewhocanonlyspeak
onelanguage.Forus,however,therewasanother
unexpectedbonus;learningtereoMāorioffereda
completelydifferentlensthroughwhichtoviewlife.
Tolearntereo(literally‘thelanguage’),youhave
tobecomeimmersedintheculture.Māorilanguageis
wonderfullydescriptiveandmanywordshavea story
totell.Forexample,welivedneara placecalledTe
Atatu,whichisa descriptionofthewaythelightfalls
onthewater,whilethewordhōtoke, meaningwinter,
tellshowthewormslaystillinthefrostyground.
Thestructureofthelanguageradiatesoutfrom
Māoritikanga– orprotocols– soyoureldersare
alwaysaddressedintheō category,whichissacred,
alongwithclothing,medicine,feelingsanddrinking
water,whiletheā – ornormal– category,isforpets,
partners,moneyandfood.Itspeaksvolumesabout
whereMāorisociety’sprioritiesare.
Thelanguagealsovaluesthecollectiveabovethe
individual.Thepopularwhakataukī– orproverb– ‘he
wakaekenoa’, translatesliterallyas‘justa canoe
ride’butthetruemeaningiscloserto,‘weareallin
thistogether’– referringtothecollectiveeffortthat
humanityneedstosucceed.Thelanguagedefines
thepersontalkingbythesubjectoftheconversation
andtheirrelationshiptothepeopleorplacesinit.
Asourfamilyprogressedwefoundourexperience
oftheworldandthewayweinteractedwithit
changed.Ourhome,forexample,onceour‘castle’
adopteda newopendoorspolicy,wheretherewas
alwaysfoodonthetable.Webegantoseeourwhite
privilegeandaddressit throughsimpleactsof
solidarity,likepronouncingnon-Englishplacenames
correctly,andwebegantoseeourselvesas‘manuhiri’- orvisitors,ratherthantheBritish‘explorers’
and‘discoverers’welearnedwewereatschool.We
framedourselvesina gentler,lessentitledwaywhich
positivelyaffectedourwork,parentingandself-care.
Theultimategiftoflanguagethoughisfriendship.
LearningtereoMāoriopenedusuptoa wholenew
groupofpeople.Wewereinvitedtovisitmarae(sacred
Māorimeetingplaces)andwemetmanypeopleliving
a culturallyMāorilifestyle,pluswemetmanypākehā
(non-indigenousNewZealanders)whowerekeen
toexpandtheirknowledgeofMāoriculture,too.
DrSarkhelagreesthatusinga languagesocially
isessentialtoreapingthosepromisedrewards.
“Althoughtheprocessoflearningsomethingnew
canbechallengingandstimulatingforthebrain,
theskillisputtowastewhentheonlypersonyoucan
communicatewithisyourself,”sheacknowledges.
LanguageconsultantLindsayWilliams
(lindsaydoeslanguages.com), alsobelievesthesocial
elementiskeytolanguagelearning,especiallywhen
youwanttocommunicatewithpeoplewhodon’tspeak
English.“Beingabletoformconnectionswithpeople
throughtheirownlanguagemakesformuchmore
positiveinteractions,”shesays,alsonotingthat
peoplecanexperiencedifferentpersonalitiesin
differentlanguages.“Myhusbandnoticedthat
whencomplainingabouta hotelroominBrussels,
‘FrenchLindsay’wasmuchmoreassertivethanI
perhapswouldhavebeenif complaininginEnglish.”
Fouryearsonfromourinitialtereoclassesand
westillusethelanguagedaily,eventhoughwe
nowlivebackintheUK.Itanchorsourfamilyinour
experienceoflivinginNewZealand.Asa language,
it hasshapedourfamily’sunderstandingofourselves
andourplaceintheworld,andhasverymuch
increasedourenjoymentandgratitudeforlife.
Opposite:Jai
andherfamily
embracingMāori
culturewhileliving
in NewZealand–
visitinga maraeand
performinga hakain
theschoolplayLIFE LESSONS“Learning te reo Maori offered
a completely different lens
through which to view life”