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What is Tōku Reo?
Tōku Reo is the official companion website for a Māori-language learning television series, built around the Te Whanake course created by Professor John Moorfield. The site supports the show with interactive exercises, podcasts and a forum, and organises material by series (Series 1 through Series 5).
What you'll find there
- Episode-based learning: each block of five episodes introduces vocabulary through a role-play plus a small set of sentence structures.
- Supporting segments: newly coined words from the Māori Language Commission, tribal dialect features, and homework set by Professor John.
- A mix of speakers: kaumātua, rangatahi, learners and native speakers appear within a beginners' programme.
- A featured starting point: Episode One covers greeting one person, two people, and three or more people, plus a top-10 word list that includes "toku" and "reo".
- Links outward to Te Whanake resources, including textbooks (Te Kākano, Te Pihinga, Te Māhuri, Te Kōhure), study guides, audio CDs, teachers' manuals, animations, a Māori dictionary and Te Whanake TV.
Who it suits
A beginner who wants structured, cumulative vocabulary and sentence patterns rather than a phrasebook. The five-episode blocks make it easy to study in small weekly doses, and the forum and podcasts add practice between episodes. If you already speak conversational te reo Māori, the beginner framing and role-play format may feel slow.
How to start
Begin with Episode One, then work through the episodes in order within a series, since vocabulary and structures build across each block of five. Use the textbook and audio resources linked from the site alongside the episodes if you want reading and listening practice beyond the screen.
How can I use Tōku Reo to learn Māori if I'm a complete beginner?
Start with the beginner-friendly path already built into the site: watch the television episodes in order, then use the matching online exercises, podcasts and forum to repeat and practise what each episode introduces. Tōku Reo is the official companion site for a Māori Television language-learning show based on Professor John Moorfield's Te Whanake course, so the material is structured rather than a random collection of lessons.
How the beginner route works
The site presents Series 1 through Series 5. For a complete beginner, Series 1 is the sensible entry point because the featured first episode teaches greetings for one person, two people and three or more people, plus a top-10 vocabulary list. Each block of five episodes is built around a role-play, a set of vocabulary and a small number of sentence structures. That narrow focus is useful: you are not asked to absorb everything at once, and you can repeat a block until the patterns feel automatic.
The site is designed to reinforce the broadcast rather than replace it. If you can watch the show, use the episodes as your main input and the website as your practice layer. If you cannot watch at broadcast time, work through the episode pages and use the podcasts and interactive exercises to keep the same sequence.
A practical weekly routine
- Watch or review one episode, ideally twice: once for the gist, once for detail.
- Write down the role-play vocabulary and the sentence structures for that block.
- Do the matching interactive exercises on the site.
- Listen to the podcast while walking, commuting or doing chores.
- Post a short question or attempt in the forum, then read how others answer.
- Revisit the same episode a few days later before moving on.
This is advice for using the site, not a prescribed course. The value comes from the repetition across different modes: hearing, reading, typing and speaking.
What each part of the site gives you
| Site element | Best for | Beginner trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Series 1–5 episode pages | Following a structured sequence from greetings onward | You need to start at the beginning rather than dip into later series |
| Interactive exercises | Checking vocabulary and sentence patterns | Practice alone will not build speaking confidence |
| Podcasts | Listening practice away from the screen | Less visual support than the television show |
| Forum | Asking questions and seeing other learners' attempts | Replies depend on other users being active |
| Profiles and production pages | Understanding who presents the material | Background reading, not language practice |
The show also includes segments on newly coined words from the Māori Language Commission, tribal dialect and homework set by Professor John Moorfield. For a beginner, treat the dialect segments as exposure rather than something to memorise immediately; the core vocabulary and sentence patterns are the priority.
When to add other resources
Tōku Reo is tied to the Te Whanake course, so if you want a textbook to accompany the episodes, the natural next step is the Te Whanake series itself: Te Kākano for beginners, then Te Pihinga, Te Māhuri and Te Kōhure. The site lists study guides, audio CDs and teachers' manuals for several of these, plus a Māori dictionary. Te Whanake is the official home for that wider course if you want to check what matches your level.
A useful decision rule: if you can follow the first episode's greetings and top-10 words without pausing constantly, stay with Series 1 and add the Te Kākano material. If even the first episode feels fast, replay it and use the podcast and exercises before adding anything new.
What resources does Tōku Reo offer for practicing between episodes?
Tōku Reo supports between-episode practice mainly through online exercises, podcasts and a forum. The site is the companion to the television series, so the practice material is designed to reinforce what you have just watched rather than replace it.
Practice tools on the site
- Interactive exercises — the core practice option, tied to the lessons and role-plays in each episode block.
- Podcasts — audio you can replay away from the television, useful for listening practice and pronunciation.
- A forum — a place to ask questions and compare notes with other learners.
- Episode archive by series — Series 1 through Series 5 are listed, so you can go back to earlier blocks when a structure or vocabulary set needs revision.
- Profiles — background on the presenters and contributors, which adds context to the teaching style.
How the material is organised
Tōku Reo is based on Te Whanake, the Māori language course created by Professor John Moorfield. Each block of five episodes introduces vocabulary around a role-play plus a small number of sentence structures. Episodes also include segments on newly coined words from the Māori Language Commission, tribal dialect, and homework set by Professor Moorfield. The site points to further Te Whanake resources, including textbooks, study guides, audio CDs, a Māori dictionary and teachers' manuals, grouped by ability level from Te Kākano through to Te Kōhure.
A practical routine
If you are following the broadcast schedule, watch the episode, then use the interactive exercises the same day while the role-play is fresh. Add the podcast on a commute or walk for passive listening, and save the forum for questions the exercises do not resolve. Revisit the relevant series page before the next episode so the vocabulary carries over.
For a fuller course structure beyond the show, the Te Whanake materials are the natural next step; the dictionary is the quickest reference when you meet an unfamiliar word mid-episode.
How does Tōku Reo's content align with the Te Whanake textbooks and study guides?
Tōku Reo is built directly on the Te Whanake course created by Professor John Moorfield, so its episodes are designed to sit alongside those textbooks and study guides rather than replace them. The site describes each block of five episodes as introducing vocabulary through a role-play plus a small number of sentence structures, with segments on newly coined words, tribal dialect, and homework from Professor Moorfield. That structure mirrors how Te Whanake materials are organised into graded stages, so the show works as the listening and speaking companion to the written course.
How the pieces fit together
- Textbooks (Te Kākano, Te Pihinga, Te Māhuri, Te Kōhure): the written backbone of the course. A learner would typically read the relevant chapter, then watch the matching episodes to hear the same language used in conversation.
- Study guides: useful for self-checking and revision between episodes, since the show moves at broadcast pace.
- Audio CDs: pronunciation and listening practice; the site's podcasts serve a similar purpose for on-demand review.
- The television show: half-hour episodes broadcast on Māori Television, with the website adding interactive exercises, podcasts and a forum to reinforce what you learn on screen.
- The dictionary and animations: reference and visual support when a word or structure needs a second explanation.
A practical way to use both
If you are working through Te Kākano as a beginner, watch the early series first, pause on the role-play, and note the vocabulary before attempting the textbook exercises. Intermediate learners moving into Te Pihinga or Te Māhuri can use the episodes as listening practice after reading, then check the forum for questions. The five-episode blocks make it easy to pair one week of viewing with one chapter or section of study.
For the wider ecosystem around the course, see Te Whanake and the Māori Dictionary.
Can I access Tōku Reo episodes and resources outside of Māori Television broadcasts?
Yes. Tōku Reo is built as a companion site to the Māori Television show, not just a broadcast listing. The official site offers interactive exercises, podcasts and a forum, and it organises material by series, so you can work through episodes online rather than relying on the 7pm Monday–Friday broadcast. The page also points to Te Whanake resources, including textbooks, study guides, audio CDs and a Māori dictionary, which support the same course the show is based on.
How to use it
- Pick your level or series: start with Series 1 if you are new, or jump to the series matching what you already know.
- Pair each episode with its interactive exercises and podcast so you hear and practise the vocabulary and sentence structures.
- Use the forum to ask questions and reinforce what you are learning.
- Treat the broadcast as optional; the site is designed for self-paced study at home.
For a beginner, a practical routine is one episode plus its podcast, then the exercises, then the Te Whanake textbook or dictionary for reference. If you want the wider course materials, see Te Whanake and Māori Dictionary.
What is the difference between the five series of Tōku Reo and where should I start?
The five series are sequential levels of the same course, not five alternative shows. Start with Series 1 unless you already have prior Te Reo Māori study; the site presents each series as a step in one progression, and the episodes are built around the Te Whanake course.
How the series relate
The website organises everything under Series 1 through Series 5, and describes the show as a beginners' programme based on Te Whanake. Each block of five episodes introduces vocabulary from a role-play plus a small number of sentence structures, with segments on newly coined words, tribal dialect, and homework. That format repeats across the series, so the difference between them is mainly how far into the language you go, not a change in teaching style.
Where to start
- Complete beginner: Series 1, Episode One, which covers greetings for one, two, or three-plus people.
- False beginner or returning learner: skim Series 1 episodes to check the vocabulary and sentence patterns, then move to Series 2.
- Studying with Te Whanake textbooks: match your series to the book you are working through, since the site lists resources by ability level and links textbooks, study guides, audio CDs, and teachers' manuals.
Practical next step
Watch the featured Episode One first. If the greetings and top-10 words feel new, work forward through Series 1 in order. If they feel easy, sample a later series episode and drop back only where the sentence structures are unfamiliar. The interactive exercises, podcasts, and forum on the site are designed to reinforce the television episodes, so use them alongside the series you are watching rather than as a separate course.
The site also links to the wider Te Whanake material, including Te Whanake and the Māori Dictionary, which are useful when an episode's vocabulary needs looking up.
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