Mā te hapa ka tipu tō tātou reo

 

He tuhinga nā Mātai Smith. 

He wā mataku tonu te Kura Reo mō te hunga kei te tīmatanga o tō rātou haerenga reo. Ka noho te māharahara ki te puku, he tohu nō te ngākau nui. Inapō, i tū tētahi kaikōrero, ā, i tīmata ia me te kī, ‘Aroha mai whānau, me āku hapa…’ 
 
Ahakoa te mataku, i kōrero ia, ā, i tau pai āna kupu. 
 
Koia rā te kaupapa o te Kura Reo: kia hapa. He tangata noa tātou. Mā te hapa ka tipu tō tātou reo. E mōhio ana au, nā te wheako anō i ako ai au. Nā reira i mea atu au ki ngā tauira: Me hapa te hapa. 
 
Hapahia ngā hapa. Whakamanahia. Kia horomia kia whāngai i a koe. Ā, muri iho, tukua kia rere, kia mahue atu te koretake. Ko ngā hapa katoa hei kai māu, kia pakari ake ai tō reo, kia tū kaha ai tō reo. 
 
Kura Reo can be daunting, especially for those just beginning their journey. The fear is real — it sits heavy in the belly. But that fear is also a sign you care. Last night one of our speakers stood, nervous, and began with ‘Aroha mai whānau, me āku hapa…’ Yet he fought through it, and his words landed beautifully. 
 
That’s what Kura Reo is about: making mistakes. We are human. We must make errors in order to grow our reo. I know this because I have lived it. That’s why I told the tauira: 
“Me hapa te hapa!” 
 
Make the mistake. Embrace it. Digest it, so the lesson feeds you. And then let it pass, releasing what is no longer needed.