May 02, 2016
Bilingual toastmasters safe place for mistakes
Welcome your mistakes in one of the principles of a new bilingual toastmasters club at Auckland's AUT University.
Maori liaison student advisor Trent Dallas says the initiative came from a classmate in the university's general toastmasters club who saw it as a way to practice te reo Maori in a safe environment.
Being able to speak to groups in public is an important skill within Maori, whether it's in English or Maori, but it can require training and practice.
"One of our motto's is nau mai te hapa which is welcoming your mistakes. We can be whakamaa if Maori is our second language, so having that comfortable space to try out new things, to say new words or kupu does wonders for all our group who come along," Mr Dallas says.
The group is also attracting some fluent Maori speakers who want to improve their public delivery in English.
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