Which version of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori should we teach?
There are some differences in the pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar of te reo Māori from region to region, as is the case for almost all languages. However, the similarities between all the regional variations of te reo Māori are far greater than the differences, important though these differences are. Teachers who focus largely on the variety of te reo Māori with which they are themselves familiar, or on a particular variety that is important to the local community, can be confident that most of what is taught will be of direct use wherever their students travel within New Zealand. At a later stage, those students with a solid foundation in te reo Māori will be in an excellent position to learn more about regional variations in language and tikanga, especially if some of the more obvious differences are drawn to their attention, when appropriate, in class.