Good for the brain

I’m Pa¯keha¯. I do not speak fluent Ma¯ori but I do understand a lot of Ma¯ori words, although I probably pronounce them with a Pa¯keha¯ accent.

I became quite fluent in Thai because I lived in Thailand for two years and was totally immersed in the language. Learning another language is good for the brain, like learning music.

Ma¯ori is an official language in this country and schoolchildren are rightly taught to speak and understand it.

Iwish I had had that opportunity in the 60s, instead of just making flax mats, doing poi dances and wearing grass skirts, although that was fun, too.

Helen Carver, Dannevirke