No comments about Hatupatu and the Birdwoman: Story Based on a Maori Legend: Stage Seven Supplementary Readers (Story Chest).

No comments about Te Aka: Maori-English, English-Maori Dictionary and Index (Te Whanake).

2 comments about Let's Learn Maori.

1. I used the previous edition of this book, and thought it was the best book from which to learn Maori. This edition is even better - the explanations of the grammar are even clearer. The only improvement needed is to add audio tapes to help with the pronunciation.



2. My earliest attempts at trying to understand the structure of a Polynesian language (Hawaiian) didn't get very far, principally because I found the authors' explanations of phrase structure confusing. Once I had read Bruce Biggs' explanation of Polynesian phrase structure, et al., in his book, "Let's Learn Maori" (LLM), everything started falling into place. His discription of Maori "parts of speech" is also clear and precise. He also keeps his explanation and examples of the verbal particles simple. There is a lot to recommend this book for the serious student of the Maori language, especially when LLM is used with the audio tapes that go with the text, but I would also recommend at least one other text to study along with LLM; one recommendation is John Foster's "He Whakamarama: A Full Self-Help Course in Maori" (with audiotapes), and an out-of-print book by Hoani R. Waititi, "Te Rangatahi" books 1 and 2 -- I have the 1970 edition.
   
   It should be noted that LLM has one "curious" feature that some may find "offputting": Polynesian languages have both long and short vowels, and most grammars, if they represent this important distinction at all, use macrons to represent the long vowels. Biggs follows the convention of the University of Auckland by representing long vowels with doubled letters: manu 'bird', maanu 'afloat'; tupuna 'grandparent', tuupuna 'grandparents'.
   
   "Let's Learn Maori" is an excellent text for gaining a deeper understanding of the structure of this beautiful language, but the author's intent, I surmise, was that it should be used as a supplemental resource while using other basic grammar texts and materials. I highly recommend this book for any serious student of Maori.

1 comments about Tikanga Whakaaro: Key Concepts in Maori Culture.

1. This is an excellent basic reference that would work well in schools and workplaces wanting to improve their knowledge to Te Au Maori.

No comments about Korero a Mohi Ruatapu: The Writings of Mohi Ruatapu.

No comments about Korero Tahi: Talking Together.

No comments about Restriction and Saturation (Linguistic Inquiry Monographs).

2 comments about Kai Korero: A Cook Islands Maori Coursebook.

1. This is a very good introduction to Cook Islands Maori. Each point is simply explained, with lots of examples. You won't be fluent in Maori, but you can hold simple conversations. If you buy the tapes as well, it's the next best thing to being in Rarotonga, except you don't get the beaches and the food.



2. This is a clear, concise, information-packed book for learning Cook Island Maori, a Polynesian language spoken on Rarotonga and many other nearby islands. Purchased for a planned trip that later got scrapped, I kept the book and have studied the language a bit. Of course, I don't have the cassette that goes with the book, and that is my "but..." from above. While the description states a cassette comes with the book, it only comes with the hardback (out of print) and not this edition. Great book with useful information. If you're going to the Cook Islands get it.

No comments about English-Maori, Maori-English Dictionary.

5 comments about Beginner's Maori (Beginner's (Foreign Language)).

1. The nearly complete lack of teach-yourself material on New Zealand's Maori language compels me to give the book 3 stars as I believe it is the only one to be found. The linguistic problem is the author's inattention to mark vowel length as well as poorly explaining certain consonants. However, Harawira's use of Maori texts and songs is rather charming. Invest in this book with caution.



2. This book got me off to a good start and I consider it to be a bargain for the price. If you're in any doubt about this book, buy it. It's worth every cent.



3. This book was created some time ago. Some of the subject matter reflects this fact. It is a good brief intro to the language but has a major flaw. There are two sets of vowels, the short and the long vowel. It is very important to pronounce the vowel properly or the meaning of the word can be changed. This book represents all vowels as short vowels, thus the student incorrectly learns the word.



4. not very user friendly. i was hoping to open the book and be able to find every day phrases. instead it was broken down by grammatical points. i suppose it explains things well, but it takes a lot of time and focus - not for someone planning on visiting there soon and hoping to learn the basics.



5. Perfect book to assist with a trip to New Zealand. This book keeps it simple to learn basic questions and responses.