Foundations for modern workplaces
Foundations for Teams is an eight-week online course for organisations that want their people to use te reo Māori with confidence and care, in everyday interactions and professional communication. Delivered in a supported cohort format, it builds capability steadily, without adding pressure to already busy schedules.
This course is designed for organisations that want a clear, structured starting point. Your team will build confident pronunciation, practical workplace language, and authentic usage that supports real integration over time, not one-off learning.
Outcomes Enabled
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A structured, end-to-end learning pathway that removes guesswork for both managers and learners. With clear sequencing, pre and post touchpoints, and guided next steps, the course supports capability as a system, not a one-off workshop, making progress easier to measure and easier to sustain.
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Build a confident team-wide pronunciation baseline, so staff speak with clarity and consistency in everyday interactions. This reduces hesitation, lifts credibility, and supports respectful use without putting individuals under pressure.
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Create a consistent foundation across the team, so Māori language use becomes more coherent, more natural, and easier to sustain over time. A shared baseline strengthens culture, reduces reliance on a few individuals, and supports ongoing momentum.
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Support staff to introduce themselves and engage in visibility moments with confidence and care, whether they are welcoming visitors, speaking at meetings, or representing your organisation. This builds professional presence while honouring cultural context.
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Equip your team with practical phrases for greetings, acknowledgements, and everyday workplace moments. The focus is language that is easy to integrate, so the learning shows up in real interactions, not just in training sessions.
Foundations for Teams includes weekly live sessions designed for practical team interaction and guided application, with recordings provided for anyone who cannot attend live. Your cohort also receives lifetime access to learning resources and materials, along with certificates of completion for each participant. To keep the experience cohesive and easy to manage, we provide a dedicated Team Learning Suite, bringing together your schedule, resources, certificates, and clear next steps to support ongoing learning beyond the course.
Delivery Inclusions
Our Three Step Approach
( 01 )
Establish the Right Starting Point
Before delivery begins, we run a short pre-engagement survey to understand your team, your context, and what “good” looks like for your organisation. This includes a light level check so staff are placed appropriately and expectations are clear from the start.
( 02 )
Build Capability Through Delivery
Across eight weeks, we deliver structured learning that prioritises immediate workplace use, supported by interactive practice and clear cultural guidance. Sessions are designed to be practical and consistent, so people can build confidence without feeling put on the spot.
( 03 )
Prove Impact and Support Next Steps
At the end of the course, learners complete a post-course survey to reflect progress and confidence shifts. We then provide a next steps survey that supports autonomy and recommends practical pathways based on each learner’s goals, role, and comfort level. This helps the learning continue, rather than ending at week eight.
Course Delivery
Duration: 8 Weeks
Cadence: 1 Hour Per Week Live Session
Delivery: Online via Teams
Between Sessions: Optional Practice Online
Recordings: Provided for Catch-Up
Course Modules
Shaped by years of working with organisations across industries, this curriculum reflects what corporate teams consistently ask for: language that can be used immediately, delivered in a way that respects busy schedules and cognitive load. Each module focuses on workplace-relevant communication and builds steadily, so learners gain confidence without feeling overwhelmed.
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Build a confident pronunciation base your team can use consistently, so te reo Māori feels clear and credible in everyday workplace moments.
Learn the Māori alphabet and key sound patterns
Practise common workplace words and names with audio support
Strengthen rhythm and confidence through guided repetition
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Learn practical Māori language you can integrate into written communication with confidence, across both formal and more casual workplace contexts.
Use appropriate greetings and sign-offs for formal and informal scenarios
Learn new ways to address individuals and groups respectfully
Practise short, usable templates for everyday workplace messages
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Build a modern, workplace-appropriate introduction structure that supports confident representation in professional settings.
Learn a clear mihimihi framework and what each part communicates
Shape an introduction that fits your role and context
Practise delivery for meetings, welcomes, and internal settings
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Develop language that supports appreciation and recognition in a way that feels genuine, respectful, and easy to apply.
Learn phrases for thanking people and acknowledging contributions
Practise language for meetings, events, and everyday interactions
Build consistency so acknowledgement becomes part of team culture
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Strengthen practical spoken language for everyday professional interactions, so the Māori language becomes easier to use naturally.
Learn short phrases for common workplace exchanges
Practise simple questions and responses for daily use
Build confidence using language in real workplace scenarios
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Learn numbers in a way that translates directly into workplace tasks and everyday operational needs.
Practise counting for workplace items and simple quantities
Use numbers in practical contexts like meetings and planning
Strengthen recall through repetition and short applications
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Bring everything you have learned into the moments that matter, with guided practice for workplace introductions and connection.
Learn ways to break the ice in te reo Māori and keep conversation flowing
Talk about your role, your work, and your organisation with more depth
Strengthen introductions by weaving in ancestry and connection where appropriate
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Learn ways to guide others, make requests, and support everyday team flow.
Use polite structures for requests and directions
Practise simple instructions for common workplace settings
Build language that supports consistency across the team
Course Investment
Investment is structured by cohort size and invoiced directly to your organisation. Payment schedules and terms are outlined in your agreement and confirmed at booking. For organisations planning multiple cohorts, we offer multi-cohort agreements to streamline delivery and lock in pricing for the agreed period. We will confirm the most suitable tier once we understand your participant numbers, timing, and delivery preferences.
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Designed for leadership groups and close working teams who value a high-touch learning environment. This cohort size supports strong participation, personalised facilitation, and steady confidence building across a smaller group. Investment is $4,000 + GST for up to 10 participants.
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Our most popular option, designed for momentum and engagement without losing quality. It creates a strong learning dynamic while still allowing space for interaction, guided practice, and individual confidence to grow. Investment is $6,000 + GST for up to 25 participants.
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A practical option for larger organisations seeking broad reach while maintaining a structured, guided learning experience. Well suited to all-staff foundations, large teams across functions, or organisation-wide capability uplift delivered in a single intake. Investment is $7,500 + GST for up to 50 participants.
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For cohorts above 50 participants, multiple sites, or wider implementation, we provide tailored pricing and delivery recommendations. We will propose the approach that best supports engagement, including options for multiple cohorts or staged delivery. Enquire for a tailored quote.
Professional Reflections
See what shifts for professionals when learning is structured, practical, and supported. These reflections are from participants who completed Foundations for Teams, and what they noticed as confidence and everyday use began to build.
Foundations for Teams is facilitated by Ella, founder of Manawa Māori. As a language learner herself, she brings a deeply practical understanding of what helps confidence grow, especially in workplace settings where people want to participate well, without feeling put on the spot. Ella is known for building strong learning foundations alongside teams, combining cultural integrity with clear structure and immediate application. Her facilitation style is calm, precise, and encouraging, supporting learners to progress steadily and use te reo Māori with credibility, care, and ease.
Course Facilitator
A few practical details to support your decision and help you begin with clarity. If you have a question that is not covered here, you are welcome to reach out, and we will point you in the right direction.
Before You Begin
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Foundations for Teams is designed for organisations that want a clear, beginner-friendly starting point for their people. It suits teams who want practical workplace use, guided support, and a shared baseline that can be sustained over time.
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The course is delivered live online across eight weeks. Sessions are facilitated and highly applied, designed to support participation while still respecting busy schedules.
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Recordings are provided, so learners can catch up and stay aligned with the cohort. This also supports revision and confidence building between sessions.
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In addition to the weekly one hour live session, we recommend one to two hours of optional practice and review to reinforce learning and build confidence. For completion, participants are only required to attend the one hour live session each week. The course content is structured with clear priorities, so learners can progress without feeling overloaded.
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We use a pre-engagement survey and level check to understand your team and establish the right starting point. This helps set expectations, supports learner confidence, and ensures the course is fit for purpose.
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We use pre-course and post-course surveys to understand learner confidence and track shifts over time. We also provide a next steps survey that supports learner autonomy, with pathway recommendations based on goals and comfort level. Following the eight-week learning block, we provide a detailed progress report to support your organisation’s visibility and next steps planning.
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Please use this enquiry form, and we will follow up to confirm your team size, preferred timing, and any relevant context. We will then propose the most suitable intake or delivery option for your organisation.
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Each organisation receives a private portal, with cohorts clearly organised in one place. It brings together your programme schedule, course details, resources, recordings where applicable, certificates, and guided next steps, creating a single, well-structured hub for coordinators to stay aligned throughout the course and beyond.
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Yes. Participants receive certificates of completion, and these are also housed within the Team Learning Suite for easy access.
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Pricing covers facilitation, cohort delivery, access to resources, recordings where applicable, certificates, and the Team Learning Suite. We will confirm the appropriate tier based on participant numbers and your delivery needs.
Explore More Pathways
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