It was a surprise to see the first App Store Maori language tutorial come from eurotalk. The sample screens are identical to those for the many other eurotalk apps, so could this really do te reo Maori justice? Fortunately, the answer is yes. This clearly isn't a comprehensive tutorial, but it does exactly what the app description says, and it does so well. You'll pick up some useful words and phrases, but won't learn very much about the language structure. The pronounciations sound "right" and are spoken with the expected expression. The phrases are smooth and words sometimes run together, as they are meant to. This app uses proper recordings with nothing sounding computer generated. The only shortcoming is that I wish there were many more words and phrases. The design of the app is very nice, with slick, sharp graphics. I'm guessing that some people will find the totally generic nature of the words and pictures to be at odds with how language and culture cannot be separated, but the same objection will apply to all these apps. Overall this is a useful spoken and written Maori learning tool. The only thing stopping this exceeding 3 stars is that the content needs expansion. P.S. The app does display macrons, but curiously the App Store review will not accept them (except for in the title of this review).
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