10 September 2018
Kōrero Māori mai: BNZ launches digital banking in Te Reo Māori with a twist
Kua whakarewa te paetukutuku hou o BNZ. Kua rangiāmirohia ki te reo Māori
BNZ customers can now switch their mobile and on-line banking to Te Reo. In a new initiative aimed at helping budding Te
Reo speakers, BNZ has added a twist to the website’s Te Reo function by adding a “learning mode” where both English and
Te Reo translations sit side-by-side.
BNZ Digital People Leader, Pera Barrett, says “learning mode” means any BNZ customer regardless of their understanding
of the Maori language can get more familiar with Te Reo by seeing English and Maori side by side on a website they visit
very regularly.
“As Bank of New Zealand, we are uniquely placed to play a big part in supporting the growth and use of Te Reo. We’re
giving our customers the chance to learn the language through their banking. The aim is customers will become very
familiar with terms like moni (money), pūkete, (account) and peke (bank),” says Mr Barrett.
Another benefit of weaving Te Reo into situations where it hasn’t traditionally been used is that it helps ensure the
language evolves by using Maori words in new ways
“For example, the word for ‘edit’ is ‘whakatika’. We’re using it in the context of editing your bank account, which is
not a setting it’s normally used in. That’s how languages spread and grow,” says Mr. Barrett.
“Māori heritage is part of what makes Aotearoa the unique and special place that we call home, and Te Reo Māori is an
important part of that heritage. We’re proud to support and celebrate Maori Language Week by launching the new service
this week,” says Mr. Barrett.
BNZ customers can change their online banking to Te Reo with the settings option on the website, where either full Te
Reo, English or Learning Mode can be activated.
On mobile devices, language settings can be changed to Te Reo on the BNZ app and it will switch over to Te Reo
automatically.
ENDS