Language
Te Kupu o te Wiki: manu - bird
The Māori word of the week is: manu - bird. Whanaihia nga manu ki te ika. Feed fish to the birds. Audio
'Keeping it simple' while avoiding clichés
Radio New Zealand's Presentation Standards Manager Hewitt Humphrey on why simple English is encouraged and clichés are not, with a side of aspirate consonants.
Te Kupu o te Wiki: Papatuānuku - Earth
The Māori word of the week is: Papatūānuku - Earth. Ko Papatūānuku te ingoa Māori mō te ao. Papatūānuku is the Māori name for Earth. Audio
Passion no guarantee of creativity
Discussing the relationship between science and creativity are Julie Maxton, Executive Director of the United Kingdom's Royal Society and Professor Bruce Sheridan, a New Zealand academic at Chicago's… Audio
A whistle-stop tour from Avon to Avon
Is it Avon, Avon, or Avon? Hewitt Humphrey takes a closer look at the different Avons around the world, via trainspotting, two different violas, and the placement of 'only'.
Talking Northern Territory
In light of the AusTalk Project, linguist Bruce Birch from Australian National University's Iwaidja Documentation Project, is attempting to ascertain if Territorians speak differently to other… Audio
Mandarin fastest growing language
It's the largest group so far – 104 Mandarin language assistants are heading to primary and secondary schools across the country. Sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Victoria University and the… Audio
Mandarin fastest growing language
It's the largest group so far – 104 Mandarin language assistants are heading to primary and secondary schools across the country. Sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Victoria University and the…
AudioTe Kupu o te Wiki: maumahara - remember
The Māori word of the week is: Kia maumahara tātou. Let us remember (lest we forget). Audio
Catastrophes lay bare many truths
Rebecca Macfie, Lloyd Jones and Gaylene Preston discuss dealing creatively with tough stuff through non-fiction, family memoir, and television drama at the 2014 Christchurch Word Writers and Readers… Audio
Making Writing Seem More Honest
Helen Owen is analysing why different writing is perceived to be more honest and has found that connectors and simplicity play a role Audio
Making Writing Seem More Honest
Helen Owen is analysing why different writing is perceived to be more honest and has found that connectors and simplicity play a role
AudioLetter writers at ready: Wanganui vs Whanganui
How we deal with Wanganui and Whanganui at Radio New Zealand has caused much debate in the past few years. Audio
AA to publish roading guide in Chinese
A travel-guide written in Chinese is being put out by the Automobile Association aimed at helping tourists and Chinese people who live here understand the road rules. Audio
Crown adopts Maori words for own agenda - Researchers
Māori researchers say the Crown has adopted Māori concepts to fit its own agenda. Audio
Te Kupu o te Wiki: horoi - wash
The Māori word of the week is: horoi - wash. Harae mai, ka horoi tāua i ngā rīhi. Come and we (two) will wash the dishes. Audio
It’s kind of amazing the sexism that still exists, even though if you look at it through blurry glasses it doesn’t look like it’s there.
Meg Wolitzer, a leading USA novelist, talks about her extensive career with Kate De Goldi, focusing on a recent highly-awarded novel The Interestings. Audio
Dictionary of Slang
A comprehensive look at slang in New Zealand - imported words and more than 3500 distinctively Kiwi slang terms. Dictionary of Slang in New Zealand by Noel Kelly is published by Barque books and… Audio
“Good morning. Could you please not delete anything?”
Journalists Luke Harding, Nicky Hager and Richard King discuss freedom of speech in an era of big data, mass surveillance and the unauthorised release of information on a scale never before seen. The… Audio
Do you know the way to say San Jose?
A bit tongue-tied around US destinations? Let Hewitt Humphrey be your guide on a great American journey. Audio
