I don’t always agree with Māori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples’ view of the world. But when it comes to his desire for more New Zealanders to embrace te reo we’re marching in step.

This year's Māori Language Week theme is Te Reo i te Hapori - Maori Language in the Community.

So what can we expect from Māori Language Week in terms of our forthright and free Fourth Estate, that influential group who pretty well control the news/ entertainment/ lifestyle diets fed to all Kiwis?

We’ll see tokenism run rife in our print and broadcast media, that’s what. We’ll see presenters wearing those stylish We (heart) te reo tees; meedja “stars” from TV weather people to radio announcers spewing out more Māori phrases and words than they usually do...which, let’s face it, has almost all of them starting from a very low threshold.

We’ll even have SpongeBob SquarePants and his Bikini Bottom whanau speaking te reo during the week on Nickelodeon. Ka pai!

Yes, a tai āniwhaniwha of patronising attention by our media is guaranteed as they strive to outdo each other during the week. And then we’ll revert to the norm, with te reo largely ignored by our mainstream media companies. Radio New Zealand is the only mainstream English media outlet I can think of that’s worthy of a thumbs up for their ongoing support of te reo. They’re also non commercial – is there a link?

If you do nothing else, get your hands on a copy of the excellent We (heart) Te Reo pocket phrasebook, published for Maori Language Week by Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission). Order it from www.koreromaori.co.nz .

The booklet is fun and user friendly, and provides useful phrases for the beach, supermarket, doctor and library. Sadly the editors have sold out to the media circus by including endorsement photographs of B and C-list celebs. I’m not doubting the sincerity of those photographed but we’re selling te reo, not soap powder, here.

Tai āniwhaniwha, by the way, translates as tsunami. I learned it as part of the Te Ara Tuatahi: Te Reo Māori stage one course I’m doing weekly at Victoria University. No media are among my classmates.