New Zealand English is the English you may already know, with some words of its own. Kiwis say for flip-flops and footpath for sidewalk, and they use Māori words like for food. A list tells you what a word means. You begin to catch it on your own after you've met it in many sentences you already understand. That is comprehensible input: New Zealand English you mostly follow, where the words you know explain the new one.
About one new word in each sentence, while you still follow the meaning.
Read a few sentences. When each one holds about one new word, carry on. When the story stops making sense, step down to easier text. Early on, that could be a short scene at a beach or a shop. Later, a whole news story gives enough clues for you to guess a word.
Bubblegum has six levels, each introduced by a sentence in a learner's own words. Choose the one that sounds most like you. The classes and news sites in the rows don't use these levels, so treat each row as a first guess.
- Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words
The easiest way to start is Bubblegum, where Poppy, your AI tutor, writes short lessons at your level about your interests and goals. If you'd rather have a teacher, look for a tutor who teaches from zero. Plan on a few weeks of hard study to learn the basic grammar before you start using apps.
- Level 2
I can read simple sentences
If you use Bubblegum, read its Level 2 lessons with the translation hidden, and look up only the words that stop you. If you live in New Zealand, English Language Partners has 21 centres, and its classes are free for citizens and people with a resident visa.
English Language Partners - Level 3
I can read short stories and messages
At this level you need more words, so read and listen a lot. Bubblegum reuses the words you saved in new Level 3 lessons. ESL News New Zealand reads local stories slowly with easy words, and each one has a vocabulary list.
ESL News New Zealand - Level 4
I can read longer texts about everyday life
Try ESL News stories without the text, then check what you heard against the written version. Read Bubblegum lessons at Level 4 about things you're into.
ESL News New Zealand - Level 5
I can follow complex topics, but miss some details
RNZ has news, radio, and podcasts. Choose a story on a topic you know, and guess new words from the sentence before you look them up. Poppy can write your Level 5 lessons about anything you're into.
RNZ - Level 6
I can read almost anything
Follow RNZ podcasts and radio made for everyone, and notice the Māori words that appear in the news. Read Bubblegum lessons at Level 6 about the things you care about too.
RNZ
Move to the next row when this one feels comfortable, and step back a row if you are reaching for the dictionary in most sentences.
Here's a sentence written for this guide: I bought bread at the dairy and walked home on the footpath. If you know every other word, the scene tells you what the new ones are: a small shop, and the path beside the road.
Bubblegum is a language app where your AI tutor, Poppy, writes New Zealand English lessons for your level about topics you choose. Voices chosen for Auckland English read every lesson aloud, and you can look up words and ask her about grammar. Words you save come back in new lessons through Regenerative Review™.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn New Zealand English. You learn from New Zealand English you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Lessons are in New Zealand English, read aloud in a New Zealand accent.
- Lessons use New Zealand spelling, like colour and organise, and local words like footpath and car park.
- Talk out loud with Poppy in live voice chat.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The voices have Auckland accents, so you won't hear accents from other parts of New Zealand.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Do I Need to Learn Māori Too?
No. You'll meet Māori words in New Zealand English, like kai, and you can pick them up from sentences. Te reo Māori is a separate language.
How Much Time Should I Set Aside?
Aim for 3 to 5 hours a week, in sittings of 15 to 30 minutes or longer. Put most of that into reading and listening, and save a little for talking with a tutor or a friend.
Which App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning New Zealand English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our New Zealand English comparison also lists tutors, free classes, and news.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
