The Māori language made some progress this week. It has not always been possible to say that of the annual Māori Language Week. The progress was on the airwaves.
Broadcasters got involved this time, and not just those on Radio NZ who have been injecting te reo into their greetings and reporters' sign-offs for several years.
Most of our broadcasters this time entered into the spirit of the week and took pride in being able to use a little of the language. So they should. A facility with spoken language is their profession and New Zealand broadcasters should regard it as a mark of professionalism to be able to incorporate this country's unique language in their work.
There is probably no more effective way to revive te reo than to have it heard on mainstream radio and television, certainly more effective than education - though that is important, too.
It is a pity this year's Māori Language Week again aroused debate over whether the language should be made "compulsory" is schools. That is a non-issue, just about all the curriculum is compulsory in primary school, where te reo should be. Young children learn languages more easily than older ones.