Press Release – University of Canterbury Principal Investigator Professor Jen Hay and co-author Professor Jeanette King of UCs New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour. Even when they cant speak te reo Mori, New Zealanders have a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge of … Principal Investigator Professor Jen Hay and co-author Professor Jeanette King of UC’s New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour. Even when they can’t speak te reo Māori, New Zealanders have a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge of the language, University of Canterbury (UC) research shows. The UC-led team is exploring the very earliest stages of language-learning, by studying knowledge of te reo Māori held by New Zealanders who have never deliberately tried to learn the language.