Malo e lelei

“Ala i Sia – Ala i Kolonga” – “Skilfull at Sia, Skillful at Kolonga”
( Appreciate being able to skillfully multi-task)

This week I’m talking with Losalima Magele^• about her reflections on Tongan Language Week – Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga. This year, the theme for Tongan language week is: “Ko e kai ia ‘a e Tonga – Enriching Aotearoa with Tongan Wisdom”.

Tell us a bit about yourself …

Lima Magele

Tonga has over 170 islands. About 40 of them are inhabited. They are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu. I come from the beautiful island of Vava’u. I am married to a Samoan, so my children are bicultural and we live in Christchurch. I work in the area of Early Childhood Education, and a part of that has been providing PLD for teachers who work with our Pasifika families and helping to unpack the Pasifika Education Plan.

What are your impressions about Tongan language week?

It is important to encourage our children to feel confident in their identity, language, and culture particularly in this multicultural society. I also believe that this is an important part of being Tongan. This helps our New Zealand born children to establish and maintain good relationships with family members particularly those back in Tonga. This is also supported by what the research is telling us about bilingualism. Children who are going to school with a strong foundation of their mother tongue develop stronger literacies and switch on to education more successfully.

How can teachers support our Tongan students?

Here’s a story that I think highlights one of these points. I was called to a Primary School about 15 years ago. I was an Early Childhood supervisor in one of our Pasifika centres. They brought me in to help the school to support some of the Tongan students. The school could not work out what language they were speaking. It was a combination of English and Tongan but not distinctly either. What we found out was that the non-speaking English parents were trying to talk in English at home to their children because they wanted their children to be able to speak English when they go to school. We need our families to value and support their mother tongue when that language has a strong foundation – this makes learning English easier.

Teachers of Tongan students need to know their students and their world. Pronouncing their names correctly is a great initial step. It helps the students feel that teacher empathise and care for them. Of course a big part of that is being able to laugh with them, and understand something of their community life.

I am reminded of a saying that I think sums this all up: “The culture of the child cannot enter the classroom until it has first entered the consciousness of the teacher”

Malo ‘aupito

Try some of these basic Tongan phrases:

Links

• Tongan Language Week on TKI
• Teaching and Learning Tongan

Quiz

Coat of Arms:

Source: Wikipedia

Adopted 1875 — the royal crown with the olive branch around it — three swords represent the three dynasties  or lines of the king of Tonga — the dove with the olive branch symbolises the peace of God — the 3 stars symbolise the main islands of Tonga which which are Tongatapu, Vava’u and Haapai.

The motto: ‘Ko e ‘Otua mo Tonga ko hoku tofi’a’ …

The challenge is: Can you find out what the motto means in English?

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Teanau Tuiono

Teanau Tuiono is the Māori Medium Publishing Project Coordinator at CORE Education. Previously, Teanau was based in Europe working with the UN and NGOs focusing on indigenous peoples issues. Teanau has worked with two Ministries of Education (New Zealand and the Solomon Islands)supporting curriculum and resource development in indigenous languages. Teanau has also worked as the Māori and Pasifika education online editor for Te Kete Ipurangi organising content and working on associated projects that support Māori and Pasifika educational achievement.

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