Gagana Sāmoa L8: Example 3
Example 3: Interview with political candidate
Teuila — Fa ‘atalofa atu Paul. Fa ‘afetai atu lava mo le fa ‘aavanoaina mai o lou taimi, ae o le a tuu sao loa le fesili. O le a sou silafia i ni tomai ma ni agavaa e tatau ona iai i se tasi o le a filifilia mo le Palemene?
Paul — E muamua ona ou fa ‘atalofa atu foi i lau Susuga. Fa ‘afetai atu foi mo le fa ‘afesili. Ae ou te lagona o itu taua nei:
Muamua, ia fa ‘amaoni. Soo se tasi e fia avea ma faipule ia fa ‘amaoni i lona tofiga. Ia aua nei alofa fa ‘apito ae ia tutusa uma tagata i lana vaai.
Lua, ia lava le tomai ma le agavaa i tulaga tau polokiki. Ia pei o se tuua o se aiga ma alalafaga i le iai lea o le tōfā mamao ma le utaga loloto. Ia malamalama i itu uma o le galuega.
O le isi foi itu ia aua nei afaina le sui ini soligatulafono, ma ia lava le pale ma le onosai i lona tofiga.
Teuila — Faafetai lava mo lau faasoa, e sao lele lava lau saunoaga aua ua toatele foi faipule ua manatu mama i o latou tofiga. Ae ou te talitonu e toatele lava tamaiti o loo fia mananoa e avea ma palemia o Niu Sila, i se taimi oi luma. Faamolemole lau Susuga Paul, o a ni au fautuga mo tamaiti o loo mafaufau e fia avea ma faipule i le lumanai?
Paul — Faafetai lava mo le fesili. Muamua, toaga e fai mea aoga. Lua, filifili faalelei ni au uo e lagolagoina ma fesoasoani ia te oe ma lau taumafaiga. Tolu, aua le fiugofie. Fa, e pei ona ou fai atu ia faamaoni i gaulega uma ete faia, totonu o lou aiga, aoga ma soo se mea.
Teuila — Ia fa ‘afetai atu lava i lau Susuga Paul mo lenei avanoa fa ‘aauro ua e faꞌasoa mai ai. E le taumate le oa ma le tamaoaiga o lou finagalo na faaalia. E moni lava e le faigofie lenei gaulega ma lona tofiga. Ae talosia ia toe maua se isi taimi i le lumanai e te fa ‘asoa mai i nisi tulaga e lei oo iai le ta talanoaga. Fa ‘asoifuaina ma ia manuia.
Paul — Fa ‘afetai atu foi ia te oe le tamaitai, ae talosia ia se isi aso oi luma. Ae fa ‘asoifuaina.
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Context and text type
This is part of an interview between Teuila, a year 13 student, and Paul, a local candidate in the central government elections. They discuss the attributes that are desirable in a political leader.
Text type
Interview. Interactive.
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Examples showing how the student is:
Communicating information, ideas, and opinions through extended and varied texts
Teuila uses extended sentences. This can be seen, for example, where she acknowledges a response and leads into the next question:
- Faafetai lava mo lau faasoa, e sao lele lava lau saunoaga …
She varies the structures she uses to ask questions and communicate meaning:
- Faamolemole lau Susuga Paul, o a ni au fautuga mo tamaiti o loo mafaufau e fia avea ma faipule i le lumanai?
When Teuila responds, she communicates respect through the use of formulaic expressions that are typical of formal language:
- Faafetai lava mo lau faasoa … O le a sou silafia i ni tomai ma ni agavaa e tatau ona iai i se tasi o le a filifilia mo le Palemene? … Fa’asoifuaina ma ia manuia.
Teuila’s questions concerning the qualities needed by a future political leader frame the interview. For example:
- O le a sou silafia i ni tomai ma ni agavaa e tatau ona iai i se tasi o le a filifilia mo le Palemene?
Teuila proposes the possibility of another interview at a later stage:
- Ae talosia ia toe maua se isi taimi i le lumanai e te fa ‘asoa mai i nisi tulaga e lei oo iai le ta talanoaga. Fa ‘asoifuaina ma ia manuia.
Exploring the views of others
Teuila uses direct questioning to explore Paul’s views:
- O le a sou silafia i ni tomai ma ni agavaa e tatau ona iai i se tasi o le a filifilia mo le Palemene?
Listeners to the interview will make meaning from what they hear and will find themselves exploring how what they hear fits with their own views, beliefs, and understandings.
Developing and sharing personal perspectives
She expresses respect for, and confidence in, Paul’s credibility and expertise:
- E le taumate le oa ma le tamaoaiga o lou finagalo na faaalia.
Teuila expresses ideas and opinions coherently and with certainty:
- Ae ou te talitonu e toatele lava tamaiti o loo fia mananao e avea ma palemia o Niu Sila, i se taimi oi luma.
She uses praise in a culturally appropriate manner to communicate her appreciation of the wealth of information shared by Paul:
- E le taumate le oa ma le tamaoaiga o lou finagalo na faaalia.
Justifying own ideas and opinions
Teuila justifies Paul’s opinion through the use of evidence:
- … e sao lele lava lau saunoaga aua ua toatele foi faipule ua manatu mama i o latou tofiga.
She justifies her personal opinion:
- … ou te talitonu e toatele lava tamaiti o loo fia mananao e avea ma palemia o Niu Sila, i se taimi oi luma.
Supporting or challenging the ideas and opinions of others
Teuila expresses support for Paul’s views:
- … E le taumate le oa ma le tamaoaiga o lou finagalo na faaalia. But some listeners may be challenged by them.
Teuila agrees that being a politician is difficult:
- E moni lava e le faigofie lenei gaulega ma lona tofiga. Again, some listeners may disagree with her view.
Engaging in sustained interactions and producing extended texts
The text illustrates the use of linking expressions to connect ideas and extend the text:
- Ae ou te talitonu … E moni lava …
Teuila uses structured and well thought out questions to sustain the interaction; for example:
- Faamolemole la, o a ni au fautuga mo tamaiti o loo mafaufau e fia avea ma faipule i le lumanai?
Note the sentence starters that are typical of interviews in gagana Sāmoa:
- Faatalofa atu … Faamolemole lau Susuga … Faafetai lava mo lau faasoa …
Exploring how linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages
Teuila uses metaphorical language to express opinions:
- E le taumate le oa ma le tamaoaiga o lou finagalo na faalia … mo lenei avanoa fa ‘aauro …
Teuila takes care to observe the appropriate protocols when interviewing an adult and a respected member of the community. This can be seen in her frequent acknowledgement of the person and her use of respectful forms of language. For example:
- Ia fa ‘afetai atu lava i lau susuga Paul mo lenei avanoa faꞌaauro; Fa ‘asoifuaina ma ia manuia; E le taumate le oa ma le tamaoaiga o lou finagalo na faaalia.
Analysing how the use of the language expresses cultural meanings
Teuila acknowledges Paul’s views in a respectful manner, observing cultural protocols: Faafetai lava mo lau faasoa.
Teuila shows understanding of interview conventions in 'aganu ‘u fa ‘asāmoa'. For example, she:
- uses respectful forms of language:
- Susuga, saunoaga, finagalo.
- acknowledges her guest before and after each question:
- Ou te faatalofa atu i lau Susuga; Faafetai mo lau faasoa.
- acknowledges Paul’s expertise:
- Fa ‘atalofa atu Paul. Fa ‘afetai atu lava mo le fa ‘aavanoaina mai o lou taimi, ae o le a tuu sao loa le fesili.
- closes the interview by formally offering her guest her best wishes:
- Ae talosia ia toe maua se isi taimi i le lumanai e te fa ‘asoa mai i nisi tulaga e lei oo iai le ta talanoaga. Fa ‘asoifuaina ma ia manuia.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Students could investigate other interview texts (oral and written) in gagana Sāmoa. What are the common linguistic and cultural features? How might students apply their learning when conducting their own interviews in gagana Sāmoa?
Through interviews, students could explore different issues, for example, health issues, competitive sport, or environmental issues. As a follow-up, they could present (as oral, written, or visual texts) their discoveries to the class.
The class could explore the role of 'matai' in 'aganu ‘u fa ‘asāmoa' by interviewing matai, or inviting a matai along to school to be interviewed by the class. Students could compare comparable roles in different cultures, for example, kaumatua in te ao Māori, and ariki in Cook Islands culture.
Last updated January 16, 2013
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