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Tongan L8: Context elaborations

Students are expected to engage with and respond clearly and critically to a variety of extended texts, including authentic texts (those not created or modified specifically for language learners). They are expected to use the language more variably (flexibly) and with greater effectiveness (fitness for purpose and appropriateness), at times in sustained interactions and extended texts. They are expected to explore the views of others, develop and share personal perspectives, and justify, support, or challenge ideas and opinions in different situations and on matters that are beyond their immediate experience. In all their output, it is expected that students will use their developing knowledge of linguistic and cultural forms to help them create meaning.

Context elaborations are examples for teacher guidance only. They should not be used as assessment tools.

Example 1: Census matters

Fakatapu ki he ‘Otua Mafimafi´.

Fakatapu kia Houꞌeiki, ‘uma ‘a ‘a ha ‘a matāpule.

Tapu ki he kau fakamaau´, pea pehē ki he kau faiako´.

Fakatapu ki he fanau ako´.

Kae ‘atā mo e ki ‘i motu ‘a tu ‘a´ ni ke fakahoko ‘a ‘eku fakahoha ‘a´.

Ko ‘eku kaveinga´: ‘Oku mahu ‘inga ‘a e tohi kakai´ ki he kakai Pasifiki´. ‘I he lau ‘a e ki ‘i motu ‘a ni, ‘oku mahu ‘inga ‘aupito ‘a e tohi kakai´. Ko e ngaahi fakamatala ‘oku ma ‘u fekau ‘aki mo e tokolahi´, ‘oku ngāue ‘aki ia ‘e he Pule ‘anga´ ki hono vahevahe ‘o e pa ‘anga´ ki he ngaahi sekitoa taautaha´. Ko e fakamatala mei he Sitesitika´, ko e ‘avalisi ‘o e pa ‘anga ‘oku ma ‘u ‘e he ngaahi famili´ he ta ‘u ko e $20,500. Ko e ngaahi fika pehe´ ni ‘oku´ ne tala ‘a e ngaahi tafa ‘aki ‘oku faingata ‘a ‘ia ai ‘a e ngaahi famili ‘o e Pasifiki´. Kapau te tau ta ‘etokanga ki he tohi kakai´, pea ‘e fehalaaki mo nounou ‘a e ‘inasi pa ‘anga ‘e vahe ‘i ki he ngaahi ngāue fakalakalaka ma ‘ae kakai pasifiki´.

‘Oku ‘ikai ‘ke u tui tatau mo e ‘uluaki lea´, ‘i he ‘ene pehē ‘oku ‘ikai ko hotau fatongia ke tohi hotau tokolahi ‘o ‘ave ki he pule ‘anga´. ‘Oku nau pehē ko e fatongia tokua ia ‘o e pule ‘anga´. Kau fanongo, ‘oku hala ‘a e fakakaukau koia´. Ko hono fakafonu ‘o e foomu tohi kakai´, ko hotau fatongia totonu. Mo ‘oni e lau ‘a Kennedy, ‘eke pe koehā e me ‘a te ke ala fai ma ‘a ho fonua´, kae ‘ikai ko e ha e me ‘a ‘a e fonua´ ‘e fai ma ‘au´. Koia ai, kakai Pasifiki, tuku e ta ‘emahu ‘inga ‘ia he tohi kakai´. Tuku ē fakafiefiemālie´. Tuku ē ‘ai ‘ai noa ‘ia´. ‘Oku mātu ‘aki mahu ‘inga ke tau kau mai koe ‘uhi kae tokangaekina kitautolu ‘i he ngaahi monū ‘ia ‘oku fou mai mei he Pule ‘anga´.

Leveleva e malanga kau tatau atu.

Context and text type

Samson, a year 13 learner of lea faka-Tonga, gives a speech at the Polyfest speech competition about the importance of the census for Pacific Island communities.

Text type

Formal speech, oral. Productive.

Examples showing how the student is:

Communicating information, ideas, and opinions through extended and varied texts

Samson explains the significance of participating in the census:

  • ‘Oku mātu ‘aki mahu ‘inga ‘a ‘etau kau mai ki he tohi kakai.

He emphasises a personal viewpoint:

  • ‘I he lau ‘a ‘aku ‘oku mahu ‘inga ‘aupito ‘a e tohi kakai.

He interprets and presents information to illustrate his ideas:

  •  Ko e fakamatala mei he Sitesitika, ko e ‘avalisi ‘o e pa ‘anga ‘oku ma ‘u ‘e he ngaahi famili he ta ‘u ko e $20,500.

He suggests that statistics are useful for helping the government identify areas of high need in Pasifika communities:

  • Ko e ngaahi fika pehe´ ni ‘oku ne tala ‘a e ngaahi tafa ‘aki ‘oku faingata ‘a ‘ia ai ‘a e ngaahi famili ‘o e Pasifika.

Samson presents this text orally, so spoken features such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythms, speed, audibility, and stress patterns have a bearing on the overall effectiveness of the communication and must be taken into consideration. For example, the definitive accent in 'Fakatapu ki he ‘Otua Mafimafi´' shows that Samson would stress the final syllable to define meaning.

Also, Samson’s body language (positioning, stance, gesture, movement, etc) must also be taken into account when considering the effectiveness of the communication.

Exploring the views of others

Samson refutes a viewpoint expressed by the first speaker in the speech competition:

  • Kau fanongo, ‘oku hala ‘a e fakakaukau ko ia … Ko hono fakafonu ‘o e foomu tohi kakai´, ko hotau fatongia totonu … ‘eke pe koehā e me ‘a te ke ala fai ma ‘a ho fonua´, kae ‘ikai ko e ha e me ‘a ‘a e fonua´ ‘e fai ma ‘au´.

He expresses disagreement with the view presented by the first speaker in the competition:

  • ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘aupito ke u tui tatau mo e ‘uluaki lea´ … Kau fanongo, ‘oku hala ‘a e fakakaukau koia …

Developing and sharing personal perspectives

Samson elaborates on his viewpoint and, in doing so, produces extended text:

  • Ko e ngaahi fakamatala ‘oku ma ‘u fekau ‘aki mo e tokolahi´, ‘oku ngāue ‘aki ia ‘e he Pule ‘anga´ ki hono vahevahe ‘o e pa ‘anga ki he ngaahi sekitoa taautaha.

He shares his personal views on possible consequences:

  •  Kapau te tau ta ‘etokanga ki he tohi kakai, pea te tau hala leva pē ‘e nounou ‘a e ‘inasi pa ‘anga ‘e vahe ‘i ki he ngaahi ngaue fakalakalaka ma ‘ae kakai pasifiki.

Justifying own ideas and opinions

The speaker provides justification for his stance:

  • Ka ‘ikai keke kau ‘e ‘ikai ke tokangaekina kitautolu; Ko e ngaahi fakamatala ‘oku ma ‘u fekau ‘aki mo e tokolahi, ‘oku ngāue ‘aki ia ‘e he Pule ‘anga ki hono vahevahe ‘o e pa ‘anga ki he ngaahi sekitoa tāautaha.

The speaker justifies his appeal for action:

  • kae tokangaekina kitautolu ‘i he ngaahi monū ‘ia ‘oku fou mai mei he Pule ‘anga. Pea te tau hala leva pē ‘e nounou ‘a e ‘inasi pa ‘anga ‘e vahe ‘i ki he ngaahi ngāue fakalakalaka ma ‘ae kakai pasifiki´.

Supporting or challenging the ideas and opinions of others

The speaker supports his argument with statistics:

  • Ko e fakamatala mei he Sitesitika … ko e ‘avalisi ‘o e pa ‘anga … he ta ‘u ko e $20,500.

These statistics may challenge the views of others.

Samson uses a line from the late President Kennedy to counter the argument that it is the government’s responsibility to count each household. This line is also a call to Pasifika communities to get up and participate in the census as a way of helping the country obtain more accurate data on which to base important national and communal decisions:

  • Mo ‘oni e lau ‘a Kennedy, ‘eke pe koe hā ē me ‘a teke ala fai ma ‘a ho fonua´, kae ‘ikai ko e hā e me ‘a ‘a e fonua´ ‘e fai ma ‘au´.

Engaging in sustained interactions and producing extended texts

Samson joins main clauses, using conjunctions:

  • pea, he, koe ‘uhi.

He extends text through the use of long sentences that are nevertheless simple in structure, a feature that is characteristic of speeches:

  • Ko e ngaahi fika pehē´ ni ‘oku ne tala ‘a e ngaahi tafa ‘aki ‘oku faingata ‘a ‘ia ai ‘a e ngaahi famili ‘o e Pasifiki´.

Samson would also be sustaining interaction with his audience through his body language and by changing his delivery in repsonse to audience reaction.

Exploring how linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages

Repetition is a feature of oratory in all languages. Samson uses repetition to emphasise and reinforce his key ideas:

  • tuku e ta ‘emahu ‘inga ‘ia … Tuku ē fakafiefiemālie. Tuku ē ‘ai ‘ai noa ‘ia´.

He uses all three levels of language in his speech: lea fakaꞌakiꞌakimui or lea fakatōkilalo, (humble vocabulary), lea fakamatāpule (polite language) and lea tavale (neutral language). Examples include:

  • Kae ‘atā mo e ki ‘i motu ‘a tu ‘a´ ni … ‘I he lau ‘a e ki ‘i motu ‘a´ ni … (lea faka ‘aki ‘akimui); … ke fakahoko ‘a ‘eku fakahoha ‘aā (lea fakamatāpule); and ngāue ‘aki, vahevahe, ta ‘etokanga, faingata ‘a ‘ia, ‘ai ‘ai noa ‘ia … (lea tavale).

Samson’s use of all three levels of language indicate that he is very respectful of an audience that has a mix of higher ranking people like ministers of religion, teachers, adjudicators, elderly parents, students, cultural leaders, and so on. His use of lea tavale is essential for reasons of clarity, audience understanding, and connecting with non-fluent speakers of Tongan.

Analysing how the use of the language expresses cultural meanings

The speaker uses a 'fakatapu' ('preamble') to formally acknowledge those who are present, greeting them according to their rank and status.

It is customary to begin Tongan speeches in this way, by paying respects to everyone in the audience, starting with the most distinguished and progressing down the ranks until everyone has been mentioned, whether by name or by category (chiefs, nobles, ministers, and so on).

The order in which people are acknowledged relates to their social ranking and reveals a stratified society:

  • … ‘Otua Mafimafi´, … Hou ‘eiki, ‘uma ‘a ‘a ha ‘a matapule, kau fakamaau, kau faiako.

The first greeting is to God, 'Otua Mafimafi', acknowledging the sovereignty and supremacy of God. In Tongan culture, God is the head of all creation, of higher status than the King, and therefore is the first to be greeted. The values of 'faka ‘apa ‘apa' ('respect'), '‘apasia' ('reverence') and '‘ofa' ('love') are also illustrated here. '‘Apasia' ('reverence') is the kind of reverence shown in a religious setting or in church, and '‘ofa' ('love') is the central concept that links all others. '‘Ofa' includes the Christian values of loving and revering God.

'Hou ‘eiki' is a collective term for 'chiefs', who are ranked highly in Tongan society. Included in this rank are the titled 'matāpule', 'chiefs renowned for their oratory'. Samson is therefore showing respect by singling out chiefs and chiefly orators for specific mention. Fluent, experienced speakers will scan the gathering and take note of people to be singled out for mention. And if there are no high ranking people present, then there is no need to use 'lea fakahouhou ‘eiki' ('chiefly language'). However, young speakers will not usually be familiar with all the chiefs, so it is safer for them to use '‘hou ‘eiki' ('chiefs') to make a general acknowledgement and avoid the potential embarrassment of neglecting to greet a great high chief.

The speaker uses a culturally appropriate farewell at the end of the speech:

  • Leveleva e malanga kau tatau atu.

The word 'malanga' denotes 'sermon' or 'to preach' depending on its use in different contexts. The speaker therefore concludes with a conventional farewell, but one that metaphorically reminds his listeners of the specific intention of the speech: to put forward and discuss a proposition or point of view in the same way that a minister would preach a sermon.

Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence

Students could explore Tongan and English texts and discuss the ways government, private organisations, schools, and so on, use census statistics. They could present their findings in lea faka-Tonga using different text types, for example, diagrams, charts, articles for a school or community newspaper, posters, brochures, or speeches. For example, students could prepare an advertising brochure in lea faka-Tonga to encourage participation in the census.

Last updated October 3, 2013



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