Tongan L8: Example 2
Example 2: Letter to new Prime minister
Ki he ‘Etita’,
‘Oku ‘oatu ‘emau talamonū kiate koe ‘Eiki Nōpele Tu ‘ivakanō mei he kakai Tonga ‘i ‘Amelika´. ‘Oku mau tui ko hono fili koe ko e Palemia´ ‘oku mahino mai ai ‘a e loto mo e fiema ‘u ‘e he kakai´ ha pule ‘anga ‘oku falala ‘anga mo maau. Kae ‘ikai ko e maveuveu ‘o hange koia ne hoko ‘i hono tutu ‘o Nuku ‘alofa ‘i he 2006, Ngoto ‘a e Pilinisesi Ashika´, feliuliuaki ki he fakamaau ‘anga´, pea mo e fakautuutu ‘o e kākā mo e faihala ‘i he pule ‘anga´.
Te ke lava lelei pe ‘e ‘Eiki Nōpele Tu ‘ivakano ‘o fakahoko ha taki lelei mo ‘oni. Ko hono liliu ko ia ‘o e pule ‘anga motu ‘a´ ‘aki ‘a e pule ‘anga fo ‘ou faka-temokalati´, ‘oku fiema ‘u leva ke ke loto lahi mo lototo ‘a ke fakama ‘a ‘a e kākā mo e faihala he pule ‘anga´, pea ke ‘i ai ha ngaahi founga fo ‘ou ke langa hake ai ‘a e tu ‘unga ‘ekonomika ‘o e fonua´. He kapau ‘e ‘ikai ke ke lava ‘o fakahoko ‘a e ngaahi me ‘a ko ‘eni´, pea ‘e to e fakatolonga atu pe ‘a e fu ‘u founga motu ‘a´ ‘o kei pule pe ‘a e kau nōpele´, kae holo ai pe ki lalo ‘a e tūkunga faka ‘ekonomika ‘o e fonua´.
Faka ‘apa ‘apa atu,
Sione Akemeihakau Mokofisi, MBA
(Adapted from: Sione M Mokofisi. (2011). Letter to the Editor. Matangi Tonga. Vava ‘u Press. Nuku ‘alofa).
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Context and text type
A Tongan resident in the US (Sione A Mokofisi) writes to the editor of Matangi Tonga, a Tongan magazine, concerning appointment of the new Prime Minister.
Text type
Letter, formal. Receptive.
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Observations a student might make concerning:
Information, ideas, and opinions communicated in the text
The writer, on behalf of Tongans living in the US, conveys greetings and good wishes to the new Prime Minister:
- ‘Oku ‘oatu ‘emau talamonū kiate koe ‘Eiki Nōpele Tu ‘ivakanō mei he kakai Tonga ‘i ‘Amelika´.
He illustrates his points with lots of ideas, often separated just by commas; for example:
- … hange ko ia ne hoko ‘i hono tutu ‘o Nuku ‘alofa …, Ngoto ‘a e Pilinisesi Ashika, feliuliuaki ki he fakamaau ‘anga, pea mo e fakautuutu ‘o e kākā mo e faihala ‘i he pule ‘anga.
At other times he uses compound sentences joined by connectives such as mo, mo e and pea to foreground the issues; for example:
- ‘Oku mau tui ko hono fili koe ko e Palemia ‘oku mahino mai ai ‘a e loto mo e fiema ‘u ‘e he kakai´ ha pule ‘anga ‘oku falala ‘anga mo maau´.
The writer presents his ideas precisely, with clear meaning:
- ‘Oku mau tui ko hono fili koe ko e Palemia ‘oku mahino mai ai ‘a e loto mo e fiema ‘u ‘e he kakai´ ha pule ‘anga ‘oku falala ‘anga mo maau´.
How the writer explores the views of others
The writer suggests that their choice of prime minister is indicative of the type of government that the people want:
- ‘Oku mau tui ko hono fili koe ko e Palemia ‘oku mahino mai ai ‘a e loto mo e fiema ‘u ‘e he kakai´ ha pule ‘anga ‘oku falala ‘anga mo maau´.
What the writer says will either support or challenge readers, depending on their particular viewpoint. This is what letters to the editor are designed to do.
The writer expresses views that are typical of pro-democracy advocates concerning the risks of not changing the type of government:
- He kapau ‘e ‘ikai ke lava ‘o fakahoko ‘a e ngaahi me ‘a ko ‘eni … ‘e holo ai pe ki lalo ‘a e tūkunga faka ‘ekonomika ‘o e fonua´.
How the writer develops and shares personal perspectives
The writer demonstrates understanding of the type of government that the people do not want:
- Kae ‘ikai ko e maveuveu ‘o hange ko e … tutu ‘o Nuku ‘alofa ‘i he 2006 …
The writer expresses confidence in the ability of the Prime Minister:
- ‘E lava lelei pe ‘e ‘Eiki Nōpele Tu ‘ivakano ‘o fakahoko ha taki lelei mo ‘oni.
How the writer justifies their own ideas and opinions
The writer expresses his views on what the new prime minister should do to clean up corruption and injustice and to create a government that is transparent, reliable, and able to build the economy.
The writer argues that failure to carry out these actions will result in continuation of the old, corrupt government. For example:
- fiema ‘u leva ke ke loto lahi mo lototo ‘a ke fakama ‘a ‘a e kākā mo e faihala he pule ‘anga´ … pea ke … langa hake ai ‘a e tu ‘unga ‘ekonomika ‘o e fonua´. He kapau ‘e ‘ikai … pea ‘e to e fakatolonga atu pe ‘a e fu ‘u founga motu ‘a´ … kae holo ai pe ki lalo ‘a e tūkunga faka ‘ekonomika ‘o e fonua´.
The writer proposes a course of action and justifies it:
- Ko hono liliu ko ia ‘o e pule ‘anga motu ‘a ‘aki ‘a e pule ‘anga fo ‘ou faka-temokalati …
How the writer supports or challenges the ideas and opinions of others
The writer expresses his views on what the prime minister should do. For example:
- ‘oku fiema ‘u … ke ke loto lahi mo lototo ‘a ke fakama ‘a ‘a e kākā mo e faihala he pule ‘anga.
His views will either support or challenge his readers, depending on their convictions or points of view.
The writer challenges the prime minister to come up with innovative strategies for improving the nation’s economy:
- pea ke ‘i ai ha ngaahi founga fo ‘ou ke langa hake ai ‘a e ‘ekonomika ‘o e fonua´.
How linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages
The writer uses plural possessive pronouns to indicate that he is writing on behalf of Tongan people in the US:
- ‘oatu ‘emau … ‘oku mau … fiema ‘u ‘e he kakai …
His use of 'ke', 'koe', (single pronouns meaning 'you') show that the author is writing directly to the prime minister; for example:
How language is used in the text to expresses cultural meanings
The writer uses 'lea fakahouhou ‘eiki' ('chiefly level') vocabulary when he refers to the prime minister, which shows respect and acknowledges social rank:
The author refers to the previous government, which recognised the cultural power of the nobles that made them influential in affairs of government:
- … pea ‘e to e fakatolonga atu pe ‘a e fu ‘u founga motu ‘a´ ‘o kei pule pe ‘a e kau nōpele´ …
The words used to describe the new kind of government are transliterations of English words that have become part of lea faka-Tonga; for example, 'temokalati' ('democratic') and 'ekonomika' ('economic').
The words used to describe the old kind of government are embedded in the history and social organisation of Tongan society – for example, 'nōpele' ('nobles') – and they need to be understood in that context.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Students could read examples of different text types in written Tongan and analyse their features using the framework of these context elaborations. As a result of this activity, how has their language and cultural knowledge developed, and what improvements can they point to in their own writing?
Students could identify an issue of local or international interest and write a letter to the editor of a Tongan publication (for example, a community newspaper), expressing their views on the issue. How might they produce a text that is culturally appropriate? Alternatively, they could prepare for a radio or community interview on the issue, and demonstrate that they can use language that is culturally appropriate for the target audience.
Students could explore Tongan social organisation at different points in time, and make comparisons with Tongan society today. They could find out how practices, beliefs, and values have changed over time and as Tongans have emigrated to the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. What texts could they use to investigate these changes? What text types could they use to present the results of their research?
Investigate what stories and legends remain important enough to be passed on from generation to generation, even in the diaspora. What connections can students make with the stories and legends they are familiar from other cultures? What values do these stories express?
Last updated October 3, 2013
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