Tongan L8: Example 3
Example 3: Online chat
Brian — Ko e ako fakafetongi ko e ‘oatu ‘emau tamaiki ‘o ako homou ‘apiako, pea ha ‘u mo ha tamaiki ako mei hena ‘o ako ‘i Nu ‘u Sila´ ni. ‘Oku ‘uhinga?
Sālote — ‘Oi, ka ko e hā hono lōlōa pea ko e hā e tokolahi ‘o e tamaiki ‘e ala kau atu ki he ako fakafetongi?
Brian — Ko e teemi ‘e 1 ki he ta ‘u ‘e 1 pea ‘e lava pe ke a ‘u ‘a e tokolahi ki he 10 pe 15. Ko e ‘uhinga ‘emau fokotu ‘u he ‘oku lahi ange ‘a e ngaahi lelei te mou ma ‘u Sālote pea ‘oku ou tui au ‘e lelei ange kia kimoutolu ke mou poupou ‘i ‘a e ako fakafetongi. Ko e hā ho ‘o lau?
Salote — ‘Omai ange’ ha fakatātā!
Brian — ‘Uluaki´, ‘e lōloa ange ho ‘omou nofo´ pea ‘e ako e me ‘a lahi. Ko hono ua´, ‘e to e lelei ange ho ‘omou lea faka-fakapālangi´ pea mou tokoni foki ki he ‘emau lea faka-Tonga. Faka ‘osi, ‘e lahi ange ho ‘omou ako ki he mo ‘ui ‘a e kakai pea mo e ngaahi faingamālie ako kehekehe ‘oku ‘i he fonua´ ni. ‘Oku ‘i ai ha ‘o fehu ‘i? Kuo u meimei fakaloto ‘i kimoutolu?
Salote — ‘Io, ‘oku mau sai ‘ia ai ka ‘oku fēfē ‘a e me ‘akai mo e nofo ‘anga?
Brian — ‘Oku lahi pe ‘a e me ‘akai faka-Tonga ‘i Nu ‘u Sila´ ni. Ko e fakakaukau ki he nofo ‘e feinga ‘i pe ke nau nofo ‘i he ngaahi ‘api ‘o e fānau te nau kau ki he fakafetongi he ta ‘u fo ‘ou. ‘Ai pe ke omi e fanau mo ha me ‘a faka-Tonga ko e me ‘a ‘ofa ki he ngaahi ‘api te nau nofo ai. Mou fakakaukau ki ai pea te u toki fetu ‘utaki atu ki he fakaikiiki ‘o ka mou maau. Kae fakamatala mai e ‘uhinga ho ‘omou fili.
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Context and text type
This is an online chat between two year 13 students: Brian, a learner of Tongan in New Zealand and Salote, a native speaker from Brian’s sister school in Tonga. They are discussing the merits of a two-week school trip and a student exchange scheme.
Text type
Online chat, informal. Interactive.
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Examples showing how the student is:
Communicating information, ideas, and opinions through extended and varied texts
Brian believes in the merits of student exchanges:
- ‘Oku lahi ‘a hono ngaahi lelei. ‘Uluaki, ‘e lōloa ange ‘enau nofo´; Ua, ‘e to e lelei ange ‘enau lea fakapālangi …
He elaborates on what a student exchange entails:
- Ko e ako fakafetongi ko e oatu ‘emau tamaiki ‘o ako homou ‘apiako, pea ha ‘u mo ha tamaiki ako mei hena ‘o ako ‘i Nu ‘u Silani´.
He conveys some details about the exchange:
- Ko e teemi ‘e 1 ki he ta ‘u ‘e 1 pea ‘e lava pe ke a ‘u ‘a e tokolahi ki he 10 ki he 15.
Brian suggests that students be reminded to bring gifts for host families to show their appreciation of the hospitality extended to them:
- ‘Ai pe ke omi e fanau mo ha me ‘a faka-Tonga ko e me ‘a ‘ofa ki he ngaahi ‘api te nau nofo ai.
Exploring the views of others
Brian asks Salote to explain the reasons behind the school’s decision:
- Kae fakamatala mai ‘a e ‘uhinga ho ‘omou fili.
Brian asks for clarification:
Developing and sharing personal perspectives
Brian shares his views on the benefits of student exchanges:
- … te mou tokoni ki he lea faka-Tonga ‘a kimautolu ‘i Nu ‘u Sila´ ni … te mou ako ki he mo ‘ui ‘a e kakai pea mo e ngaahi faingamālie ako kehekehe ‘oku ‘i he fonua´ ni.
Justifying own ideas and opinions
Brian justifies the merits of having a student exchange scheme:
- ‘Oku lahi ‘a e ngaahi lelei … ‘e lelei ange kia kimoutolu ke fai ha ako fakafetongi.
Brian promises to give the school time to digest the ideas that he has shared before he contacts Salote again:
- Te u toki fetu ‘utaki atu ki he fakaikiiki.
Brian responds to requests for clarification:
- ‘Oku lahi pe ‘a e me ‘akai Tonga ‘i Nu ‘u Sila´ ni … ke nau nofo ‘i he ngaahi ‘api ‘o e fānau te nau kau ki he fakafetongi he ta ‘u fo ‘ou.
Supporting or challenging the ideas and opinions of others
Brian tries to persuade Salote to support his proposal by saying that the exchange will be more beneficial to the students in her school:
- … lelei ange kia kimoutolu ke mou poupou ‘i ‘a e ako fakafetongi.
Brian jokes with Salote about how successful he has been in selling the idea of an exchange to her and to her school:
- Kuo u meimei fakaloto ‘i kimoutolu?
She agrees:
Engaging in sustained interactions and producing extended texts
Brian negotiates meaning and prepares to provide an elaborate explanation:
- ‘Oku lahi pe ‘a e me ‘akai fakaTonga ‘i Nu ‘u Sila´ ni. Ko e fakakaukau ki he nofo ‘e feinga ‘i pe ke nau nofo ‘i he ngaahi ‘api ‘o e fānau te nau kau ki he fakafetongi he ta ‘u fo ‘ou.
Brian uses connectives that join main clauses to extend text, for example, 'Mo e, pea'.
Exploring how linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages
Brian uses appropriate chat conventions to keep the dialogue going:
- ‘oku ‘uhinga? ‘Oku ‘i ai ha ‘o fehu ‘i. Kuo u meimei fakaloto ‘i kimoutolu?
Brian uses many comparisons to convince Salote that her school will benefit from their student exchange proposal:
- … lahi ange ‘a e ngaahi lelei te mou ma ‘u Salote … ‘e lelei ange kia kimoutolu ke mou poupou ‘i … ‘e lōloa ange ho ‘omou nofo … e lahi ange ho ‘omou ako ki he moꞌui.
'Pālangi' is a Pacific Islands term for white people and, in Tonga, its derivative 'lea fakapālangi' refers to 'English', the language of the white people. This is not exactly correct, because English is not the language of every white person. But all Tongan people know that 'lea fakapālangi' means 'the English language'. Knowledge of English is valued by Pacific Island nations, so by referring to it, Brian intends to enhance the attraction of his proposal.
'Teemi' is a transliteration of the English 'term'. These days it is accepted practice for 'Tonganised' transliterations of English words to be adopted into the language if there is no suitable, short equivalent.
'Fanau' refers to children or offspring irrespective of age:
- ‘Oku lahi pe ‘a e me ‘akai fakaTonga ‘i Nu ‘u Sila´ ni. Ko e fakakaukau ki he nofo ‘e feinga ‘i pe ke nau nofo ‘i he ngaahi ‘api ‘o e fanau te nau kau ki he fakafetongi he ta ‘u fo ‘ou.
The te reo Māori whānau, however, carries the meaning of family, especially extended family. Those who know the te reo Māori meaning need to be aware of this difference.
Analysing how the use of the language expresses cultural meanings
Brian and Salote use plural pronouns when talking to each other, for example, 'kimoutolu; hoꞌomou'. In lea faka-Tonga, pronouns are singular, dual, or plural. By choosing the plural form, Brian and Salote respectfully include others who are not actual participants in the conversation.
Salote is named after Queen Sālote Tupou III, who reigned from 1918 until her death in Auckland in 1965. As well as contributing greatly to the development of Tonga as a nation, Sālote was a well-known poet and composer of dance songs. So she is an important and respected figure in Tonga, and girls are often named after her.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Develop a relationship with a school in Tonga or elsewhere in New Zealand and set up an on-line link where students can apply their language learning to discussing matters that are relevant to them.
Investigate the life and work of Queen Sālote Tupou III and present findings in lea faka-Tonga in texts of suitable type. What comparisons can students make with people in other cultures who have become known and respected for their achievements? What values do these people embody?
Last updated January 16, 2013
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