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Vagahau Niue context elaborations

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AOs: L8

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Vagahau Niue 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: Conversation about the weather

Sione is reading up on the weather in New Zealand. Meleua is studying the weather map.

Meleua — Tō e sinō i Rotorua. Tamai he matagi mokomoko e sinō ke he falu a matakavi i Niu Silani. Lahi fakahaga e sinō ha ne tafea hake mai i Ueligitoni ke hoko atu ki Rotorua.

Yumiko — Ko e tau matagi gagao a ia kua hoko ki Rotorua.

Sione — Ai pihia he kitia e au. Fakamaō ma Mele, na pihia ni.

Yumiko — Tatai haaku a manatu mo Meleua. Pihia foki ni he kitia e au. Ka nākai mafana e tagata, to moua mai e tau gagao.

Meleua — Lata tai e tau matagi pihia ke tui e tau tapulu mafana ti uta e peleō heke sinō mo fakaholopapa.

Yumiko — Monuina ha ia he tau matakavi ia. Ai fai sinō a Niue. Ka e fakaalofa foki ni a mautolu he lahi e vela he laa.

Meleua — Momoko ai pihia e tala ia haau ma Miko.

Yumiko — Brrrr … Makalili ha ia. Tui taha mena mafana kia ma tahakau.

Sione — Ko au a ē fae mahekeheke atu ia koe ma Miko ka fano ki tahi. Mitaki he maha mitaki e tahi.

Yumiko — Logona mai he tagata fakapuloa tala i Fisi. Pehē mai ko e matagi maō kua hoko atu ki Fisi. Ka e kitekite atu ke he fuafua matagi he Pasifika ke lata mo e faahi tapu, liga nākai hoko ki ai e malolō he matagi. Lahi e havili he matagi mo e loka he tahi.

Sione — Kua lahi e uha i Sāmoa. Kua katoa tai e faahi tapu he to ai e uha. Ko e heigoa ha lautolu i Samoa ka maeke ke taute ha ko e fuafua matagi nei?

Meleua — Fakaalofa ha ia he tau Sāmoa. Nākai tuai maeke ia lautolu ke o ke tō talo he tau maala he kelea he tō lahi e uha.

Yumiko — Ka ke eke fēfē foki ni kahā!

Sione — Ma kau, fano fai au ke mohe.

Yumiko — E, ai mavehe. To feleveia.

Meleua — E, mua kia.

Context and text type

An online video conversation between Wellington-based Sione, a native speaker of vagahau Niue, and two year 13 friends who are learners of the language, Yumiko who lives in Niue, and Meleua, a third generation New Zealander living in Auckland. They discuss the weather for the Pacific region and activities that suit the conditions.

Text type

Skype conversation, informal. Interactive.

Examples showing how the students are:

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

The speakers discuss the weather forecast and make general observations, for example:

  • Tamai he matagi mokomoko e sinō ke he falu a matakavi i Niu Silani … Lahi e havili he matagi mo e loka he tahi.

The speakers also suggest actions appropriate for the weather; for example:

  •  Meleua comments on the need for warm clothes in the snow:
    • Lata tai e tau matagi pihia ke tui e tau tapulu mafana, ti uta e peleō heke sinō mo fakaholopapa.

The speakers respond to each other’s comments, for example, Yumiko responds to Meleua with a comment about the weather pattern in Niue and how she finds it:

  • Monuina ha ia he tau matakavi ia. Ai fai sinō a Niue. Ka e fakalofa foki ni a mautolu he lahi e vela he laa.

The speakers comment on the weather in other parts of the Pacific, for example:

  • Sāmoa: Fakaalofa ha ia he tau Sāmoa. Nākai tuai maeke ia lautolu ke o ke tō talo he tau maala he kelea he tō lahi e uha.

This is a spoken interaction, so features such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, speed, and stress all impact on the communication and need to be taken into account. For example, when Yumiko exclaims 'Ka ke eke fēfē foki ni kahā!' she would do so with the appropriate intonation and stress.

To convey their ideas, the speakers use both simple sentences; for example:

  •  Ai fai sinō a Niue … Tō e sinō i Rotorua

 and compound sentences; for example:

  • Lata tai e tau matagi pihia ke tui e tau tapulu mafana ti uta e peleō heke sinō mo fakaholopapa.

Exploring the views of others

The three-way conversation involves speakers exploring and responding to each other’s views. Sione is the only one to ask a direct question. Yumiko and Meleua invite responses from the others indirectly, by making observations that encourage them to offer their views; as for example when Yumiko gives her reaction to the cold:

  • Brrrr makalili ha ia.

Yumiko expresses her view in response to a comment from Meleua:

  • Monuina ha ia he tau matakavi ia.

Meleua offers her view of people in Sāmoa when she says:

  • Ai tai maeke ia lautolu ke o ke tō talo he tau maala he kelea he tō lahi e uha.

Meleua’s comment about the cold, 'Momoko ai pihia e tala ia haau ma Miko', provokes Yumiko to give her view:

  • Brrrr makalili ha ia.

Developing and sharing personal perspectives

Yumiko complains about the cold:

  • Brrrr…. Makalili ha ia. Tui taha mena mafana kia ma tahakau.

Yumiko expresses disappointment in Niue’s weather using the exclusive pronoun mautolu:

  • Ka e fakalofa foki ni a mautolu he lahi e vela he laa.

Speakers share their perspectives on the benefits of the weather types in different places, for example, when Meleua comments on the weather in Sāmoa, and its effect on the taro plantations:

  • Fakaalofa ha ia he tau Sāmoa. Ai tai maeke ia lautolu ke o ke tō talo he tau maala he kelea he tō lahi e uha.

Yumiko offers an observation on the windy weather in Fiji:

  • Ka e kitekite atu ke he fuafua matagi he Pasifika ke lata mo e faahi tapu, liga nākai hoko ki ai e malolō he matagi. Lahi e havili he matagi mo e loka he tahi.

Justifying own ideas and opinions

Meleua justifies her comment about the weather in Sāmoa:

  • Fakaalofa ha ia he tau Sāmoa. Ai tai maeke ia lautolu ke o ke tō talo he tau maala he kelea he tō lahi e uha.

Yumiko comments on the weather in Fiji and what it means for the people:

  • … ko e matagi maō kua hoko atu ki Fisi. Pehē mai ko e matagi maō kua hoko atu ki Fisi. Ka e kitekite atu ke he fuafua matagi he Pasifika ke lata mo e faahi tapu, liga nākai hoko ki ai e malolō he matagi.

Supporting or challenging the ideas and opinions of others

Speakers use expressions that support each other in the conversation, for example:

  •  Pihia foki ni he kitia e au.

Yumiko directly challenges Sione’s thoughts about the cold:

  • Ka nākai mafana e tagata to moua mai e tau gagao.

Yumiko sums up what Meleua says about the weather in Rotorua:

  • Ko e tau matagi gagao a ia kua hoko ki Rotorua.

Supportive comments such as the above are a feature of the interaction. See also Meleua:

  • Fakaalofa ha ia he tau Sāmoa.

Engaging in sustained interactions and producing extended texts

By revoicing what Meleua has said, Yumiko helps sustain the interaction:

  • Ko e tau matagi gagao a ia kua hoko ki Rotorua.

Conjunctions help extend contributions; for example:

  • Lata tai e tau matagi pihia ke tui e tau tapulu mafana ti uta e peleō heke sinō mo fakaholopapa.

The speakers voice appreciation of and affirm each other’s contributions. See for example, Meleua’s comment on what Sione has said about the weather in Sāmoa:

  • Fakaalofa ha ia he tau Sāmoa.

Such comments not only value the other person’s contribution, they also sustain the interaction.

Exploring how linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages

Meleua uses informal language as she is interacting with friends in a relaxed way:

  • Tui taha mena mafana kia ma tahakau.

Sinō is a transliteration of the English 'snow'. Transliterated words may use the letter 's' even though it does not feature in the traditional vagahau Niue alphabet.

Meleua addresses her friend by an abbreviated form of her name, showing that the relationship is familiar:

  • Momoko ai pihia e tala ia haau ma Miko.

Analysing how the use of the language expresses cultural meanings

Yumiko uses the formulaic expression 'E, ai mavehe' (equivalent to 'See you again' in English) to say goodbye to her friends. In this context, the phrase takes on the meaning 'no farewells'. Farewells are very definite events on Niue, often associated with farewelling a loved one who has died, or people travelling to far away places with little expectation of returning, or someone going off to war with the possibility of death. Yumiko then adds a second formulaic expression, 'To feleveia', which conveys the positive intent to meet again.

Weather and weather forecasting are an integral part of life on Niue. People have traditionally learned to read the weather by studying the evening and morning skies. This reading often dictates the activity they will engage in that day or that week. With the advent of modern technology, weather discussions now tend to focus on what activities can be undertaken, given the weather predicted. This is illustrated by Meleua’s comment about weather suitable for skiing:

  • uta e peleō heke sinō mo fakaholopapa.

The shortening of names shows affection, closeness between friends. The practice is common in Niue families. When a friend’s name shortened, it implies family-like closeness:

  • Momoko ai pihia e tala ia haau ma Miko.

Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence

Students could explore examples of weather related language and culture-in-language in vagahau Niue. They could also look at contemporary texts on climate change and conservation and their implications for Pacific peoples.

Students could then apply their learning to creating texts of different types about the weather and about the impact of climate change in the Pacific. For example:

  • What language might they use in a radio talkback show, a phone conversation, an e-mail, or an interactive talk on this topic?
  • What levels of language would they use?
  • How would they show respect?
  • How would they indicate that they are searching for a word or words to use in their reply?
  • What strategies could they use to sustain the interaction?

Students could compare these examples with similar texts in English. How do people in their own cultures view and talk about and the weather? What practices can they identify?

Students could investigate developing an online exchange with a school in Niue or another part of New Zealand, where students could apply their learning to genuine contexts and matters relevant to them.

Last updated October 7, 2013



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