Vagahau Niue L8: Example 3
Example 3: Polyfest news item
Fakaalofa hofihofi atu.
Ko e fakailoaaga nei, hagaao ke he tau fiafia mahuiga fakamotu he ha talu tau fānau aoga tokoluga. Tu taha mo e fulufuluola e fiafiaaga nei ke he lalolagi lahi. Loga mo loga e tau tagata kua tolo atu ke kitekite he tau fiafia mahuiga nei. Ko e tau fiafia fakamotu nei kua taute ke fakakite aki e makaukau he tau aoga kamata mai he tau 1976. Kua fiafia mo e hula lahi e tau fānau Mauli mo e tau fānau he atu Pasifika ke he tau koli, tau lologo, mo e tau fakamatala vagahau fakamotu. Ko e tau fakatātāaga nei, ko e tau gahua fulufuluola kua amanaki e tau fānau aoga tokoluga ke eke mo takitakiaga ke he ha lautolu a tau fenoga. Ko e taute pihia ka e ua toka e Vagahau Niue ke galo.
Hā hā i ai he fale fakapūloa tala he afiafi nei, tokoua e toa Niue ne fae malolo ke he tau gahua ma e polyfest. Ko laua nei ko e matua ko Evenigi Ikiua mo e fuata ko Panisi Rex. Ko laua ko e tau takitaki ne malolo he fakaako he tau matakau aoga i Okalana ke hohoko atu ke he polyfest. Ane mai nākai fai lagomatai pehē nei a tautolu, liga kua leva tuai e fakaoti he fekau nei.
Fakaalofa lahi atu ki a mua ma tau takitaki. Taha e hūhū haaku ke lata mo mua. Ko e heigoa e tau manatu ha mua hagao ke he tau fiafia fakamotu ma e tau fānau aoga tokoluga?
Evenigi: Ko e tau fiafia fakamotu ko e mena ne mua atu he fulufuluola. Fakatonutonu ti fakatonutonu foki mo e fakaako e tau fuata he atuhau mo fakavēaga he tau aga fakamotu ha Niue. Liogi ni ke tumau e tau fiafia fakamotu. Ko e tau fakaakoaga mitaki a nei ke lata mo e tau fānau fuata. Fakaatā a lautolu ke mata lahi ha ko e alito haia he ha tautolu a motu.
Panisi: Fakaalofa lahi atu ma Mele. Ko e tau fiafia fakamotu ko e pūhala ke fakaako aki ha mautolu a tau fānau ke iloa e lautolu ke lologo mo e vagahau Niue. Kumikumi tumau e tau lagomatai neke aloalo mai e vagahau Niue. Lali la ke taofi mo e fakakautū e tau gahua ke lagaki hake e vagahau he ha talu motu.
Fakaaue lahi ma tau pulotu. Haia ma tau tagata fakanogonogo, tolomaki atu ke lagomatai e tau gahua ke fakaako e tau fānau ha tautolu ke vagahau e leo Niue mo e fakamahani ke he tau aga fakamotu ha taua. Fakamalolo ke fakatumau e tau gahua mitaki ia.
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Context and text type
A radio interview about the annual Auckland secondary school Polyfest. Evenigi is a parent tutor, and Panisi is a teacher. They express support for showcasing vagahau Niue and Niue culture at the Polyfest.
Text type
Radio interview. Receptive.
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Observations a student might make concerning:
Information, ideas, and opinions communicated in the text
The formal tone of the interview shows that the interviewer holds the guests and the Polyfest event in high regard. For example, they greet listeners with a formulaic expression that indicates a high level of respect:
The interviewer also greets the two speakers using a respectful form, acknowledging them as leaders:
- Fakaalofa lahi atu ki a mua ma tau takitaki.
They use adverbial phrases to emphasise the value of the event to vagahau Niue and Niue culture; for example:
- … fulufuluola e fiafiaaga nei … tau fiafia fakamotu nei kua taute ke fakakite aki e makaukau … Kua fiafia mo e hula e …
They give an overview of Polyfest, including its origins, for the benefit of listeners:
- Ko e tau fiafia fakamotu nei kua taute ke fakakite aki e makaukau he tau aoga, kamata mai he tau 1976.
They identify who the guests on the show will be:
- Ko laua nei ko e matua ko Evenigi Ikiua mo e fuata ko Panisi Rex.
In response to the interviewer’s question, the guests express their views in a precise manner. Evenigi makes a general comment:
- Ko e tau fiafia fakamotu ko e mena mua atu he fulufuluola,
which she immediately follows with a specific comment:
- Fakatonutonu ti fakatonutonu foki mo e fakaako e tau fuata he atuhau mo fakavēaga he tau aga fakamotu ha Niue.
The interviewer farewells the guests respectfully, "Fakaaue lahi ma tau pulotu", and then adds a request that they carry on the good work:
- Fakamalole ke fakatumau e tau gahua mitaki ia.
How the speakers explore the views of others
The interviewer assumes that listeners support the event:
- Ko e tau fakatātāaga nei ko e tau gahua fulufuluola kua amanaki e tau fānau aoga tokoluga ke eke mo takitakiaga he ha lautolu a tau fenoga.
For this reason, they do not directly explore listeners’ views.
To find out what their guests think, the interviewer asks them a direct question:
- Ko e heigoa e tau manatu ha mua hagao ke he tau fiafia fakamotu ma e tau fanau aoga tokoluga?
An interview is spoken language, so features such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, speed, audibility, and stress all have a bearing on the overall effectiveness of the communication and need to be taken into consideration.
As well as their choice of language, the tone of the interviewer and guests underscores their passion for Polyfest. This will come through at points such as:
- Ko e fakatātāaga nei ko e tau gahua fulufuluola … Fakaatā a lautolu ke mata lahi … Kumikumi e tau lagomatai …
How the speakers develop and share personal perspectives
In introducing the subject, the interviewer gives a brief description of Polyfest, including its origins, and includes a personal perspective on its value in terms of helping maintain Niue language and culture; for example:
- Ko e taute pihia ka e ua toka e vagahau Niue ke galo.
In response to the interviewer’s question, the guests offer their views. Panisi’s belief is that the festival contributes to the maintenance of the language and culture:
- Lali ke taofi mo e fakakautū e tau gahua ke lagaki hake aki e vagahau he ha talu motu.
Evenigi first makes a general comment:
- Ko e tau fiafia fakamotu ko e mena mua atu he fulufuluola,
and follows this up with a more specific comment:
- Fakatonutonu ti fakatonutonu foki mo e fakaako e tau fuata he atuhau mo fakavēaga he tau aga fakamotu ha Niue.
The speakers make it clear that they plan to offer a personal perspective. For example, Evenigi says:
- Fakatonutonu ti fakatonutonu foki …
Panisi expresses certainty that this event is of great value for vagahau Niue now and for the generations to come:
- Lali la ke taofi mo e fakakautū e tau gahua ke lagaki hake aki e vagahau he ha talu motu.
How the speakers justify their own ideas and opinions
The announcer proposes a course of action and justifies it:
- … tolomaki atu ke lagomatai e tau gahua ke fakaako e tau fānau ha tautolu ke vagahau e leo Niue mo e fakamahani ke he tau aga fakamotu ha taua.
Evenigi justifies her description of the importance of the event by making a direct appeal to the listeners to pray for its continuation:
- Liogi ni ke tumau e tau fiafia fakamotu.
The interviewer explains how, by taking part in Polyfest, young people come to understand the language and culture:
- Kua fiafia mo e hula lahi e tau fānau Mauli mo e tau fānau he Atu Pasifika ke he tau koli, tau lologo, mo e tau fakamatala vagahau fakamotu.
The interviewer aims to strengthen support for Polyfest by explaining just how long it has been running:
- kamata mai he tau 1976, Tu taha, tau matakau aoga i Okalana.
How the speakers support or challenge the ideas and opinions of others
The interviewer clearly supports Polyfest as a means for teaching, learning, and maintaining Niue language and culture:
- Hā hā i ai he fale fakapūloa tala.
They assume that listeners also support the event, as they include in their farewell a plea for listeners to carry on the good work:
- Fakamalolo ke fakatumau e tau gahua mitaki ia.
Both guests are clearly in favour of Polyfest and explain why. For example, Panisi is of the view that, by participating in the event, students contribute to the survival of the language:
- Lali la ke taofi mo e fakakautū e tau gahua ke lagaki hake aki e vagahau he ha talu motu.
Speakers use imperatives to elicit support from listeners; for example:
- Haia ma tau tagata … Liogi ni ke tumau … fakatonutonu … fakaatā a lautolu …
How linguistic meaning is conveyed across languages
The use of inclusive pronouns makes the audience feel that they also contribute to the success of this event; for example:
- fakamotu ha taua, talu fanau aoga tokoluga; ha tautolu; vagahau he ha talu motu.
'Mauli' is a transliteration of 'Māori', just as 'Okalana' is a transliteration of 'Auckland'.
'Fakamotu' is the term commonly used to denote Niue culture. This is consistent with the use of 'motu' (island) to refer to Niue.
In vagahau Niue, 'fānau' refers to children. In other Polynesian languages, the cognate can have different meanings. For example, 'whānau' in te reo Māori means the wider family, but in Tongan, 'fānau' means offspring, children.
Formulaic expressions appropriate to radio are used in the interview. For example, the interviewer greets listeners with a formal, respectful greeting:
Thanks the speakers with:
- "Fakaaue lahi ma tau mamatua pulotu"
And farewells listeners with the request:
- "Fakamalolo ke fakatumau e tau gahua mitaki ia."
How language is used in the text to express cultural meanings
The Niue language, like other languages, uses idiomatic expressions to convey ideas. Evenigi uses the idiom, 'Ko e alito', which conveys the sense of something so precious as to be like the heart. Evenigi refers to Niue culture as 'the heart of Niue'.
Panisi uses the expression 'neke aloalo mai', which reinforces the notion of farewell, of saying goodbye forever to someone or something. Language is personified as waving sadly because it is fading away, heading to a place we cannot go. The image suggests something precious slipping away, which, once gone, will be very difficult to retrieve.
Repetition is a feature of oratory in vagahau Niue and across languages. The interviewer and one of the guests uses repetition to emphasise ideas, for example:
- loga mo loga; fakatonutonu ti fakatonutonu foki.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Students could explore how the same issues could be presented in vagahau Niue using different text types, for example, a speech, video presentation, debate, radio talkback show, poem, or online chat. What language, conventions, or protocols might students need to know and use when creating such texts? What levels of language would they use? What resources and stimulus material might they use? What comparisons could they make with equivalent texts in English and other known languages?
For example, students could listen to radio broadcasts in vagahau Niue and look for common features. For example, the language of greetings, or how conversations are maintained and ended. They could then compare their findings with broadcasts in other known languages.
Last updated January 16, 2013
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