Vagahau Niue L7: Example 2
Example 2: Conversation between two friends
Edward – Lauka ni a mutolu he o ke ole ke he matua Mauli to ohifo ke keli pipi. Piko ni e tau faoa ko e gahua mukamuka, ka e nākai iloa ha i ai e pūhala hako ke lata mo e gahua keli pipi.
Warren – Pihia ni ka ha he fia iloilo. Kehe lahi e pūhala kumi pipi i hinei, nākai tuga i Niue. Na hopo ni e tagata ki tahi ti moua e tau kai tahi fulufuluola.
Edward – Warren, ka kitia e tau pūpū ikiiki, ti iloa ko e tau pipi a ia ne tanu he oneone. Keli aki e tau lima po ke taholi aki e tau hui.
Warren – Kitia la ia au ko e nonofo pihia e tau pipi. E lahi e gahua ka taute i nei. Ka ko e ha ne fafati ai e numela he tau pipi?
Edward – Fuluola e fafatiaga he tau kai tahi ka moua. Fuafua ni ko e fiha e mamafa he pakete pipi mo e fiha e pakete pipi kua maeke ke uta he taha e tagata. Ka tote e fua pipi ti liuaki ki tahi ke tupu ke lata mo e tau atuhau i mua. Taha ni e pakete pipi ne maeke ke oko po ke keli.
Warren – Amanaki ni au to liliu a mautolu ki Maraetai.
Edward – Leo ni kahā ko e hau nakai a koe ia Novema ke o auloa a tautolu.
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Context and text type
This is an extract from a conversation between Edward, a year 12 learner of vagahau Niue, and his friend Warren, a fluent speaker of the language. Edward is sharing his experiences at the beach and what he has learnt about gathering seafood.
Text type
Conversation, informal. Interactive.
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Examples showing how the student is:
Communicating information, ideas, and opinions through increasingly extended and varied texts
Edward talks about his pipi gathering experience and gives his thoughts on the ways pipi are gathered:
- Piko ni e tau faoa ko e gahua mukamuka.
He describes the reactions of pipi when they are hunted:
- Warren, ka kitia e tau pūpū ikiiki, ti iloa ko e tau pipi a ia ne tanu he oneone.
He expresses his admiration at the way the gathering of seafood is monitored:
- Fuluola e fafatiaga he tau kai tahi ka moua.
He is mindful of the need for conservation, saying that small pipi are returned to the sea so the food is preserved for future generations:
- Ka tote e fua pipi ti liuaki ki tahi ke tupu ke lata mo e tau atuhau i mua.
When Warren says he would like to come pipi gathering, Edward suggests they wait until November, when they can go together:
- Leo ni kahā ko e hau nakai a koe ia Novema ke o auloa a tautolu.
It is important to remember that this is a conversation, so features such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, speed, audibility, and stress, have a bearing on the overall effectiveness of the communication and need to be taken into consideration.
Edward uses some complex sentence structures, for example:
- Fuluola e fafatiaga he tau kai tahi ka moua.
He also uses a variety of different sentence patterns, for example:
- Lauka ni … Ka tote e … Fuafua ko e fiha e mamafa …
Beginning to explore the views of others
Edward is mostly exploring his own views in this part of the conversation.
Edward’s observations of how seafood is collected indirectly explore Warren’s views, as they prompt him to compare Māori and Niue ways of gathering 'kai moana':
- Kehe lahi e pūhala kumi pipi i hinei, nākai tuga i Niue.
Warren’s question, 'Ko e ha ne fafati e tau pipi?', prompts Edward to explain further the regulations around gathering seafood in New Zealand. He clearly aligns his views with conservationist practices and supports the regulations. In this sense, he brings the views of others into the conversation.
Beginning to develop and share personal perspectives
Edward reflects on pipi gathering and his uncertainties about the practices:
- Piko ni e tau faoa ko e gahua mukamuka, ka e nākai iloa ha i ai e pūhala hako ke lata mo e gahua keli pipi.
Edward counters Warren’s description of shellfish gathering in Niue with a description of the difficulties they encounter in New Zealand when digging for pipi:
- Warren, ka kitia e tau pūpū ikiiki, te iloa ko e tau pipi a ia ne tanu he oneone. Keli aki e tau lima po ke taholi aki e tau hui.
He expresses his delight at how seafood gathering is monitored:
- Fuluola e fafatiaga he tau kai tahi ka moua.
Beginning to justify own ideas and opinions
Edward cautions Warren to ask permission from local Māori before gathering seafood:
- Lauka ni a mutolu he o ke ole ke he matua Mauli to ohifo ke keli pipi.
In this way he acknowledges the customary rights of Māori and contrasts New Zealand practice with Niue practice as described by Warren.
When Warren says he is ready to go to Maraetai, Edward explains why they need to wait until November:
- Leo ni kahā ko e hau nakai a koe ia Novema ke o auloa a tautolu.
Beginning to support or challenge the ideas and opinions of others
Prompted by Warren’s question, 'Ko e ha ne fafati ai e numela he tau pipi?' Edward comes out in strong support of conservationist views.
He supports conservationist principles when he describes how small pipi are returned to the sea so that future generations will have food to eat:
- Ka tote e fua pipi ti liuaki ki tahi ke tupu ke lata mo e tau atuhau i mua.
He expresses his admiration that limits are set on pipi gathering:
- Fuluola e fafatiaga he tau kai tahi ka moua.
He supports specific legal limits on the gathering of pipi:
- Fuafua ko e fiha e mamafa he pakete pipi mo e fiha e pakete pipi kua maeke ke uta he taha e tagata.
Edward responds to Warren’s description of shellfish gathering in Niue by explaining the difficulties of gathering pipi in New Zealand:
- Warren, ka kitia e tau pūpū ikiiki, ti iloa ko e tau pipi a ia ne tanu he oneone. Keli aki e tau lima po ke taholi aki e tau hui.
Beginning to engage in sustained interactions produce extended texts
Prompted by Warren’s question, Edward emphatically supports the conservationist ethic behind legal limits and so produces extended text:
In response to Warren’s description of gathering seafood in Niue, Edward describes his experience in New Zealand, thus sustaining the interaction:
- Warren, ka kitia e tau pūpū ikiiki, ti iloa ko e tau pipi a ia ne tanu he oneone. Keli aki e tau lima po ke taholi aki e tau hui.
Interpreting ways in which the language is organised in different text and for different purposes.
The tone of the conversation is mostly informal, highlighting the familiar and close relationship of the two speakers. This can be seen, for example, when Edward says:
- Piko ni e tau faoa ko e gahua mukamuka …
Note the transliteration of 'Māori' into the vagahau Niue Mauli.
Warren refers to Maraetai, a New Zealand locality that may not necessarily be known to readers.
When the boys speak to each other they use inclusive pronouns, which demonstrates respect; for example, 'mutolu', 'tautolu'.
The text illustrates use of the word fuluola, which is comparable to 'beautiful' or 'admirable' in English. The word illustrates culture-in-language, made up as it is of fulu (hair) and ola (healthy). Fuluola was originally used to describe a woman’s long hair. In Niue, long hair is much admired. Hence the meaning of fuluola broadened over time to mean beautiful in a wide range of contexts.
The doubling of 'fulu' in 'fulufuluola' intensifies the meaning, for example, when Warren says:
- Na hopo ni e tagata ki tahi ti moua e tau kai tahi fulufuluola.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Students could explore cultural practices in aga fakamotu that relate to the sea, including, for example, collection and distribution of seafood.
Students could present aspects of their learning about the use of seafood resources in vagahau Niue in different text types, for example, speech, video presentation, debate, radio talkback, poem, or song. What language, conventions, or protocols would students need to know and use for different audiences? What resources and stimulus material might they use? What comparisons could they make with comparable cultural practices and texts in English (and other known languages and cultures)?
Students could compare how people express opinions and invite responses in English and their own languages and cultures.
They could use their understanding of vagahau Niue and 'aga fakamotu' to produce a brochure/guide about ethical ways to gather seafood resources.
Last updated March 27, 2013
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