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TONGAN

in the New Zealand CURRICULUM

Published 2007 for the Ministry of Education byLearning Media Limited, Box 3293, Wellington, New Zealand.www.learningmedia.co.nz

Text copyright © Crown 2007 Heilala photograph on front cover by Linny Folau copyright © Vava‘u Press Ltd 2003Heilala photograph in section titles and page folios by Lex Thomson copyright © Lex Thomson 2001Photograph of girl on page 35 by Jill MacGregor copyright © Jill MacGregor 2004

All other artwork copyright © Crown 2007All rights reserved. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.

Dewey number 499.071ISBN 978 0 7903 2584 2Item number 32584

TONGAN

in the New Zealand CURRICULUM

Ministry of Education

Learning Media

Wellington

KanotohiContents

4 Talamu‘aki Foreword

5 Talateu Introduction

6 Taumu‘a Aims

6 General Aims 6 Specifi c Aims

7 Ko e Hà ‘oku Ako ai ‘a e Lea Faka-Tonga´? Why Learn Tongan?

8 Ko Hai ‘oku Nau Ako ‘a e Lea Faka-Tonga´? Who Are the Learners of Tongan?

9 Ngaahi Founga hono Ako‘i e Lea Faka-Tonga´ Approaches for Teaching Tongan

9 Learning Activities10 Acquiring Grammatical Competence11 Social Levels of Tongan12 Tongan Orthography

14 Ko hono Ngàue‘aki e Tekinolosia Fakamatala mo Fetu‘utaki´ ‘i he Ako Lea´ Using Information and Communication Technologies in Language Learning

15 Ngaahi Sivi mo e Vakai‘i e Polokalama´ Assessment and Evaluation

16 The National Qualifi cations Framework, Assessment against Standards, and the National Certifi cate of Educational Achievement

17 Ko e Ngaahi Taukei Tefi to The Essential Skills

19 Ko e Ngaahi Tefi to‘i Tui Attitudes and Values

20 Ako Fakasitepu: Akoteu ki he Ngaahi Ako A Continuum of Learning: Early Childhood to Schools

21 Ko e Akoteu Early Childhood Settings

22 The Principles23 Strands, Goals, and Learning Outcomes30 Suggested Vocabulary, Structures, and Kinds of Talk34 Programme Planning for Early Childhood Settings

35 Ko e Ngaahi Ako School Settings

35 The Learning Strands for Schools37 Achievement Objectives and Progression through the Levels39 Oral Language: Listening and Speaking39 Written Language: Reading and Writing40 Visual Language40 Cultural Learning

42 Ko Hono Ngàue‘aki ‘o e Tohi´ ni Using These Guidelines

42 Planning School-based Programmes43 An Approach to School-based Planning

44 Ko e Lea Faka-Tonga´ ‘i he Silapa Nu‘usila´: Ngaahi Lèvolo

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum: School Levels

45 The Framework of Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum in Schools 46 Level 153 Level 259 Level 365 Level 472 Level 579 Level 686 Level 792 Level 8

Fakamatala Makehe Appendix

Explanations of the Proverbs and Sayings

Ma‘unga Fakamatala References

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Talamu‘akiForeword

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum has been designed and developed to provide guidelines for the teaching and learning of Tongan as an additional language in the New Zealand school curriculum. These guidelines contribute to the goals and targets of the Ministry of Education’s Pasifi ka Education Plan 2006–2010 by increasing opportunities to build on strong Pasifi ka language foundations and contributing to raising achievement of all Pasifi ka students.

Learning an additional language from the earliest practicable age enhances our personal, group, national, and human identities. Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum is a very welcome addition and joins the suite of language curriculum guidelines that are already providing support to teachers and students in learning an additional language and culture.

These guidelines have been developed to support and assist early childhood centres, schools, and teachers in planning and delivering high-quality Tongan language programmes. There are eight levels of achievement that align with the New Zealand school curriculum, and they provide a framework that sets out a clear progression of achievement in language skills and cultural knowledge. The early childhood section is aligned with Te Whàriki: He Whàriki Màtauranga mò ngà Mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early Childhood Curriculum and includes suggestions for the teaching and learning of Tongan in early childhood settings.

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum has been developed for the Ministry of Education by a dedicated group of Tongan writers representing early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary education and the Tongan community in Aotearoa New Zealand.

To everyone involved in guiding and supporting the development of these guidelines, our sincere thanks and appreciation. Without your commitment, time, expertise, knowledge, and skills, this work would not have been possible. We value and celebrate your contributions.

Faka‘apa‘apa atu

Karen SewellSecretary for Education

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TalateuIntroduction

‘E ‘ikai si‘i eni ‘o ka moho

Tongan is included in Language and Languages, which is one of the essential learning areas in Te Anga Marautanga o Aotearoa/The New Zealand Curriculum Framework. Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum is a set of curriculum guidelines for teaching and learning Tongan in early childhood settings and schools. It supports Te Whàriki and The New Zealand Curriculum Framework. It is designed to be used as a basis for developing programmes for teaching Tongan.

In line with Te Whàriki, Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum includes suggestions for teaching and learning Tongan in early childhood settings. In line with The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum includes eight levels of achievement for teaching and learning Tongan in schools.

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum recognises three ways of enabling the learning of Tongan:

learning Tongan – developing the skills to communicate in the Tongan language;

learning through Tongan – using Tongan as a medium of communication;

learning about Tongan – developing knowledge of grammar and other aspects of the language and culture.

Learning Tongan is central to the learner’s development of the receptive skills of listening, reading, and viewing and the productive skills of speaking, writing, and presenting or performing. Learners are better able to develop their communicative competence when they are also learning through Tongan, using the language for genuine purposes and receiving constructive feedback as they do so. Learning about Tongan provides learners with knowledge of both the language and the culture as systems that are organised in specifi c ways to achieve meaning within the Tongan cultural heritage.

Tongan culture or anga faka-Tonga (the Tongan way) is the essence of the Tongan cultural identity. The Tongan language carries and embodies the content of Tongan cultural identity, so that people who acquire Tongan language also acquire Tongan culture. Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum is intended to guide the acquisition of both language and culture.

The meanings of the sayings and proverbs that accompany main headings are discussed in the appendix on page 98. Further information about Tongan sayings and proverbs can be found in books about Tongan language and culture or through discussion with the local Tongan community.

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Taumu‘aAims

Tu‘u pè là mo e poupou

General Aims

The general aims for language teaching and learning refl ect those stated in Te Whàriki and The New Zealand Curriculum Framework. These aims are to:

encourage the learning of the Tongan language and culture from the earliest practicable age;

provide Tongan-language-learning opportunities for all learners;

support the development of programmes that respond to Tongan community needs and initiatives;

enable learners whose fi rst language is Tongan to develop and use their language as an integral part of their education;

promote and use Tongan in a range of contexts, traditional and modern.

Specifi c Aims

Learners of Tongan will:

develop an understanding of the Tongan language and of anga faka-Tonga;

develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills in Tongan for a range of purposes;

experience the texts and visual symbols of the Tongan culture;

discover ways to be creative and expressive in Tongan.

As they progress to more advanced levels, learners will:

develop an understanding of the functions, structures, and conventions of Tongan and of how the Tongan language varies according to audience and purpose;

respond personally to and think critically about a range of texts written in Tongan;

use Tongan language skills to process, respond to, and communicate information;

extend their understanding of New Zealand as a country with diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives;

extend their understanding of anga faka-Tonga;

acquire skills that are transferable, for example, the skills for learning other languages.

Learners will then be able to use Tongan for a range of post-school options, including employment and training, and in a range of situations, including within the family and in the community.

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Ko e Hà ‘oku Ako ai ‘a e Lea Faka-Tonga´?Why Learn Tongan?

Takitaha tali hono vaha‘a ngatae

New Zealand is a country in the South Pacifi c. Our multicultural society increasingly refl ects a diversity of languages and cultures.

All students benefi t from learning another language from the earliest practicable age. Such learning broadens students’ general language abilities and brings their own language into sharper focus. It enriches them intellectually, socially, and culturally, offers an understanding of the ways in which other people think and behave, and furthers international relations and trade. Students will be able to choose from a range of Pacifi c, Asian, and European languages, all of which are important to New Zealand’s regional and international interests.

The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, page 10

Migration from the South Pacifi c has led to the establishment of a number of distinct language communities in New Zealand. In 2006, the Tongan community was the third largest of these. Tongan is one of the most widely spoken Pasifi ka languages in New Zealand.1

There are sound reasons for choosing to learn the Tongan language. Four of these are discussed below.

The Tongan language has unique characteristics. Tongan is historically signifi cant because it is one of the most ancient of the Polynesian languages. It includes many old words and expressions for ancient customs and cultural items that are now extinct. The language has several levels of vocabulary and usage that refl ect Tonga’s hierarchical social structure. Tongan has special connections with the New Zealand Màori language, as illustrated by the fact that New Zealand Màori and Tongan share cognates that are not shared by eastern Polynesian languages. For example, the word for mother in Màori is whaea, a cognate for Tongan fa‘è, whereas several eastern Polynesian languages have the word tinà for “mother”.

Learning Tongan will enable learners to function more effectively in our multicultural society.Bilingual skills are required in a number of situations at work and in the community. Learning Tongan will help learners to function more effectively in contexts in which Tongan is used.

For all learners, there are cognitive benefi ts in learning additional languages. There is evidence that people who become competent in two or more languages gain cognitive advantages. Learning Tongan will enable learners to reach higher levels of profi ciency in the languages they already use and those they may learn in the future.

For learners whose home language is Tongan, having opportunities to extend their use of that language will enhance their learning of English. It will also help them to develop their knowledge of, and confi dence in, their cultural heritage. Learners of Tongan whose fi rst language is Tongan will be able to take part more effectively in activities within the family, church, and community if they can speak Tongan well. As they become parents, they will have a special role to play in passing on the Tongan language to their children.

1 Statistics New Zealand, 2006

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Ko Hai ‘oku Nau Ako ‘a e Lea Faka-Tonga´?Who Are the Learners of Tongan?

Hangè ha tavake tà mafua´

Learners of Tongan bring a range of language experiences to early childhood education settings and school classrooms. In any one early childhood setting or school class, there may be learners who:

have little or no prior experience of the Tongan language;

have some prior experience with Tongan but do not come from Tongan-speaking homes;

have family or caregivers who use the language to communicate with them;

have a strong background in Tongan and use the Tongan language as their main way of communicating with their family and other members of the Tongan community.

When planning their programmes, teachers need to recognise and consider these diverse needs. Even within each group there is diversity. Learners in Tongan language programmes at all levels are likely to show the full range of individual differences found in any group of learners. There will be those who have special talents with language as well as those with special educational needs.

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum refl ects the need to be inclusive. Tongan language programmes should offer the opportunity to learn the Tongan language to all the learners in a school or early childhood setting.

All programmes will be gender-inclusive, non-racist, and non-discriminatory, to help ensure that learning opportunities are not restricted.


When planning inclusive programmes, early childhood services and schools are encouraged to liaise with their community. Teachers will need to be sensitive to traditional gender roles within the Tongan culture. Although it is accepted that gender roles are increasingly being shared and interchanged, it is important to recognise the interrelationships between certain traditional roles and the underlying value system that has defi ned them. The concept of faka‘apa‘apa (respect, involving keeping a proper distance between brother and sister), for example, has implications for teaching and learning programmes where siblings of the opposite sex are in the same class. In Tongan culture, the tapu relationship between brothers and sisters (or between male and female cousins) is observed using certain standards of behaviour. For example, when brothers and sisters talk to each other, they do not use “swear words” or words that relate to certain body parts or to sexual activities. When a brother and sister are together in a room or a group, other people will also avoid using these inappropriate kinds of language. (In a classroom where brothers and sisters are both present, the teacher needs to be aware of these issues about language use.) In addition, sisters do not wear see-through clothes in front of their brothers, and brothers tend to avoid coming into close physical proximity with their sisters. Teachers need to be aware that some learners will be growing up in homes where traditional gender roles form part of their value system.

Learners should be given opportunities to explore the beliefs that underlie certain roles, for example, that of matàpule (the orator or spokesman who conveys messages to and from the ‘eiki) or ‘ulumotu‘a (the head of the extended family).

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Ngaahi Founga hono Ako‘i e Lea Faka-Tonga´Approaches for Teaching Tongan

Tà e lango´ kei mama‘o

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum emphasises:

the link between the Tongan language and Tongan culture;

the importance of spoken language for language development (including for the development of reading and writing skills);

the importance of learning environments in which:– the learners and the teacher communicate in Tongan,– the learners communicate in Tongan with each other,– the learners learn by using the language for real and authentic purposes,– links are made between what happens in early childhood education settings, in classrooms, and in Tongan community settings,– the learners’ overall development is fostered;

the support of the home, the church, and the Tongan community for the teaching and learning of Tongan in school and early childhood programmes.

Learning Activities

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum recommends an interactive, communicative, and experience-based approach, which aims at communicative competence on the part of the learner. Learners should have opportunities to participate in a wide range of learning activities appropriate to their developmental stage. They should be given opportunities to participate in community situations in which Tongan is spoken. Within learning activities, the focus should be on contextualised, appropriate, and meaningful communication in Tongan. Although some repetition is inevitable in learning a language, rote learning based only on surface features should not be the main focus. Later sections suggest a range of developmentally appropriate learning activities for early childhood programmes and a further range for school programmes at eight progressive levels.

Teachers need to choose resources and activities that refl ect the interests and needs of learners, using a range of approaches that enable the learners to:

draw on the language skills they already have;

develop linguistic competence and use the Tongan language with increasing precision, accuracy, and fl uency;

develop knowledge about the language through using it;2

learn various words, expressions, and idioms of the language;

experience Tongan culture in various settings, for example, by visiting a Tongan institution;

2 Refer to principles 2 and 3 on pages 4–5 of Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Case Studies (Wellington: Ministry of Education, 2006).

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use the language for a broad range of different purposes;

engage with the language in a wide range of printed, audio, digital, and visual materials;

experience a range of learning contexts, including whole-class activities, pair and group work, role-playing, and individual work;

experience the positive expectations of their teachers and others and develop high expectations for their own success;

receive appropriate feedback about their progress;

increasingly manage their own learning.

Acquiring Grammatical Competence

Grammatical competence is essential for effective communication. Formal grammatical instruction, in which the teacher explains grammatical rules out of context and uses pattern drills to teach isolated grammatical forms, is not the best way to develop learners’ language profi ciency. Studies show that communicative use of the target language is more effective. In any language-learning activity, the teacher can target the structures and forms that learners need to be able to use in order to achieve their intended learning outcomes. Some general guiding principles for teaching grammar are the following:

Integrate form and content. Teach the language structures and forms that arise out of the content being covered. Explanations of grammar and grammatical practice then become meaningful as learners work out the relationship between form and meaning in the context of authentic language use.

Repeat language patterns. Learners need to repeat language patterns over time, so they should be offered many opportunities to apply what they are learning in a range of different contexts and situations.

Use learners’ errors strategically in teaching. Learners begin to acquire the forms of a new language by producing approximations of words and expressions before they have mastered the correct forms. Errors in vocabulary and grammar may indicate a learner’s progress towards using the correct forms. Teachers can use learners’ errors to help diagnose their language-learning strengths and needs so that they can provide constructive ways of addressing the needs and building on the strengths.

Use corrective feedback. Although learners’ errors may be seen as a natural part of their linguistic development, learners need feedback on how close their approximations are to the target. Such feedback should be given, usually as unobtrusively as possible, to support each learner’s developing fl uency of expression and build their confi dence.

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Social Levels of Tongan

Learners need to know that the Tongan language varies according to the purpose and situation in which it is used. There are different levels of vocabulary. These are used according to the rank and status of the speaker and the hearer (listener). The main levels are:

lea tavale (everyday conversational level)

lea fakamatàpule (polite level)

lea fakahouhou‘eiki (chiefl y level)

lea fakatu‘i (regal level)

lea faka‘aki‘akimui or lea fakatòkilalo (the special, so-called self-derogatory level of language).

Lea tavale

Lea tavale, which may be called the neutral level of language, is used when a person is addressing their social equal. This is the common level generally used by everyone in informal situations.

Lea fakamatàpule

Lea fakamatàpule is the polite level, which is used for people who are respected but not “chiefl y”. These respected people include elders, ministers of religion, teachers, doctors, and so on. (This level of speech is named after the matàpule, who are the spokesmen for the aristocratic classes, and it is the level of language used in the formal speeches of matàpule.)

Lea fakahouhou‘eiki

Lea fakahouhou‘eiki is the “chiefl y” level of vocabulary, used only to address or make reference to nobles and other high-ranking people, such as the close relatives of the king and nobles. In general, high-ranking people do not use this complimentary language when talking about themselves. Rather, they tend to use lea tavale when talking about themselves or amongst themselves.

Lea fakatu‘i

Lea fakatu‘i is the regal level of vocabulary and is used only to address or make reference to the king. The king does not use the regal level to refer to himself; other people use it when speaking to or about the king.

Lea faka‘aki‘akimui or lea fakatòkilalo

Lea faka‘aki‘akimui or lea fakatòkilalo is the so-called self-derogatory level of speech, which is a “humble” level of vocabulary used by the speaker only, in the fi rst person, in order to elevate the listener. This level is used when a speaker is addressing a much more high-ranking person than themselves or when they wish to be very respectful.

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Levels of Tongan: Table with examples

Lea tavale(everyday, neutral)

Lea fakamatàpule (polite)

Lea fakahouhou‘eiki (chiefl y)

Lea fakatu‘i (regal)

Lea faka‘aki‘akimui (self-derogatory)

English translation

kai tokoni ‘ilo taumafa mama eat

‘alu faka‘au me‘a hà‘ele lele go

mohe po‘uli toka tòfà fokoutua sleep

mata tau‘olunga fofonga langi poko‘imata face/eyes

mate màlòlò pekia hala mahaki die

The use of any of these social levels of Tongan is governed by the context, especially by the perceived rank of the speaker and the person they are speaking to. Fluent Tongan speakers make judgments about the ranks and status of people in a given situation before choosing the appropriate level to use. For example, if no high-ranking people are present, then there is no need to use lea fakahouhou‘eiki. However, the levels generally used for public speaking or to address listeners in radio and television programmes are lea fakamatàpule and lea fakahouhou‘eiki. This is because both of these levels can be used with high-ranking people. (Note that rank can be relative, depending on the language context.) The teaching and learning of Tongan must take into account these social levels of the language and the contexts in which they are used.

Like other languages, informal spoken Tongan often uses abbreviated forms, for example, by abbreviating Na‘a´ ku ‘alu (I went) to Na‘u ‘alu. Such contractions are not usually found in formal, written Tongan.3

Refer to page 10 of Guidelines for Tongan Language Programmes: Planning Guidelines to Accompany Developing Programmes for Teaching Pacifi c Islands Languages for brief suggestions about choosing the right language level for the occasion.

Tongan Orthography

The Tongan alphabet is:

a e f h i k l m n ng o p s t u v and the glottal stop (‘).

Written Tongan includes special writing conventions that learners need to understand and use. These are the fakau‘a (‘), which represents the sound of the glottal stop consonant, the toloi (macron), the fakamamafa pau (defi nitive accent), and the fakamamafa he lea fi epipiki´ (the stress mark on a word preceding an enclitic). These diacritical marks are essential to the writing of Tongan and need to be taught from the outset because they indicate differences in meaning or pronunciation. If they are not used or are used wrongly, ambiguities in the meanings of words and interpretation of texts may arise for the reader. Literacy in Tongan involves being able to read and write Tongan using these diacritical marks.

The fakau‘a or glottal stop

The glottal stop is a consonant. It is represented by an inverted apostrophe (‘) rather than by a letter, for example, in ‘umu (underground oven). It is the last “letter” of the Tongan alphabet, as shown above. Using a glottal stop can make a difference to the meaning of a word, for example, ‘uma means to kiss but uma means shoulder. These two words are, of course, pronounced differently.

3 In the same way, formal written English generally uses “it is” rather than “it’s”.

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The toloi or macron

In Tongan, there are normal vowels, as in fale (house), long vowels, as in màlò (thanks), and double vowels, as in maama (light). The macron is used to designate long vowels. The difference in pronunciation between the long vowel and the double vowel is that the long vowel is already stressed, but where there is a double vowel, stress falls on the second vowel of the two.

The use of a macron can make a difference to the meaning, for example, kakà means parrot but kàkà means cunning, and these words are pronounced differently, which refl ects the difference in meaning.

Stress marks

Besides the macron, two other diacritical marks are used in Tongan writing to show kinds of stress: the defi nitive accent and the enclitics stress. Note that, in some books, these accents or stress marks are printed immediately after the vowel that is stressed (as in this book), and in others, they are printed over the vowel that is stressed.

The fakamamafa pau or defi nitive accent falls on the fi nal vowel of a word and designates defi niteness, as in tangata´ (the man). An example of the difference that the defi nitive accent can make is this: ko e tangata means “a man” but ko e tangata´ means “the man”.

The fakamamafa he lea fi epipiki´ or enclitics stress falls on the fi nal vowel of a word immediately preceding an enclitic, as in fale´ ni (this house). In the context of the Tongan language, an enclitic is a small word consisting of just one syllable (with one vowel).

Speakers of Tongan normally stress the second-to-last vowel or syllable of words. One-syllable words in Tongan are unpronounceable in isolation, and so they are pronounced as part of the preceding (or following) word. This means that a one-syllable word at the end of a sentence is pronounced as the fi nal syllable (or vowel) of the preceding word.

For example, in the sentence Ko e ‘aho hà eni?, there is no stress on the “o” in ‘aho, but in the sentence Ko e Tùsite ‘a e ‘aho´ ni, the “o” is stressed because it is followed by the enclitic ni.

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Ko hono Ngàue‘aki e Tekinolosia Fakamatala mo Fetu‘utaki´ ‘i he Ako Lea´Using Information and Communication Technologies in Language Learning

By using information and communication technologies, all learners, including those who are not in school-based language programmes, can access a wider range of learning opportunities. Information and communication technologies allow teachers to use a greater mix of approaches, for example, by enabling learners to work in small groups and conduct peer assessment. Word-processing programs can be excellent language-learning tools. Learners and teachers can access interactive language-learning programs and information through the Internet. They can develop useful networks with other language learners through computer links and technologies that are part oftheir everyday lives.

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Ngaahi Sivi mo e Vakai‘i e Polokalama´Assessment and Evaluation

Hangè ha fanà fotu´

Assessment is the process of obtaining meaningful information about the outcomes of teaching and learning and then conveying this information to individuals and groups.

Assessment of children’s learning and development should always focus on individual children over a period of time and avoid making comparisons between children. (See Te Whàriki, page 29.)

Assessment of individual students’ progress is essentially diagnostic. Such assessment is integral to the learning and teaching programme. Its purpose is to improve teaching and learning by diagnosing learning strengths and weaknesses, measuring students’ progress against the defi ned achievement objectives, and reviewing the effectiveness of teaching programmes.


Evaluation is the process of using assessment information and other data to review the quality and effectiveness of programmes in order to make decisions about change. It involves making judgments about a programme or about a learner’s achievements.

It is important that:

assessment procedures provide useful information that will help improve the ways in which the programme meets the learners’ needs;

families and caregivers are part of the assessment and evaluation process;

assessment and evaluation procedures are ongoing;

learners are involved in assessing their own progress in learning Tongan.

Teachers should not limit their assessment methods to a few familiar procedures. A range of appropriate assessment procedures, some informal and some more formal, is more likely to provide useful information. Assessment procedures should be relevant to the learning needs of the learners. For example, Te Whàriki and Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars provide suggestions for the appropriate assessment of younger children. Teachers in schools can use a range of strategies; for example, they can keep records of the learner’s skill development in Tongan. In addition, Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum suggests, at each school level, activities that include self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher assessment.

Further guidance can be obtained from the assessment kete on Te Kete Ipurangi at www.tki.org.nz

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The National Qualifi cations Framework, Assessment against Standards, and the National Certifi cate of Educational Achievement

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum is the guiding document for developing a teaching and learning programme for learners of the language. Teachers can use these curriculum guidelines as a reference for unit standards and achievement standards, which are the “building blocks” for national certifi cates on the National Qualifi cations Framework (NQF). These standards are not units of work in themselves; their function is to specify the focus and intent of assessments carried out for qualifi cation purposes. As such, they should be integrated into appropriate teaching and learning programmes.

Teachers will generally manage the assessment of their students’ achievements towards the National Certifi cate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) within the school. The New Zealand Qualifi cations Authority (NZQA) provides advice on managing appropriate assessment systems and procedures for the National Certifi cate of Educational Achievement.

Standards for schools encompass levels 1–3 of the National Qualifi cations Framework. These qualifi cation levels equate to levels 6, 7, and 8 of the curriculum documents within the New Zealand Curriculum Framework.

The National Certifi cate of Educational Achievement is the main qualifi cation for secondary learners.

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Ko e Ngaahi Taukei Tefi toThe Essential Skills

‘Osiki-‘a-Velenga

Learners develop and practise the essential skills through the processes of language learning. The following table provides examples of relationships between the essential skills and the three Tongan strands for schools. These examples, some taken directly from The New Zealand Curriculum Framework and some extended or created to show language-related aspects of a set of skills, are illustrative only. Many of the essential skills relate to more than one strand or language-learning process.

Examples of Relationships between the Essential Skills and the Tongan Strands

Ngaahi Taukei Fakalea

Language Skills

Learners will:

Ngaahi Taumu‘a Fetu‘utakiCommunication Functions

Learners will:

Anga Fakafonua mo hono OuauCulture and Context

Learners will:

Ngaahi Taukei Fakafetu‘utakiCommunication Skills

communicate competently and confi dently by listening, speaking, reading, and writing and by using other forms of communication where appropriate.

• communicate competently and confi dently by listening, speaking, reading, and writing and by using other forms of communication where appropriate;

develop skills of discrimination and critical analysis in relation to the media and to aural and visual messages from other sources.

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act appropriately within different cultural contexts and situations;

select and use appropriate language for relevant occasions.

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Ngaahi Taukei Fakafi kaNumeracy Skills

manipulate and respond to numerical information, such as time in different contexts, dates, and measurement.

• understand and give information that is presented in mathematical ways.

• organise information to support logic and reasoning.

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Ngaahi Taukei Fakalea

Language Skills

Learners will:


Learners will:


Learners will:

Ngaahi Taukei FakamatalaInformation Skills

identify, locate, gather, store, retrieve, and process information from a range of sources.

• identify, describe, and interpret different points of view and distinguish fact from opinion;

develop and strengthen receptive and productive skills.

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present information clearly, logically, concisely, and accurately.

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Pòto‘i Vete PalopalemaProblem-solving Skills

inquire and research and explore, generate, and develop ideas through language.

• use language to analyse problems from a variety of different perspectives and make connections.

• identify, describe, and redefi ne a problem.

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Taukei Ngàue Taimi mo Fe‘au‘auhiSelf-management and Competitive Skills

develop skills through working consistently and progressively to practise and revise prior learning through language learning.

• develop the skills of appraisal and advocacy in relation to themselves and others.

• develop constructive approaches to challenge and change, stress and confl ict, competition, and success and failure.

•

Ngàue Fakasòsiale mo FakatahaSocial and Co-operative Skills

develop good relationships with others and work in co-operative ways to achieve common goals.

• learn to recognise, analyse, and respond appropriately to discriminatory practices and behaviours.

• take responsibility as a member of a group for agreed protocols and show respect for others and themselves.

•

Ngàue FakasinoPhysical Skills

learn to use tools and materials effi ciently and safely.

• use language to organise, give instructions for, and appraise particular activities.

• develop specialised skills related to cultural activities.

•

Taukei Ngàue FakaakoWork and Study Skills

work effectively, both independently and in groups.

• take increasing responsibility for their own learning and work.

• make career choices on the basis of realistic information and self-appraisal.

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Ko e Ngaahi Tefi to‘i TuiAttitudes and Values

Pukepuke ‘a fufula

The attitudes and values of Te Whàriki and The New Zealand Curriculum Framework will be refl ected in classrooms and early childhood centres with Tongan language programmes. Learners of Tongan will develop and clarify their own values and beliefs, and they will respect and be sensitive to the rights of people who may hold values and have attitudes that are different from their own. Learners will explore personal as well as collective attitudes, which will help them, as individuals, to develop positive attitudes towards learning as a life-long process. As they compare New Zealand and its communities, including its Tongan communities, with Tonga and the Tongan people who live there, learners will examine the contexts and implications of their own attitudes, of New Zealand’s social system, and of the values on which different social structures are based.

Core values in the Tongan culture include faka‘apa‘apa (respect), fevahevahe‘aki (sharing), and ‘ofa (love). Taki (leadership) is an important quality. Fakatu‘utu‘unga (rank) is a key concept in the Tongan culture.

‘Ofa (love) is the central concept that links all the others. All the different kinds of respect arise from ‘ofa and so does fevahevahe‘aki. ‘Ofa also includes family affection, the Christian values of loving God and all people, and love between wife and husband. ‘Ofa is manifest in two important values – mamahi‘i me‘a and tauhi và. Mamahi‘i me‘a refers to perseverance and loyalty in relation to a cause. Tauhi và refers to maintaining good relationships with others. Children brought up in the Tongan culture are encouraged to live lives of ‘ofa – ‘ofa for the causes they support (mamahi‘i me‘a) and ‘ofa for the people they live among (tauhi và).

There are many ways of expressing faka‘apa‘apa. These include: ‘apasia – reverence, the kind of respect shown in a church or other religious setting; fakatòkilalo – humility; talangofua – obedience; fakaongoongo – waiting for instructions, self-restraint; and tulou – the polite way of saying “excuse me” when passing between or behind others.

Fevahevahe‘aki (sharing) includes the idea of fetokoni‘aki (helping one another) as well as the idea of sharing resources with the wider group.

Fakatu‘utu‘unga (rank) is something that Tongan people are constantly aware of as they interact with one another. Their language and body language refl ect their understanding of how they rank in relation to the people they interact with. All other things being equal, women have a higher rank than men: a man and his family will defer to his sister (especially his older sister) and to members of her family. However, men generally have more political power.

The idea of fakatu‘utu‘unga is used not only for people at different social levels but also for such culturally signifi cant objects as foods and fl owers. For example, yams have a higher rank than taro. Tapioca is the lowest ranking food – a modest host might say humbly, “I have nothing to offer but tapioca.” The hibiscus is a low-ranking fl ower, and the heilala (illustrated on the cover of this book) is very high ranking. This fl ower can be strung in specifi c ways that traditionally were only worn by people of ‘eiki rank.

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Ako Fakasitepu: Akoteu ki he Ngaahi Ako A Continuum of Learning: Early Childhood to Schools

Hoko e fau mo e fau

Te Whàriki and The New Zealand Curriculum Framework outline a continuum of teaching and learning. When planning Tongan language programmes, teachers need to provide for a smooth transition from one setting to the other.

Both Te Whàriki and The New Zealand Curriculum Framework emphasise that the development of communication skills and language is important for language learning and literacy in the early years. Both describe language in terms of its verbal and non-verbal elements.

Language is a vital part of communication. In early childhood, one of the major cultural tasks for children is to develop competence in and understanding of language. Language does not consist only of words, sentences, and stories: it includes the language of images, art, dance, drama [including pretend play], mathematics, movement, rhythm, and music … Adults should understand and encourage both verbal and non-verbal communication styles.

Te Whàriki, page 72

Throughout their schooling, students will be provided with frequent opportunities to observe, learn, and practise oral, written, and visual forms of language, to learn about the structures and use of language, and to access and use information.


Because the emphasis of Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum is on communicative competence, both the early childhood framework and the framework for schools refl ect the learners’ communication needs.

The achievement objectives for schools, from levels 1 to 8, are based on authentic texts and contexts that learners are likely to encounter in their everyday lives as well as on more specialised uses of Tongan in particular contexts.

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Ko e AkoteuEarly Childhood Settings

This section provides guidelines for how Tongan can be integrated into early childhood education. Te Whàriki is the basis for consistent curriculum and programmes. Te Whàriki is founded on the following aspirations for children:

to grow up as competent and confi dent learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.

Te Whàriki, page 9

Each community to which a child belongs provides opportunities for new learning to be fostered: for children to experience and refl ect on alternative ways of doing things, to make connections across time and place, to establish different kinds of relationship, and to encounter different points of view. Communicating through Tongan is part of that experience and learning.

Children develop their language through their learning experiences, in their families and communities as well as in early childhood centres. The weaving together of Tongan language and culture in these experiences provides relevant and contextualised language-rich environments for children in their early childhood years, both fi rst language users and those learning Tongan as an additional language.

Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, things, and time. This learning is best managed in contexts that are safe and inclusive, through collaborative and reciprocal relationships that also encourage risk-taking, creativity, and exploration. Through active participation in programmes in these contexts, children can develop their knowledge and use of Tongan in a range of situations and have confi dence in what they know and can do.

Te Whàriki sets out the principles, strands, and goals that are distinctively appropriate for the early childhood years.

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Ngaahi Fa‘ungaThe Principles

There are four broad principles at the centre of the early childhood curriculum.

FakalotolahiEmpowerment

The early childhood curriculum empowers the child to learn and grow.

Mo‘ui FakalùkufuaHolistic Development

The early childhood curriculum refl ects the holistic way children learn and grow.

Nofo ‘a KàingaFamily and Community

The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum.

Tauhi VàRelationships

Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, and things.

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Ngaahi Fe‘unu, Ngaahi Taumu‘a, mo e Ngaahi Taukei ‘e Ma‘u´Strands, Goals, and Learning Outcomes

The principles and strands together form the framework of the early childhood curriculum. The whàriki is woven from the four principles and from the fi ve strands or essential areas of learning and development. The strands are:

1. Mo‘uilelei Well-being

The health and well-being of the child are protected and nurtured.

2. Kau he lau´ Belonging

Children and their families feel a sense of belonging.

3. Fevahevahe‘akiContribution

Opportunities for learning are equitable, and each child’s contribution is valued.

4. Fetu‘utakiCommunication

The languages and symbols of their own and other cultures are promoted and protected.

5. FekumiExploration

The child learns through active exploration of the environment.

Each strand has several goals. In Te Whàriki, learning outcomes have been developed for each goal in each of the strands so that the whàriki becomes an integrated foundation for every child. The outcomes are indicative only and so are not absolute. Teachers are expected to develop their own outcomes in response to children’s learning and development. In Te Whàriki, outcomes are framed as knowledge, skills, and attitudes that combine to become working theories and learning dispositions across a range of areas.

Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum selects particular goals within each strand to identify examples of learning outcomes that are considered signifi cant to the development of the learner’s understanding and use of Tongan. It offers examples of learning experiences through which this learning may occur.

It is recommended that teachers wishing to incorporate the teaching and learning of Tongan into early childhood programmes use Te Whàriki as the foundation curriculum, together with Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars and the Early Childhood Settings section of Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum. This will help them to plan a strong foundation for a holistic and integrated approach to children’s learning and growth that includes developing their knowledge and use of Tongan language and culture.

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Fe‘unu 1 – Mo‘uileleiStrand 1 – Well-being

The health and well-being of the child are protected and nurtured.

Young children experience transitions from home to service, from service to service, and from service to school. They need as much consistency and continuity of experience as possible in order to develop confi dence and trust to explore and to establish a secure foundation of remembered and anticipated people, places, things, and experiences.


Goals Examples of Learning Outcomes

Children develop:

Examples of Learning Experiences

Children have opportunities to use Tongan when they:

Goal 1 – Children experience an environment where their health is promoted.

increasing understanding of their bodies and how their bodies function;

self-help and self-care skills for eating, drinking, food preparation, toileting, resting, sleeping, washing, and dressing.

•

•

communicate their needs and display appropriate behaviours when feeling hunger, pain, or fatigue.

•

Goal 2 – Children experience an environment where their emotional well-being is nurtured.

an increasing ability to determine their own actions and make their own choices.

• express, articulate, and resolve a range of emotions.

•

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Fe‘unu 2 – Kau he lau´ Strand 2 – Belonging

Children and their families feel a sense of belonging.

The feeling of belonging, in the widest sense, contributes to inner well-being, security, and identity. Children need to know that they are accepted for who they are. They should also know that what they can do can make a difference and that they can explore and try out new activities.



Children develop:



Goal 1 – Children and their families experience an environment where connecting links with the family and the wider world are affi rmed and extended.

an understanding of the links between the early childhood education setting and the known and familiar wider world through people, images, objects, languages, sounds, smells, and tastes that are the same as at home;

connecting links between the early childhood education setting and other settings that relate to the child, such as home, school, or parents’ workplaces;

knowledge about the role of the wider world of work, such as the hospital, the supermarket, or the fi re service.

•

•

•

locate the early childhood education setting in the wider world by fi nding out about places of importance in the community, for example, through stories, visitors, or trips;

talk about home with interested adults and share special news;

meet families and kàinga in the early childhood setting, for example, in the context of morning teas, trips, shared lunches, or barbecues.

•

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•

Goal 2 – Children and their families experience an environment where they feel comfortable with the routines, customs, and regular events.

an understanding of the routines, customs, and regular events of the early childhood education setting.

• return to favourite activities and areas and repeat and practise their developing skills;

talk about routines, rituals, and regular events.

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26

Fe‘unu 3 – Fevahevahe‘akiStrand 3 – Contribution

Opportunities for learning are equitable, and each child’s contribution is valued.

Children’s development occurs through active participation in activities … The early development of social confi dence has long-term effects, and adults in early childhood education settings play a signifi cant role in helping children to initiate and maintain relationships with peers.


Goals

Note that no examples are given for Goal 1 in this strand.

Examples of Learning Outcomes

Children develop:



Goal 2 – Children experience an environment where they are affi rmed as individuals.

a sense of “who they are”, their place in the wider world of relationships, and the ways in which these are valued.

• develop their strengths, interests, and abilities, such as in music, language, construction, art, sorting and organising, and doing things with others.

•

Goal 3 – Children experience an environment where they are encouraged to learn with and alongside others.

strategies and skills for initiating, maintaining, and enjoying a relationship with other children – including taking turns, problem solving, negotiating, taking another’s point of view, supporting others, and understanding other people’s attitudes and feelings – in a variety of contexts.

• feel positive and receive positive feedback about themselves, especially if the children compare themselves with others;

develop their capacity for empathy in the context of sharing stories about other people.

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Fe‘unu 4 – Fetu‘utakiStrand 4 – Communication

The languages and symbols of their own and other cultures are promoted and protected.

During these early years, children are learning to communicate their experience in many ways, and they are also learning to interpret the ways in which others communicate and represent experience.



Children develop:



Goal 1 – Children experience an environment where they develop non-verbal communication skills for a range of purposes.

responsive and reciprocal skills, such as turn-taking and offering;

an increasingly elaborate repertoire of gesture and expressive body movement for communication, including ways to make requests non-verbally and appropriately;

an ability to express their feelings and emotions in a range of appropriate non-verbal ways.

•

•

•

use a range of non-verbal communication forms, for example, kamo;

experience the communicative potential of the whole body through dance, gesture, and pretend play;

enjoy action songs and action rhymes in Tongan.

•

•

•

Goal 2 – Children experience an environment where they develop verbal communication skills for a range of purposes.

language skills in real, play, and problem-solving contexts as well as in more structured language contexts;

language skills for increasingly complex purposes;

confi dence that their fi rst language is valued.

•

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•

have sustained conversations, ask questions, and take the initiative in conversations;

take part in frequent and varied activities that involve playing and having fun with words and in sequenced activities, experiences, topics, and problems that encourage complex language.

•

•

Goal 3 – Children experience an environment where they experience the stories and symbols of their own and other cultures.

an understanding that symbols can be “read” by others and that thoughts, experiences, and ideas can be represented through words, pictures, print, numbers, sounds, shapes, models, and photographs;

familiarity with print and its uses by exploring and observing the use of print in activities that have meaning and purpose for children.

•

•

experience a range of stories in Tongan and hear and practise storytelling;

develop early mathematical concepts in Tongan, such as volume, quantity, measurement, classifying, matching, and perceiving patterns;

gain familiarity with an appropriate selection of the stories and literature valued by Tongan people and by the other cultures in their community.

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Children develop:



Goal 4 – Children experience an environment where they discover and develop different ways to be creative and expressive.

familiarity with the properties and character of the materials and technology used in Tongan creative and expressive arts;

skill and confi dence with the processes of art and craft, such as cutting, drawing, collage, painting, printmaking, weaving, stitching, carving, and constructing;

an ability to be creative and expressive through a variety of activities, such as imaginative play, carpentry, storytelling, drama, music making, and cultural performances.

•

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•

experience a variety of the materials and technology used in the creative and expressive arts, such as lo‘akau and kofa;

participate regularly in group art and music activities and in cultural performances.

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Fe‘unu 5 – FekumiStrand 5 – Exploration

The child learns through active exploration of the environment.

Children learn through play – by doing, by asking questions, by interacting with others, by setting up theories or ideas about how things work and trying them out, and by the purposeful use of resources.


Goals

Note that no examples are given for Goal 1 or Goal 2 in this strand.

Examples of Learning Outcomes

Children develop:



Goal 3 – Children experience an environment where they learn strategies for active exploration, thinking, and reasoning.

confi dence in using a variety of strategies for exploring and making sense of the world, such as in setting and solving problems, looking for patterns, classifying things for a purpose, guessing, using trial and error, thinking logically, asking questions, explaining to others, listening to others, participating in refl ective discussion, planning, watching, and sharing stories;

the ability to identify and use information from a range of sources, including using books for reference;

the confi dence to choose and experiment with materials, to play around with ideas, and to explore actively with all the senses.

•

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•

initiate purposeful problem-solving activities, devise problems of their own, and solve them to their own satisfaction using a variety of materials and equipment;

predict and estimate, for example, in apportioning shares or quantities;

develop the ability to use symbols, make comparisons, recall, anticipate situations, and shift their focus away from the here and now.

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Goal 4 – Children experience an environment where they develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical, and material worlds.

familiarity with stories from Tonga about the living world, including myths and legends and oral, non-fi ctional, and fi ctional forms.

• develop knowledge about the pattern and diversity of the living world, for example, about animals and plants that are important in Tongan culture;

refer to appropriate books;

develop and explore social concepts, rules, and understandings in social contexts with familiar adults and peers.

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Suggested Vocabulary, Structures, and Kinds of Talk

Language and culture are inseparable. Young children acquire knowledge about Tongan culture through participating in Tongan community events and through learning experiences that embody Tongan cultural norms and expectations. The following suggestions for vocabulary, structures, and types of talk take into account the inseparable nature of language and culture and the need for teachers to plan learning experiences that refl ect and foster that interrelationship.

Vocabulary

Teachers may expect children in early childhood education programmes to be using the kinds of Tongan words and phrases that are listed below. Although the examples given are grouped under grammatical headings (nouns, verbs, and so on), children will acquire their new words not in a grammatical sequence but rather as they hear them used and as they experiment with using them in their everyday activities. As children have more and more new experiences, they learn more and more new words to communicate about them.

Tongan words that children may learn at this level include:

nouns and pronouns such as ta‘ahine, tamasi‘i, au, fale, and koe;

verbs such as ‘alu, lele, mohe, kai, and inu;

adjectives such as lelei, lahi, vave, ma‘a, and faka‘ofo‘ofa;

prepositions such as ki, ‘i, mei, ‘a, and ‘o;

numbers such as taha, ua, tolu, fà, and nima;

possessive adjectives such as ‘a‘aku, ‘a‘au, ‘anaua, ‘amaua, and ‘amautolu.

Structures

Young children develop their grammatical skills by using language for different purposes and functions. Their fi rst attempts may not always be grammatically correct. The following examples indicate some language structures that young children may be using at this level.

Functions Structures

Statements Taimi kai; Ko Mami eni; Ko e tamasi‘i au.

Questions and answers Kuo tau tuku? ‘Io.

Words for agreeing and disagreeing ‘Io, tau va‘inga. ‘Ikai.

Requests and commands ‘Omai ‘eku fo‘i pulu´. Ko hai ho hingoa´?

Exclamations ‘Oiauè! Auè!

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Types of Talk

Children may be hearing and responding to language such as the following at the early childhood level.

Types of talk Examples

Experimental talk Ko ‘eku tamai.

Imaginative talk ‘Oku ou heka hoosi!

Use of sentences or phrases during an activity Ko koe eni. Ko au eni.

Conversations Ko e hà ho‘o me‘akai´? Moli mo e ‘àpele.

Storytelling Na‘e ui ‘a Noa ki he fanga manu´.

Cultural talk ‘Oku ifo ‘a e ‘ota´. Ko hoku teunga tau‘olunga.

Children at the early childhood level will be able to:

use body language, for example, by waving goodbye or bowing “excuse me”;

name objects;

ask for or describe something by using a combination of words and body language.

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Programme Planning for Early Childhood Settings

Children’s learning and development are the starting points for planning the curriculum. The writers of Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars recommend that teachers use the “notice, recognise, and respond” framework as a basis for supporting children’s ongoing learning and development. In this way, the curriculum will be built on educators’ understanding of children and the diversity of their learning pathways.

Kei Tua o te Pae is founded on Te Whàriki. Both documents uphold current early childhood theory and practice, and both emphasise the importance of understanding each child as an individual in order to engage with their knowledge, skills, attitudes, interests, and cultural background and to advance their learning.

Planning Cycle

observe

refl ect interpret and analyse

evaluate results

plan learning experiences

set learning objectives

develop and implement teaching strategies

33

Setting up a Tongan Language Programme

When setting up a Tongan language programme in an early childhood setting, begin by identifying each child’s current level of Tongan language. Does the child speak Tongan as their fi rst language or as one of their fi rst languages? Do they know only a little? Will they be learning it as a new language? Talk to their parents and observe the children’s use of Tongan and of other languages. This will enable you to plan a programme that makes connections to language that the children have already learned. Consider ways of enriching the children’s Tongan language and culture by providing new experiences and discussing them in Tongan.

Think about the level of support that the local Tongan community can offer your programme. Talk about this with Tongan families when discussing their children’s current needs and achievements and make contact with local Tongan organisations if appropriate.

Consider material resources to support your programme. Refer to Developing Programmes for Teaching Pacifi c Islands Languages and the accompanying Guidelines for Tongan Language Programmes for ideas about programme planning and descriptions of Tongan-language books and other resources available to New Zealand early childhood services.

Plan units of work using the cycle illustrated above, refl ect on the language learning that results, and use this information to inform further planning.

Refer to pages 15–16 above for general guidance on assessment and evaluation. Some specifi c suggestions for assessment and evaluation in early childhood settings are given below.

Assessing the Children’s Progress

As you implement the Tongan language programme, observe, record, and refl ect on how the children are acquiring Tongan language and using it to communicate. For example:

record your observations of the children’s use of Tongan language in the early childhood setting;

talk to parents about what the children are saying in Tongan at home;

make audio or video recordings of the children using Tongan in activities in the early childhood setting;

give the children positive feedback on their progress in using the Tongan language.

For specifi c guidance on appropriate assessment approaches at the early childhood level, refer to Te Whàriki and Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars. The early childhood exemplars illustrate a wide range of suggestions for assessing children’s progress and identifying their next learning steps. Many of these suggestions can be adapted to the context of Tongan language learning.

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34

Evaluating the Tongan Language Programme

Early childhood staff can set up a system for evaluating the effectiveness of their Tongan language programme by:

observing how the children respond to the use of Tongan and noticing what helps them learn;

considering how the adults in the early childhood setting can contribute to helping the children learn Tongan and consulting all adults, including parents, about the effectiveness of the programme;

reviewing their programme regularly and planning to build on the most successful language learning approaches and experiences.

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35

Ko e Ngaahi AkoSchool Settings

The Learning Strands for Schools

The learning strands for schools are:

Ngaahi Taukei Fakalea – Language Skills;

Ngaahi Taumu‘a Fetu‘utaki – Communication Functions;

Anga Fakafonua mo hono Ouau – Culture and Context.

•

•

•

Like the plaited strands of kafa (sennit), these three strands work together. As learners use Tongan for a communication function, such as sharing news, they draw on their language skills, such as speaking and listening, and they also express and develop their experience and learning of Tongan culture, for example, if the news includes new language appropriate to a particular Tongan social context.

u

36

Learning in these strands will develop learners’ capabilities in:

accomplishing everyday tasks using Tongan;

exchanging experiences, information, and points of view;

communicating feelings and attitudes;

expressing personal identity;

behaving appropriately with respect to Tongan customs;

experiencing and responding to visual language.

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37

Achievement Objectives and Progression through the Levels

The achievement objectives on pages 46–87 are progressive descriptions of the Tongan language and the cultural competencies that students need to gain as they move through the eight levels of achievement for schools. These objectives provide the basis for planning programmes and for determining a learner’s current stage of Tongan language development. They are intended to help teachers work out what each learner has achieved and what should be the next phase in their learning.

The numbered achievement objectives in the Communication Functions strand are expressed in terms of communication functions to indicate what language the learners should be able to use at each level. The achievement objectives in the other two strands focus on oral, written, and visual language (Language Skills) and on cultural learning in specifi ed contexts (Culture and Context) Although oral, written, and visual language are presented in these guidelines as separate elements, in practice they are intertwined and and all of them are used to express the culture.

Teachers need to balance the aspects of language represented by the three strands when designing language programmes, taking into account where their individual learners are within each strand.

Individual learners will not necessarily be achieving at the same level for all strands. They may operate at different levels and progress at different rates, depending on their previous experience of Tongan and other languages.

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Possible Progressions

The following diagrams indicate possible progressions for learners starting in a Tongan language programme at different points. Children who start learning within an early childhood setting, such as or a kinitakàteni or akoteu, and continue with Tongan language programmes in bilingual units or total immersion programmes through into secondary schools may follow this progression:

Learners beginning a Tongan language programme at year 7 may follow the following pattern.

For both scenarios, variations in levels will occur depending on the learners’ individual pathways of learning and on the availability, continuity, and sequencing of programmes within schools.

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Oral Language: Listening and Speaking

Children listen to and speak a language before they learn to read and write it. Listening and speaking are essential to Tongan language development, learning Tongan literacy skills, relating to other Tongan speakers, and participating in the life of the Tongan and wider communities. Learners need to have opportunities for sustained conversations with Tongan speakers. Learners should be increasingly able to communicate their own ideas, feelings, and thoughts in Tongan and to respond to others appropriately in a range of formal and informal situations.

When developing programmes, teachers should plan activities that will engage learners in using oral language in a variety of situations and contexts. At earlier school levels, children are still very much developing oral language skills. Young children are attuned to listening to and reproducing the sounds and patterns of a language. Learners whose fi rst or home language is Tongan can be expected to have a more developed sense of the sounds and patterns of Tongan than second-language learners.

Written Language: Reading and Writing

Reading and writing provide a foundation for learning. With younger children, reading programmes should build on the children’s interest in listening to fananga (traditional stories) and to other stories, rhymes, and poems. They should start to retell Tongan stories and to be active listeners and viewers when books published in Tongan are read to them.

Younger children begin to understand that print holds meaning, that thoughts, stories, and speech can be written down, and that writing can be read over and over again. As emergent writers, children develop concepts about print, such as page orientation and directionality, and realise that macrons, glottal stops, and stress marks can be guides to pronunciation and meaning.

It is important that teachers encourage learners to read widely in Tongan. Reading is one of the keys to Tongan language development. Learners’ vocabulary will increase as they have more and more experiences that give them Tongan language input.

Writing helps learners to clarify and explore ideas and feelings, to develop knowledge of the language, and to use language more readily. Writing is also a means of communication with others. Learners should learn to write confi dently, clearly, and appropriately in a range of styles, both formal and informal. They should develop an explicit knowledge of the steps in the writing process and come to understand the conventions of written Tongan, for example, the use of the glottal stops, macrons, and defi nitive accents.

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Visual Language

Learners experience the world of visual language in a number of ways: for example, through traditional performances, crafts, signs and symbols, television and other media, and play. Play is important in children’s language development. A growing understanding of shape and visual movement appears in children’s play, for example, they develop their repertoire of gesture and expressive body movement as their communication skills grow.

Visual language (including symbolism, imagery, and body language) is an important aspect of language. In traditional Tongan performances and events, for example, body language, gestures, and costumes contribute signifi cantly to the meaning of the words and the occasion. Learners will need guidance in how to view and understand the ways in which these visual and verbal elements interact to produce particular meanings and effects in traditional performances as well as in art forms – ngatu, ta‘ovala, kakala – and in contemporary blends of Tongan culture and New Zealand culture. At the same time, learners should be given opportunities to explore other Tongan forms of visual language in which words and images combine, for example, in print, drama, and other media.

Cultural Learning

Tongan culture (which includes the cultural life and customs of the Tongan community in New Zealand as well as in Tonga) is expressed through the language. Learning about Tongan culture is part of the way in which learners learn Tongan. For Tongan children, learning Tongan is bound up with their sense of identity as Tongans. For non-Tongan children, learning Tongan and learning about Tongan culture in New Zealand will provide a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of a multicultural society.

Cultural learning is specifi ed as a separate strand in Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum, to ensure that it receives due emphasis. When developing programmes, teachers should plan to integrate aspects of culture with language learning. At each school level, this book includes suggested aspects of culture and context to focus on. For example:

ko e kakai Tonga´ (Tongan people) – suggestions at all levels;

ko e ngaahi ouau faka-Tonga (Tongan customs) – suggestions at all levels;

ko e anga ‘o e nofo faka-Tonga´ (Tongan social organisation in terms of the family, the village, and the whole country, including pule‘anga (or government) – suggestions at all levels;

special occasions, including ‘Aho Faka-Mè (Children’s Day), births, birthdays, weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies, title bestowals, house openings, family reunions, and religious occasions – suggestions at all levels, especially 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8;

ko e ngaahi faiva (the performing arts) – suggestions at all levels.

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More specifi c topics include:

food and hospitality – suggestions at levels 1, 3, 4, and 8;

formal speeches – suggestions at levels 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8;

ta‘anga, maau mo e hiva (poetry and songs) – suggestions at all levels, especially at levels 4 and 5;

fananga (folk tales) and talatupu‘a (myths) – suggestions at levels 1, 3, and 8;

prayers and religious songs – suggestions at level 8;

the physical layout of Tongan houses and other Tongan cultural settings – suggestions at level 3;

ko e ngaahi naunau tukufakaholo (traditional tools and artefacts) – suggestions at levels 1, 2, 3, and 8;

làlanga mo e koka‘anga (weaving and barkcloth making) – suggestions at level 2;

the meanings behind traditional patterns on ngatu and clothing – suggestions at level 2;

making dance costumes – suggestions at level 3;

ko e ngaahi va‘inga (modern and traditional games) – suggestions at level 1;

ko e fanga manu ‘oku mahu‘inga ki he nofo faka-Tonga´ (culturally signifi cant animals) – suggestions at level 1;

ko e ngaahi ‘akau (culturally signifi cant plants) – suggestions at level 1;

toutai/ngàtai (different kinds of fi shing) – suggestions at level 8;

ngoue/tòkanga (gardening) – suggestions at level 8;

social, environmental, and economic issues – suggestions at level 8.

Cultural learning based around these topics involves students in learning different kinds of language, including body language, the language of respect, the language of ownership, and language relating to social roles and relationships.

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Ko Hono Ngàue‘aki ‘o e Tohi´ ni Using These Guidelines

Planning School-based Programmes

Teachers should work through a logical series of steps to create effective programmes for teaching and learning Tongan.

It is suggested that teachers:

incorporate into their programmes the philosophy and aims for learning Tongan as set out in Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculum;

identify the needs, interests, and prior language experiences of the learners and any special requirements or school policies that relate to language learning;

look at their long-term programme and consider the school-wide language programme (for example, the sequencing of levels, the timetabling options, or possible national awards);

look at the short-term programme (for example, the term plan and the weekly plan) and consider the possible links with programmes in other learning institutions;

identify the achievement objectives from the relevant strand or strands;

establish short-term outcomes for each unit of work;

decide on suitable themes;

develop appropriate topics within the main themes to provide a balanced learning programme;

select and gather suitable resources;

select or develop suitable learning activities that will enable the learners to combine and apply the strands for meaningful communication and to acquire specifi c content, such as structures, vocabulary, and cultural and general knowledge;4

prepare communicative exercises to reinforce the grammatical structures and vocabulary;

develop a homework plan to encourage language study outside the classroom;

plan how to collect and analyse data on student achievement;

evaluate the learning programme against its objectives;

consider the sequence or progression of the main themes and topics;

look for ways of connecting language learning with other curriculum areas or specifi c subjects (for example, with history, geography, music, or food preparation) to enhance integrated learning;

consider the cyclical development of functions, structures, and vocabulary and provide opportunities for reinforcing, consolidating, and extending the learners’ language skills and usage.

4 Note that the learning activities suggested in Developing Programmes for Teaching Pacifi c Islands Languages and the accompanying Guidelines for Tongan Language Programmes can be readily be adapted for programmes based on this curriculum.

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An Approach to School-based Planning

Identify students’ needs, interests, and prior learning experiences.

Plan communicative activities, using a variety of approaches.

Select learning resources. Decide on assessment procedures.Plan for application and extension,

allowing for individual learning needs.

Refer to the school or department scheme

or policy.

Identify achievement objectives from the

curriculum and set clear, achievable goals with students.

Decide on the theme and specifi c learning outcomes for study. Consider how the

assessor will know that the outcomes have

been achieved.Implement the teaching and learning

programme.

Monitor students’ achievements against the

achievement objectives and provide the students with

high-quality feedback.

Evaluate the learning and teaching

in terms of student achievement

and adapt the programme accordingly

(e.g., by setting new targets or giving students

“feed-forward” – where to from here?).

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Ko e Lea Faka-Tonga´ ‘i he Silapa Nu‘usila´: Ngaahi LèvoloTongan in the New Zealand Curriculum: School Levels

A note on the numbered achievement objectives(for example, on page 46)

For the eight learning levels for schools presented in the following sections, only the achievement objectives for the Communication Functions strand are numbered.

The achievement objectives for the Language Skills strand are broad, general objectives for skills that the students will learn and practise as they work towards the achievement objectives for the Communication Functions strand.

The achievement objectives for the Culture and Context strand provide topics and contexts for the Communication Functions achievement objectives.

In this way, the numbered achievement objectives for the Communication Functions strand include the achievement objectives of all three strands.

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The Framework of Tongan in the New Zealand Curriculumin Schools

The framework, at school levels, becomes:

NGAAHI FE‘UNU STRANDS

Ngaahi Taukei FakaleaLanguage Skills


Anga Fakafonua mo hono Ouau Culture and Context

These describe the learning themes that are common at all levels.

NGAAHI TAUMU‘AACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES

These refl ect communicative uses of Tongan in traditional, everyday, and specialised contexts based on listening and speaking, reading and writing, visual language, and sociocultural learning.

NGAAHI SÌPINGA ‘O E NGAAHI FO‘I LEA MO E NGAAHI KUPU‘ILEASUGGESTED VOCABULARY, STRUCTURES, AND EXPRESSIONS

These indicate the linguistic content and the degree of diffi culty expected at each level.

NGAAHI SÌPINGA ‘O E AKO KI HE ANGA FAKAFONUA´SUGGESTED ASPECTS OF CULTURE AND CONTEXT

These identify sociolinguistic and cultural content and contexts.

NGAAHI SÌPINGA ‘O E NGÀUE FAKAAKO MO E FOUNGA SIVI SUGGESTED LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

These are ways of using and reinforcing Tongan in realistic, communicative language-learning and cultural contexts.

They can be used by teachers, peers, and students themselves to measure progress in realistic communicative situations and contexts.

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Lèvolo 1Level 1

Ko e Ngaahi Fe‘unu mo e Ngaahi Taumu‘aStrands and Achievement Objectives


Students should be able to:

recognise, respond to, and use simple sentences appropriately while listening and speaking;

recognise spelling conventions in reading and writing and copy simple words;

view and discuss simple verbal and non-verbal signs, symbols, and movements in specifi ed contexts.



1.1 recognise, use, and respond to everyday expressions to greet, farewell, thank, and introduce people;

1.2 use basic words and expressions for numbers, shapes, sizes, weights, and colours and to indicate time and place;

1.3 express agreement and disagreement and respond to instructions;

1.4 ask for repetition, clarifi cation, or help;

1.5 express their wants and needs and state their likes and dislikes;

1.6 use language and positioning to show respect;

1.7 give simple personal information.



respond to Tongan texts such as songs, poems, stories, and legends;

act appropriately when speaking to others in particular situations and contexts;

participate in a simple cultural performance;

recognise and express faka‘apa‘apa (respect) in a variety of contexts;

describe some features of Tongan culture.

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Ngaahi Sìpinga ‘o e Ngaahi Fo‘i Lea mo e Ngaahi Kupu‘ileaSuggested Vocabulary, Structures, and Expressions

Ngaahi Taumu‘a Fetu‘utaki

Communication Functions

Ngaahi Sìpinga ‘o e Ngaahi Fo‘i Lea mo e Ngaahi Kupu‘ilea

Suggested Vocabulary, Structures, and Expressions

1.1 recognise, use, and respond to everyday expressions to greet, farewell, thank, and introduce people;

Màlò e lelei, faka‘au à, po‘uli à, màlò ‘aupito, màlie, ‘alu à, nofo à. Ko hoku hingoa´ ko ... Ko ‘eku ongo màtu‘a´ ko ... Ko ‘eku fa‘ee´ ko ... Ko hoku kaume‘a ...

1.2 use basic words and expressions for numbers, shapes, sizes, weights, and colours and to indicate time and place;

Taimi, miniti, sekoni, fi ha, ‘anenai, ‘anai, ‘auhu, ‘apongipongi, hoko, ‘osi kuata, haafe, ho‘atà, ko e fi ha´ ‘eni; lalo, ‘olunga, tafa‘aki; taha, ua, tolu ... tahataha ... teau.‘Oku lanupulù hoku kofu´. ‘Oku lanu melomelo hoku mata´. Ko e loki´ ‘oku tapafà. ‘Oku tapafà pea fàlahi. Ko e tapafà matolu. Ko e tapafà kulokula matolu. ‘Oku fuopotopoto. ‘Oku mamafa.

1.3 express agreement and disagreement and respond to instructions;

‘Io, ko ia. ‘Ikai, ‘oku hala ia. Ko e mo‘oni. ‘Oku ou loto ki ai.

1.4 ask for repetition, clarifi cation, or help; Toe lau mai. Kàtaki ‘o toe ‘ai. Tokoni mai mu‘a. Ha‘u angè ‘o fakahinohino ee´.

1.5 express their wants and needs and state their likes and dislikes;

‘Oku ou fi ekaia. ‘Oku ou fi ema‘u ia. ‘Oku ou sai‘ia ai. ‘Oku ou fehi‘a ai. Ko hono mamana´ ia.

1.6 use language and positioning to show respect; Fakamolemole ‘o ha‘u. Màlò ‘aupito. Tulou. Kàtaki fakamolemole.

1.7 give simple personal information. Ko homau ‘api´ eni. ‘Oku ou ta‘u 12. ‘Oku toko valu homau ki‘i fàmili´.

As they use language for these communication functions, students should also begin to learn how to use writing conventions in Tongan. They should be introduced to the consonants (f h k l m n ng p s t v and the fakau‘a or glottal stop [‘]), the vowels (a e i o u), and the toloi (macron). They should learn to pronounce the letters individually and in blends and other combinations.

The vocabulary and structures suggested above are not meant to be a complete list for this level but, rather, an indication of what might be appropriate depending on the ages, needs, and interests of the students.

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Ngaahi Sìpinga ‘o e Ako ki he Anga Fakafonua´ Suggested Aspects of Culture and Context

Families provide their children with a set of beliefs, behaviours, and cultural understandings. Students bring diverse cultural values to their learning, based on their family backgrounds. In the classroom, links can be made between the students’ many and diverse experiences and sociocultural aspects of the Tongan language.



Ngaahi Sìpinga ‘o e Ako ki he Anga Fakafonua´Suggested Aspects of Culture and Context

Students could take part in activities that give them opportunities to:

respond to Tongan texts such as songs, poems, stories, and legends;

act appropriately when speaking to others in particular situations and contexts;

participate in a simple cultural performance;

recognise and express faka‘apa‘apa (respect) in a variety of contexts;

describe some features of Tongan culture.

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identify places where Tongan is spoken in the world;

use formal and informal greetings and the associated body language;

use the language of respect, for example, fakamolemole or bending over and going behind someone when saying tulou;

experience and learn about some Tongan celebrations and traditions, for example, ‘Aho Faka-Mè, birthdays, and other special occasions;

greet and offer hospitality to visitors;

share a meal;

listen to talatupu‘a (for example, the legend of Kohai, Koau, and Momo) about the origins of Tongan people;

identify the members of an ‘api and their roles, for example, tamai (father), tokoua (same-sex sibling);

give examples of ngaahi naunau (for example, ngatu, fala, naunaufale);

perform some faiva (for example, tau‘olunga);

play some va‘inga (for example, pàpàlounima, fusitelinga);

name and discuss some culturally signifi cant animals (for example, hoosi, pulu, sipi);

name and discuss some culturally signifi cant plants (for example, talo, ‘ufi ).

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Ngaahi Sìpinga ‘o e Ngàue Fakaako mo e Founga Sivi Suggested Learning and Assessment Activities

Not all of the following activities are suitable for every age group. Teachers should use only those that are appropriate. Suggested activities for cultural learning are listed under the heading Suggested Aspects of Culture and Context on page 48.

LEA NGUTUORAL LANGUAGE

Lea Ngutu: FanongoOral Language: Listening


distinguish between Tongan and other languages;

listen to short texts and then indicate when core vocabulary items are heard;

respond to basic classroom instructions;

respond to requests for personal details (for example, their names, ages, addresses, or telephone numbers);

respond to requests by identifying familiar people and things;

listen to simple descriptions of common objects (for example, those found in a classroom and around a school) and identify them non-verbally (for example, by pointing to them in a picture);

listen to and identify letters of the alphabet and the numbers up to teau;

listen and identify the time (for example, an announcement of the time on a Tongan radio programme);

listen to Tongan songs, poetry, legends, and stories and say which they enjoy most and want to hear again;

listen to recounts of personal experiences or imaginary events and respond in a way that shows understanding.

Lea Ngutu: LeaOral Language: Speaking


give personal details (such as their names, ages, addresses, or telephone numbers);

take part in short, contextualised conversations;

give simple descriptions of their family, themselves, other people, and common objects;

request that objects be given or handed to them;

role-play introductions and enquiries for a name, address, and telephone number;

express their needs and preferences.

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LEA TOHIWRITTEN LANGUAGE

Lea Tohi: LaukongaWritten Language: Reading


read a range of texts in Tongan written at emergent or early reading levels;

sight-read words from a core vocabulary list;

read Tongan names (for example, the names of class members);

read the Tongan names of numbers from one to a hundred;

read short, contextualised lists (for example, shopping lists);

decode regular sound–symbol correspondences;

read short, single-sentence descriptions of familiar objects;

read examples of natural language (for example, transcripts of their own oral descriptions).

Lea Tohi: TohiWritten Language: Writing


write the letters of the Tongan alphabet;

write out numbers from one to a hundred;

write their own names and the Tongan names of other class members;

write words from a core vocabulary list;

copy short messages and lists (for example, shopping lists);

complete short descriptions of familiar people and objects;

label things in the classroom;

fi ll in a brief personal-information form.

AKO LEA MEI HE MAMATA´VISUAL LANGUAGE


view and discuss simple verbal and non-verbal signs and symbols in a role-playing context or in an authentic situation;

view and discuss a simple cultural performance (for example, a simple role-play or dance);

follow instructions in order to perform the movements of a simple dance.

The learning activities can also be used for assessment. The sections below suggest when teachers might assess their students’ progress and when students might assess their peers’ achievements or their own. The language and cultural skills to be assessed are in brackets.

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SIVI‘I ‘E HE FAIAKO´TEACHER ASSESSMENT

Teachers could assess students’ progress against the achievement objectives when the students are:

role-playing a simple social exchange, for example, meeting someone or taking part in a mealtime conversation, and responding and acting appropriately during this social exchange (listening, speaking, and cultural learning);

introducing themselves or a friend and briefl y describing themselves or their friend in a way that expresses their personal identity (speaking or writing);

taking part in a guided interview with another student, for example, an interview about their families’ addresses, numbers of people, ages, likes, dislikes, and routines (listening and speaking);

taking part in an interview based on pictures that show shapes, colours, and sizes, giving and seeking basic factual information (listening and speaking);

completing a true/false exercise, recalling basic information from a spoken text (listening and writing);

telling or writing a simple narrative to exchange experiences or information (speaking or writing);

matching pictures with words (visual language and reading);

listening and following instructions, for example, in order to draw a picture or diagram, create a woven artefact, or take part in a dance or song (listening and cultural learning);

putting together a cartoon strip story to convey the key ideas in a narrative (listening, viewing, reading, and visual language);

listening to a text and then ordering pictures to show an understanding of the sequence of ideas in the text (listening and visual language).

SIVI‘I ‘E HE TAMAIKI AKO´PEER ASSESSMENT

Students could monitor each other’s progress when they are:

matching words with pictures (reading and visual language);

exchanging information, seeking clarifi cation, asking for repetition, or agreeing or disagreeing (listening and speaking);

peer reviewing one another’s prepared talks (listening, visual language, and speaking);

creating cartoon strip stories together and agreeing on the order of events in their narrative, seeking clarifi cation and asking for a repetition when necessary (listening, visual language, and speaking);

engaged in ranking activities, which may involve exchanging points of view and expressing attitudes (listening, speaking, and visual language).

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TAKITAHA SIVI‘I PÈSELF-ASSESSMENT

Students could monitor their own progress through:

keeping checklists with headings like “I can do these things well”, “I can do this partly”, and “I can’t do this yet” across the top, while down the side they might refer to achievement objectives using headings like “greet someone”, “farewell someone”, “introduce myself”, and “introduce my friend”;

predicting and self-correcting to help them understand the meaning of a text;

recording, in the back of their draft writing book, their feelings about their achievements;

keeping a spelling notebook and a record of their progress in spelling Tongan words;

listening to or viewing a recording of a presentation they have given and discussing its quality.

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Lèvolo 2Level 2




listen to short conversations and texts and read short texts, identifying key details;

interact in simple conversations;

write simple sentences, using spelling and punctuation conventions, and copy accurately;

understand and express meaning in stories, cultural artefacts, and performance through visual images.



2.1 identify people, places, and things;

2.2 understand and use time expressions;

2.3 offer, accept, and refuse things;

2.4 make requests, give instructions, and respond to requests and instructions;

2.5 communicate interest, enjoyment, and need;

2.6 understand and express concepts of amount, ownership, relationship, quality, and state.



understand and differentiate social roles and interrelationships, for example, those in their household family and in their extended family where appropriate;

use appropriate forms of language for themselves and others in particular situations and contexts;

recognise and express relationships in a variety of contexts.

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Ngaahi Sìpinga ‘o e Ngaahi Fo‘i Lea mo e Ngaahi Kupu‘ilea Suggested Vocabulary, Structures, and Expressions

2.1 identify people, places, and things; Ko ‘eku fi ne‘eiki´ ko Mele. Ko e kolo lahi ‘a Vainì. Ko e hele eni.

2.2 understand and use time expressions; Ko e ‘aho Tùsite eni. Ko e màhina eni ko Ma‘asi´. ‘E hoko hoku ‘aho fà‘ele‘i´ he Mònite kaha‘u´. Taimi´ ni, ‘aho´ ni, uike´ ni.

2.3 offer, accept, and refuse things; Màlò e ‘ofa. ‘Oku ou fakamàlò atu ho‘o tokoni´. Màlò pè. Tuku ai pè.

2.4 make requests, give instructions, and respond to requests and instructions;

Kàtaki ‘o to‘o mai e màsima´. ‘O kapau ‘e ‘osi pea fakafoki mai kia au. Sai pè ia.

2.5 communicate interest, enjoyment, and need; ‘Oku màlie ‘enau hiva´. ‘Oku ifo ‘a e me‘akai´. ‘Oku ou fi efi a lahi. ‘Oku ou fi einua. Te u ‘alu au.

2.6 understand and express concepts of amount, ownership, relationship, quality, and state.

‘Oku ‘ikai ke ‘i ai haku sù. Ko e suka kilo ‘e ua. ‘Oku totongi mamafa ‘a e tangai manioke´. Na‘e fò hoku kofu´. ‘Oku ngalo ‘eku kato´. Ko e fale faka‘ofo‘ofa mo‘oni. Ko e tòtòatu ‘ene poto he ‘akapulu´. ‘Oku kei màfana ‘a e vai´. ‘Oku moko‘ì ‘ì e vai´. Ko hoku tuonga‘ane. Ko ‘ene tama. Ko hono foha. ‘Oku lahi ‘a Mele, pea hoko ‘a Sione, pea fi ka tolu ‘a ‘Ana.

As they use language for these communication functions, students should also practise their pronunciation, spelling, and punctuation. These skills could be expanded to include the distinctions between normal, long, and double vowels:

a e i o u – mata, fale

à è ì ò ù – mà, kumà

aa ee ii oo uu – maama, huufi .


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At this level, students might observe and attempt to model specifi c culturally appropriate aspects of language usage in familiar situations. They can begin to practise using language in culturally appropriate ways, even though they may not be aware of or understand the full cultural signifi cance of the language and associated behaviour. The students’ knowledge of how to behave in accordance with Tongan culture and tradition at this level builds on the understandings acquired at level 1. As they interact with speakers of Tongan, students can observe and then demonstrate appropriate behaviour, for example, some of the gestures used by Tongan speakers.





understand and differentiate social roles and interrelationships, for example, those in their household family and in their extended family where appropriate;

use appropriate forms of language for themselves and others in particular situations and contexts;

recognise and express relationships in a variety of contexts.

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follow Tongan customs for naming a new baby (for example, after the father’s sister) and acknowledging a new baby (for example, taking a ngatu to the mother and child);

describe the membership of a kàinga and some of the members’ different roles;

observe, discuss, and use body language that fi rst-language speakers of Tongan use in familiar contexts (for example, smiles and eyebrow movement to convey affi rmation);

explain the meanings behind the names of some simple traditional patterns found on ngatu and clothing (for example, manulua);

participate in everyday cultural practices by using common forms of greetings (such as greeting someone with a word and a kiss), requests, invitations, thanks, acknowledgments, lotu, kaime‘akai, and kaifakaafe;

learn the movements of simple dances (for example, ta‘olunga, tu‘ulàfale, kailao);

express relationships, for example, using language like: tuofefi ne; tuonga‘ane; ko hoku tokoua ‘a Mele; ‘oku ou tokoua‘aki ‘a ‘Apitanga; ‘oku ou mehekitanga‘aki ‘a ‘Eleni;

listen and respond to fananga (folk tales) or talatupu‘a (legends, for example, about the origin of ‘Aho‘ eitu – Tongan kings).

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identify core vocabulary items when they hear them;

listen to and then carry out a set of two or three instructions;

listen to conversations about people and then identify the people mentioned in them;

listen to simple descriptions of actions and scenes and then identify them non-verbally (for example, by numbering pictures in the order in which they were described);

listen to numbers being used in meaningful contexts, for example, when a sequence of events is described;

listen to talk about the days of the week, the month, and the date (for example, at the start of the school day).



describe their families and friends (referring to their ages and the relationships involved);

perform Tongan songs and recite Tongan rhymes;

make statements about their likes and dislikes and ask about those of their friends;

answer questions, giving simple descriptions;

ask for details about other people’s families and friends, using conventional expressions;

talk about regularly occurring activities;

count people and things;

tell the time in hours and half-hours;

show something to the class and say something briefl y about it;

role-play a conversation in which physical states, such as fi ekaia (hunger) or ‘afu‘ia (feeling too hot), are mentioned;

take part in a short play in which the dialogue consists of familiar language that they understand well.

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sight-read some words from the suggested vocabulary for this level in appropriate contexts;

read short passages on familiar topics;

read non-fi ction material at an appropriate reading level, looking for the answers to specifi c questions;

read, for pleasure, children’s books in Tongan, especially those by Tongan authors;

read a brief questionnaire about themselves and their families.



write numbers beyond teau;

develop short questionnaires to ask for information about someone’s family;

with guidance, write short passages in Tongan describing pictures or photos of people;

write brief letters following a simple letter format;

write short stories;

write brief poems following suitable models;

write labels on diagrams;

fi ll out a brief questionnaire about themselves and their families;

compose invitation cards to send to friends.



view and participate in performances that involve movements and costumes (for example, a mà‘ulu‘ulu);

view a performance by a Tongan dancer and take part in a discussion with the dancer afterwards;

view Tongan speech-making, live or recorded;

view and discuss aspects of family life in a Tongan community in New Zealand;

view, discuss, and use visually dramatic texts in presentations.


Not all of these suggested activities are suitable for every age group. Use those that are appropriate for your students.

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listening to descriptions of people, objects, or places and then identifying them (listening and visual language);

labelling a picture to show they recognise people, objects, or places (listening, writing, and visual language);

giving a short spoken or written description of people, objects, or places and conveying information, using appropriate vocabulary (writing or speaking);

listening to instructions about how to make or do something, such as preparing food, and following the instructions (listening, cultural learning);

making something, for example, making a kahoa lole, and then writing down how they did it, using the appropriate writing conventions (listening, cultural learning, and writing);

listening to a conversation about a family and then answering who?, what?, and where? questions to show that they understood the gist of the conversation (listening and speaking);

responding in a conversation, expressing interest, feelings, and attitudes (listening and speaking);

role-playing the main events in a simple social exchange, such as greeting visitors (listening, speaking, and visual language);

participating in teacher–student conferences about their reading and writing in Tongan, expressing their interest, enjoyment, and points of view (speaking and listening);

reading a range of written texts while the teacher takes a reading record (reading).

When assessing students’ progress, teachers can keep a checklist of the relevant language objectives, using criteria. The criteria could be fairly simple (for example, “can do”, “can do to some extent”, or “cannot do”) or more complex. For example, teachers can assess the extent of their students’ spoken vocabulary and judge how appropriately and how well the students are using language (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural learning) in specifi c contexts.



interviewing each other, asking and answering questions about a topic (listening and speaking);

using question-and-answer forms in pairs (listening and speaking);

reviewing each other’s cultural performances or written work (visual language, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural learning);

taking part in short, one-scene plays and reviewing each other’s performances (visual language, speaking and listening, cultural learning, and reading).



keeping a checklist of what they can do and what they want to learn next;

keeping a daily journal of things they have learned;

evaluating recordings of their own language work;

keeping a reading log in which they record the names of the Tongan-language books that they have read and briefl y comment on each one.

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Lèvolo 3Level 3




extract meaning from short spoken or written dialogues and texts, identify key details, and respond appropriately;

interact in everyday conversations, using variations of learnt words and phrases;

apply their knowledge of vocabulary and structures to produce and manipulate learnt phrases and sentences;

make connections between visual features of a Tongan house and cultural values.



3.1 express ideas of state, place, and quality in some detail;

3.2 give and respond to instructions and directions;

3.3 report events;

3.4 produce stories of some length;

3.5 express and respond to surprise, pleasure, disapproval, and disappointment;

3.6 communicate preferences in some detail and express respect;

3.7 perform or present, with appropriate non-verbal features, a speech, chant, dance, song, or verse.



prepare a traditional dish or item;

describe the physical layout of a Tongan house and the signifi cance of this layout;

take part in particular events and festivities, for example, church events, house openings, festivals, feasts, and celebrations;

discuss the arrangement and shape of Tongan houses.

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3.1 express ideas of state, place, and quality in some detail;

‘Oku tu‘u ‘a ‘Òtala ‘i he feitu‘u fakatonga ‘o ‘Okalani´. Ko e kolisi Piula´ ‘oku tu‘u ‘i Vainì. ‘Oku hou e tahi´. Fo’i kofu faka‘ofo‘ofa ‘o Mele´. Ko e tupenu manifi nifi .

3.2 give and respond to instructions and directions; Vakai pe kuo tàmate‘i e sitou´. Manatu‘i ke fakama‘u ho leta´. ‘Io, kuo ‘osi tàmate‘i e sitou´. Tata mai ‘a e vaeua‘i ipu suka. Fakafonu vai e kulo lotoloto´ ke vahe fà e tolu.

3.3 report events; Na‘e lava e kàtoanga´ ‘aneafi . ‘Oku ou pàhia au ai.

3.4 produce stories of some length; Na‘e hifo ‘a ‘Eitumatupu‘a mei langi. Kuo hà‘ele mai ‘a Tupou V.

3.5 express and respond to surprise, pleasure, disapproval, and disappointment;

Ko e me‘a fakafi efi a ia. Fiefi a ke vakai atu ‘oku ke mo‘ui lelei pè. ‘Oku ou ongo‘i mamahi koe‘uhi´ ‘oku ‘alu ‘eku fa‘ee´ ki Tonga. ‘Oku ‘ikai ke u sa‘ia ai. ‘Oku ta‘efalala‘anga ho‘o ngàue´.

3.6 communicate preferences in some detail and express respect;

‘Oku ou sai‘ia ange hè. Na‘a´ ne tukulolo ki hono ta‘okete´. Mou faka‘au à.

3.7 perform or present, with appropriate non-verbal features, a speech, chant, dance, song, or verse.

Tapu mo hou‘eiki. Leveleva e malanga kae tau atu. Ko e ngata‘anga è ‘eku fakahoha‘a´.

As they use language for these communication functions, students should also practise their pronunciation, spelling, and punctuation. These skills could be expanded to include the use of the defi nitive accent, for example, in fale´, tangata´, and màhina´.

The vocabulary and structures suggested above are not meant to be a complete list for this level but, rather, an indication of what might be appropriate, depending on the ages, needs, and interests of the students.

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By the time they have reached this level, students may begin to understand how the way Tongan people use language relates to their culture. Students may be able to incorporate culturally appropriate verbal and non-verbal forms of expression into their own language use. Students who were born in Tonga may do this intuitively. Students who were not born in Tonga may not feel comfortable attempting some of the body language outside the classroom unless they are interacting in Tongan contexts.





prepare a traditional dish or item;

describe the physical layout of a Tongan house and the signifi cance of this layout;

take part in particular events and festivities, for example, church events, house openings, festivals, feasts, and celebrations;

discuss the arrangement and shape of Tongan houses.

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use appropriate forms of language and actions at some more formal special events (for example, twenty-fi rst birthday parties);

use terms of respect (for example, those used in more formal greetings);

contribute to making costumes and other items for performance and events and discuss their signifi cance (for example, in terms of their cost and “rank” and how this refl ects the importance of the event);

understand and differentiate social roles and relationships in a Tongan setting (for example, the role of a matàpule or the relationship of a brother to his older sister);

perform a speech, chant, dance, song, or verse;

cook a traditional dish such as lùpulu.

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identify suggested vocabulary items in a variety of listening situations;

listen to and then carry out a set of four to fi ve instructions;

listen to a passage and answer “true or false” questions that relate to the passage;

listen and respond to recordings of conversations in which they have taken part;

listen and respond to radio programmes broadcast in Tongan;

listen to a short talk on a subject and present the information in a different form (for example, in a diagram).



answer questions in some detail;

give a brief presentation on a familiar topic;

make a series of linked statements about a picture, map, chart, or diagram;

work in pairs or small groups, sharing information to solve a problem;

tell the time;

describe a sequence of events;

form complete statements from sentence starters, given appropriate contextual support;

compare physical objects;

participate in a short telephone conversation;

retell a story;

give directions.

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read short passages to fi nd answers to questions;

read information presented as a chart;

read instructions;

skim-read a passage that is at an appropriate reading level;

read different types of texts.



briefl y describe people they know;

write short, dictated sentences;

write letters to friends;

write creatively;

write instructions on how to do something;

write a report;

write a short book review.



gather and discuss examples of illustrations, drawings, photographs, and other visual material related to Tonga and Tongan communities in New Zealand;

classify and display the material collected in the above activity;

discuss how advertisements in Tongan newspapers might use examples of illustrations, drawings, photographs, and other visual material related to Tonga and Tongan communities in New Zealand;

make performance costumes and items;

view and identify different types of Tongan buildings (fale), name their functions, and describe the signifi cance of their shapes and various parts.


Not all of these suggested activities are suitable for every age group. Use those that are appropriate for your students. Many of the assessment activities listed at earlier levels can also be used at this level.

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holding small-group conferences, for example, about a research task, in which they may express interest, enjoyment, and points of view (listening, speaking, reading, and writing);

completing cloze exercises (reading and writing);

reading or listening to an extended text and then completing a table of details in order to show their comprehension of key ideas (listening or reading and writing);

writing instructions, directions, notices, reports, and longer stories using appropriate language and conventions for these types of texts (writing);

role-playing a welcome for visitors, greeting people of different status with appropriate language forms and actions (speaking, visual language, and cultural learning);

matching verbal and visual signs (listening, writing, and visual language).



using criteria to rank items in a list, to debate, or to justify their point of view (reading, writing, and speaking);

asking and answering questions on a topic (listening and speaking);

conversing in small groups (listening and speaking);

reviewing each other’s performances in role plays (speaking and visual language);

reviewing each other’s written texts (reading, writing, and/or speaking).



keeping a checklist of their own progress in language skills;

making story maps to check their own comprehension of a written text (reading and writing).

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Lèvolo 4Level 4




recognise and respond to information in spoken Tongan;

initiate and maintain short conversations;

create written texts using appropriate language conventions;

respond to and discuss the meanings and purposes of the visual images in both verse and prose texts and in the non-verbal elements of ceremonies;

present ideas using visual and verbal features in a range of media.



4.1 express logical relationships (cause, effect, reason, and conditions);

4.2 communicate about time, place, frequency, measurements, and distance;

4.3 make comparisons;

4.4 give explanations and directions;

4.5 express satisfaction, fear, and concern;

4.6 express their wishes and intentions;

4.7 express a personal opinion, giving reasons;

4.8 express their future plans.



present a traditional art, craft, song, or dance;

demonstrate an understanding of the imagery in songs that use familiar language;

demonstrate an understanding of the preparation and use of certain foods and drinks;

recognise and express faka‘apa‘apa (respect) in a variety of contexts.

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4.1 express logical relationships (cause, effect, reason, and conditions);

Na‘e ‘uha ia pea tuku ai e va‘inga´. Na‘e toloi e fakataha´ he na‘e fai e putu. Na‘e puke e tamasi‘i´ hono ta‘etokanga‘i´. Kapau ‘e ‘uha pea toloi.

4.2 communicate about time, place, frequency, measurements, and distance;

Na‘e efi afi hifo pè pea mau ò leva ‘o kai. ‘Oku mau fakataha fakauike ua. ‘E toutou ha‘u ‘o sio mai kia au. ‘Oku fe‘unga mo e houa ‘e 12 ‘a e puna vakapuna ki ‘Amelika´. Ko e vaha folau mama‘o mei Nu‘usila ki ‘Iulaki´.

4.3 make comparisons; ‘Oku ou mamafa ange ‘ia Mele. Na‘e sino ka kuo tutue. ‘Oku melie makehe ange ‘a e lole´ ‘i he kuava´.

4.4 give explanations and directions; ‘Oku tupu ‘a e ‘uha´ mei he ‘ao´. ‘Oku ngàue‘aki ‘e he hina´ hono matamatakupenga´ ke kumi‘aki ‘ene me‘akai´. Afe ki to‘ohema. ‘Alu hangatonu ‘o tau ki he pangikee´.

4.5 express satisfaction, fear, and concern; ‘Oku ou ilifi a he fanga kulì lalahi´. ‘Oku ou hoha‘a ki he anga ho‘o nofo´. Na‘a mau manavasi‘i na‘a holo homau fale´.

4.6 express their wishes and intentions; Tau ò ki kolo ‘anai. ‘Oku ou ‘amanaki ‘e toki fai fakaefi afi e lotu´. Ko ‘eku faka‘amu´ ke ta talanoa. Tau ò ki kolo ‘anai. ‘Oku ou ‘amanaki ‘e toki fai fakaefi afi e lotu´. Ko ‘eku faka‘amu´ ke ta moa. Te tau ò ‘o ‘a‘ahi mahaki ‘apongipongi. Ko ‘eku taumu‘a´ ke u hoko ko ha toketà.

4.7 express a personal opinion, giving reasons; ‘Oku ou tui te tau màlohi he na‘e lahi ‘etau fakamàlohisino´. Ko e fu‘u kofu vai siaine ifo, ngako, pea toe ma‘ama‘a he ‘oku tola pè ‘e nima.

4.8 express their future plans. Toki fe‘iloaki he uike kaha‘u´. Te u ‘alu ki Tonga he ta‘u kaha‘u´.


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At this level, the students can gain deeper insight and understanding by comparing aspects of Tongan language and culture with aspects of other cultures and languages that they are familiar with. Older students can more easily explore aspects of language and culture that are outside their direct experience. For example, they can compare aspects of life in New Zealand and Tonga.

When possible, the local Tongan community should be involved in the learning process so that the students can hear the Tongan language used by fi rst-language speakers and see cultural aspects demonstrated by good role models.





present a traditional art, craft, song, or dance;

demonstrate an understanding of the imagery in songs that use familiar language;

demonstrate an understanding of the preparation and use of certain foods and drinks;

recognise and express faka‘apa‘apa (respect) in a variety of contexts.

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understand customs associated with special events and occasions, such as title bestowals, weddings, and funerals (for example, the ‘àpò, the vigil the night before a burial, and the pulua, the distribution of food after a burial);

demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of songs and dances (for example, understanding of the poetic words in a song for a special occasion);

gain an understanding of some features of formal speeches (for example, starting by acknowledging the audience);

learn processes and techniques involved in arts and crafts, especially those of Tongan communities in New Zealand. For example, they could learn fì kafa or lalava.

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listen to a passage and make inferences from it;

understand and respond appropriately to requests for factual information and opinions about a topic;

identify the emotional state of a speaker from their tone and intonation;

distinguish similarities and differences between speakers;

listen to traditional speeches during ceremonies;

listen to Tongan radio and TV programmes, notices, and other forms of reporting.



answer questions after an event;

describe a picture illustrating a specifi c topic;

narrate the order of events in a picture sequence;

work in groups to solve problems that require making inferences and establishing causality;

give opinions about issues and topics;

use conversational strategies (for example, changing the subject, providing additional information, and inviting another person to speak);

give a set of directions;

make requests and offers;

talk about future events;

contribute to conversations;

provide interpretations of what someone means;

explain the structure of speeches, for example, introduction, main body, and conclusion;

make comparisons;

promote or discuss a favourite dish.

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read a story about a familiar topic and then select the story’s main event or theme from a list of alternatives;

arrange paragraphs in a logical order;

develop dictionary skills (using Tongan alphabetical order) and use indexes;

predict what will happen next in a story, then read to fi nd out;

scan a text for key words;

read for a specifi c purpose (for example, when researching a topic);

read silently for a sustained period;

continue to read Tongan books for pleasure but extend the range to include different text types (for example, not just stories but also poetry, non-fi ction, and plays).



write personal notes about familiar topics to friends (for example, on a postcard);

write short answers to comprehension questions;

write for specifi c purposes (for example, to make a comparison, describe a process, or defend an opinion);

take notes on the main points in a speech;

compose a song for an occasion;

write a review that involves thinking critically about an author’s intention;

write poems following cultural models, for example, poems describing events.



compare non-verbal messages in songs (for example, messages conveyed by the tune) and at ceremonies (for example, messages conveyed by the seating arrangements at weddings and funerals);

compare different styles of presentation at cultural events;

watch a Tongan fi lm or documentary and then discuss features like the costumes, sets, acting (especially the body language), dialogue, and theme;

discuss the sequence of events in a formal kava ceremony;

explore a variety of presentation media;

compare a Tongan advertisement on TV and a Tongan newspaper advertisement.

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producing an outline to plan a piece of writing (reading and writing);

completing an information table, fl ow chart, or concept map, identifying key information and links between key ideas (reading and listening);

producing oral and written samples of work that show a process, make comparisons, give explanations, extend directions, or report on a topic (speaking and writing);

listening to songs and describing the meaning of simple fi gurative language (listening, speaking, writing, and cultural learning);

comparing different types of song, stating purposes, identifying audiences, and recognising characteristic features of a type of song (listening, reading, speaking, cultural learning, and writing);

viewing a kava ceremony and drawing a diagram to show the roles of the people involved and the seating arrangements (cultural learning, visual language, listening, and writing);

listing the non-verbal signs used during a kava ceremony, such as using a fà (formal open handclap) to identify yourself, and explaining what they mean (speaking, cultural learning, and visual language);

debating to express an opinion, with reasons, and to rebut others’ arguments (listening and speaking);

experimenting with art and craft forms such as weaving or carving (cultural learning);

having small-group discussions to solve problems and using conversational strategies such as taking turns, advancing the discussion, and changing the subject (listening and speaking);

preparing portfolios of their work (speaking, writing, visual language, and cultural learning).



peer reviewing reports and research projects (reading and writing);

taking part in guided interviews in which the participants seek and give information about topics (listening and speaking);

taking part in group activities where they help to solve a problem, providing feedback and clarifi cation (listening and speaking or writing);

working with partners on research projects (reading and writing or speaking);

taking part in co-operative activities in which each student has half the information to teach the other participant (listening and speaking).

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keeping a checklist of the research and study skills they have used in their Tongan language work;

keeping a journal, for a term, in which they compare what they could do at earlier levels with what they can do now;

keeping a reading log that records which types of text they have read and comments on why they prefer one kind of text to another, for example, poetry to non-fi ction;

making a story map to check their own comprehension of a plot.

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Lèvolo 5Level 5




seek, give, and respond to information through speech and conversation in everyday situations and occasions;

read and write texts, linking their sentences and ordering their ideas logically;

respond to, and discuss the impact of, visual language in speech making and in other forms of presentation, such as songs or chants.



5.1 communicate about time and space relationships;

5.2 communicate about feelings, events, actions, and opinions;

5.3 seek, offer, and respond to help, permission, or suggestions;

5.4 give and follow procedural instructions;

5.5 present and react to alternatives and reasons for a course of action;

5.6 recognise, ask about, and express possibility, capability, wishes, and intentions;

5.7 use appropriate social conventions in specifi ed contexts;

5.8 communicate with specifi c audiences.



describe the kinship relations in a typical kàinga;

display some knowledge of the structure of Tongan society;

describe, explain, and illustrate features of different types of song or chant;

participate appropriately in cultural events;

recognise and express fakatu‘utu‘unga (rank) in a variety of contexts.

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5.1 communicate about time and space relationships;

‘Oku tu‘u he vaha‘a ‘o e sima´ mo e fale´.Na‘e toki mate he uike kuo ‘osi´.

5.2 communicate about feelings, events, actions, and opinions;

Na‘a´ ke sio he faiva fo‘ou´ ?Me‘a màlie mo‘oni e faiva´.‘Oku ou faka‘ofa‘ia ai.‘E mate he kata´.

5.3 seek, offer, and respond to help, permission, or suggestions;

‘Oku ou fokotu‘u atu ke tau màlòlò.Fèfè eni? Tokoni mai mu‘a. ‘Omai ke u vete. Màlò e tokoni. Kàtaki ‘o ‘omai ho‘o peni´.

5.4 give and follow procedural instructions; ‘Uluaki fufulu e talo´ pea toki tele.Tomu‘a tala ki ho‘o tamai´ pe ‘e loto ki ai. Kuo´ ke fakafe‘iloaki ki he faiako´?

5.5 present and react to alternatives and reasons for a course of action;

‘E toloi ‘a ‘etau tau´ kae ‘oua ke ‘afua.Tau feinga ke tau màlohi he tau´. Tau fakamàlohi sino ke lahi. ‘Ikai, tau kai lelei pè.

5.6 recognise, ask about, and express possibility, capability, wishes, and intentions;

‘Oku matamata ‘uha. ‘Oku ou tui te tau màlohi. Te u ‘alu ki he akohiva´ ‘apò. ‘Oku ou faka‘amu pè ke matangi lelei.‘Ofa pè ke mo‘ui lelei.Taumaià ‘oku ke ‘ilo hoku loto´.

5.7 use appropriate social conventions, in specifi ed contexts;

Fakamolemole kau ki‘i lea tu‘u atu.Màlò mu‘a e fai fatongia lelei.Kàtaki pè he fakahela´.Kau ki‘i pu‘i talauhu‘i atu mu‘a.

5.8 communicate with specifi c audiences. Màlò ho‘omou lava mai. Màlò ho‘omou laumàlie. Fakafeta‘i e ‘ofa.

At this level, learners should be using diacritical and stress marks appropriately, for example, distinguishing between normal, double, and long vowels and distinguishing words that require the glottal stop from those that do not.


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At this level, learners develop their understanding of anga faka-Tonga as they use the language appropriately in a variety of communicative contexts. They can identify differences between their own experiences and those found in texts written by Tongan writers. They can continue to develop their knowledge of the Tongan language and of the way in which the language, society, and culture are interrelated.





describe the kinship relations in a typical kàinga;

display some knowledge of the structure of Tongan society;

describe, explain, and illustrate features of different types of song or chant;

participate appropriately in cultural events;

recognise and express fakatu‘utu‘unga (rank) in a variety of contexts.

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identify social roles in particular situations and contexts, for example, the role of the matàpule in speaking for the village;

demonstrate appropriate forms of behaviour towards people who have particular social positions and responsibilities, such as the màtu‘a in the extended family, for example, by bowing their heads and speaking in a low voice;

demonstrate their understanding of how verbal, visual, and dramatic features communicate information and ideas to an audience;

identify and describe features of different kinds of texts, for example, hiva kakala (love songs), hiva himi (religious songs), and lakalaka (dance poetry);

participate in speech competitions.

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listen to a radio programme and then develop an alternative way of presenting the same information;

listen to several different opinions about an issue;

listen and respond to debates;

participate in an interview;

make a class collection of recorded speeches;

be part of an audience for a presentation and demonstrate understanding of the topic;

listen to different types of songs and show appreciation of them, for example, by discussing the poetic language used.



give a short summary of the main points of a debate or speech;

work in groups to solve problems in staging a debate or play;

give opinions about specifi ed issues and topics;

use appropriate strategies to hold the fl oor in a debate, for example, by disagreeing with the speaker or by qualifying what they themselves have said;

respond to another speaker or actor;

interview a friend or visitor to the classroom, for example, a Tongan writer, artist, or actor;

give a brief speech of thanks or congratulation;

discuss the meanings and the feelings expressed in songs that they have heard.

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read a part in a play;

comment on a writer’s point of view;

identify the logic used to present an argument in an article (for example, in a Tongan newspaper);

read a short story and give their opinion of it;

research a number of sources for specifi c information;

extend their experience of the language used in oratory, using published sources such as the songs and poems of Queen Salote;

read poems and give a personal response.



write a short, one-scene play;

take short dictations from an unfamiliar text (for example, changes to their parts in the script for a play they are going to perform);

write an argument (based on a debate they have listened to), justifying the views they express;

take notes of the main points in a text;

write a speech for a specifi ed occasion;

write a book review to submit to a school magazine or community newspaper;

write a script for a radio report on an issue;

write to someone, for example, someone in Tonga, asking for information.



role-play an important family event, exploring in some depth the relationships between those involved;

perform a particular type of song or give a speech for a particular occasion;

compare and contrast the use of visuals in presentations in various media, live, video, and static.



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using picture strip stories, where each student in a small group has a different part to contribute to the whole, for example, part of the dialogue, sentences from a paragraph, or parts of the story, and where the learners work together to sequence the information (listening and speaking);

holding debates, expressing and justifying points of view (listening and speaking);

discussing an issue, negotiating points of view, proposing a solution, and arriving at an agreed solution (listening and speaking);

giving prepared speeches on a topic and demonstrating appropriate range and complexity of language and presentation skills (speaking and cultural learning);

reviewing a book to assess a writer’s view (reading and writing);

listening to songs and proverbial expressions and describing the imagery and implied meaning (listening, speaking, writing, and cultural learning);

matching proverbial expressions to appropriate situations (listening, speaking, writing, and cultural learning);

comparing everyday forms of language with the polite forms (listening, speaking, cultural learning);

drawing a family tree to show their understanding of the structure of a kàinga and the relationships within it (writing, cultural learning, and visual language);

viewing and responding to a play (visual language, listening, and speaking or writing);

writing out an argument for a point of view (writing);

researching and writing for specifi c purposes (reading and writing).

When assessing students’ progress, teachers can keep a checklist of the relevant language objectives, using criteria. The criteria could be fairly simple (for example, “can do”, “can do to some extent”, or “cannot do”) or more complex. For example, teachers can assess the extent of students’ spoken vocabulary, including both standard and non-standard forms, and judge how appropriately and how well the students are using language (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural learning) in specifi c contexts.



taking part in interviews where they prepare and ask questions about an occasion such as a title bestowal (listening, speaking, and writing);

taking part in small-group tasks, such as solving a problem in staging a play (listening and speaking);

peer reviewing each other’s performances (visual language, listening, and speaking or writing);

peer reviewing each other’s written texts, assessing their effectiveness for their purposes (reading and writing).

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completing a questionnaire about their goals and aspirations;

completing a timeline of their efforts to learn Tongan up to the current time and setting goals for the next few months;

maintaining the checklists (which they started at an earlier level) of what they can do and what they need to be able to do next;

watching a recording of their own participation in a play, debate, or presentation and reviewing it critically against criteria;

maintaining a reading log started at an earlier level;

constructing storyboards to check their own comprehension of a script.

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Lèvolo 6Level 6




extract information from a range of texts and understand the meaning of some new vocabulary and phrases from the context they are used in, when they are listening and reading;

use written and spoken language fl exibly in a variety of contexts, utilising a range of media;

discuss aspects of imagery, language, and behaviour associated with specifi c events.



6.1 give and respond to advice and direction;

6.2 give and follow instructions in some detail;

6.3 respond to and provide information and suggestions about plans;

6.4 express certainty;

6.5 express acceptance, preferences, and refusal and give reasons;

6.6 express sympathy;

6.7 provide evidence for and against a point of view;

6.8 communicate about experiences;

6.9 use and respond to appropriate protocols in specifi ed contexts.



participate in social situations with increasing confi dence;

explain and react appropriately to events;

understand and explain behaviour that is appropriate in specifi c cultural contexts;

recognise and express respect in terms of hou‘eiki in a variety of contexts.

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6.1 give and respond to advice and direction; Mou fai homou lelei taha´. Mou kàtaki ‘o angalelei. Tuku mu‘a ho‘o tangi´. Manatu‘i ke mou lea fakamatàpule. Mo‘oni ia.

6.2 give and follow instructions in some detail; Hangatonu pea afe hema he màma´, pea toe mata‘u. ‘Alu ki he kaungà‘api´ he ‘oku ‘i heni ho tuofefi ne´. Takatu‘u mai ko e ngàue´ ke huohua‘i.

6.3 respond to and provide information and suggestions about plans;

Ko e fokotu‘u lelei ia ke tau fai.Fèfè ke tau tatali kae ‘oua ke ha‘u.

6.4 express certainty; ‘Oku ou ‘ilo fakapapau na‘e ha‘u ki heni.Ko hono mo‘oni´ na‘e loto mamahi.Kuo ‘osi ‘alu ia.

6.5 express acceptance, preferences, and refusal and give reasons;

Màlò pè ka mou ma‘u pè he kuo´ u màkona.Neongo pè na‘e hola kae màlò ia kuo mali.

6.6 express sympathy; ‘Oku ou fi e kaungà mamahi mo koe.Na‘a´ ku ongo‘i atu pe si‘o faingata‘a‘ia´.‘Oku ou sio loto atu pè.

6.7 provide evidence for and against a point of view;

Ko e fakamo‘oni eni ‘oku kovi ‘a e ifi tapaka´. Takitaha kai pè lele ‘ene ki‘i hoosi.

6.8 communicate about experiences; Na‘a´ ku misi ‘oku tò mai e afaa´. ‘Oku te‘eki ke u mamata ha hou pehè. Ko e faiva màlie lahi ‘amautolu´.

6.9 use and respond to appropriate protocols in specifi ed contexts.

Fakafeta‘i e ma‘u koloa. ‘Oku´ te lau ko hoto monù. Fakafeta‘i e fei‘umu kaveitau.

It is expected that, at this level, learners’ pronunciation will be mainly correct. In writing, they will have developed skills in using the spelling conventions and diacritical marks for written Tongan. For example, they will know many words that are spelt with the long vowels (ngàue, kàkà) and double vowels (maama, paaka). They should also know how to use the defi nitive accent (taumafa´, taumafakava´) and the stress mark before words that are enclitics (‘aho´ ni, ta‘u´ ni).


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At this level, learners will have already had considerable exposure to many aspects of Tongan culture. They will be using Tongan in a range of familiar situations already encountered through the learning activities for levels 1–5. They are generally able to communicate in Tongan outside the classroom in familiar social situations and can cope with some less familiar ones.





participate in social situations with increasing confi dence;

explain and react appropriately to events;

understand and explain behaviour that is appropriate in specifi c cultural contexts;

recognise and express respect in terms of hou‘eiki in a variety of contexts.

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participate in cultural events, for example, a fai‘aho (birthday party) or a kàtoanga (festival or special event);

demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of cultural conventions, for example, after attending a putu (funeral), fai‘aho, or kàtoanga, they could report to the class on what happened and why;

critically review people’s behaviour during an event, for example, they could review their own participation when watching a video recording of the event;

demonstrate understanding of how to express respect towards hou‘eiki and others, for example, by using some chiefl y language when speaking to an ‘eiki, such as the greeting Màlò e laumàlie or the request Me‘a mai (Come here).

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listen to a passage and suggest an alternative conclusion;

listen to traditional speeches that might involve a number of speakers, media, and styles that use the language associated with special events and activities (for example, weddings, birthdays, and farewells);

extract key points from a spoken text;

listen to a sequence of events and then present a summary.



give summaries of speeches and presentations;

give a prepared oral presentation on a familiar topic;

give a short presentation of information encountered in a visual format;

describe complex processes with the aid of a diagram;

describe a sequence of events;

work in groups to solve problems;

hold casual conversations on the telephone;

qualify their opinions;

respond to other speakers in the context of a meeting (for example, when role-playing a meeting of a youth group preparing for a rugby tournament).

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conduct in-depth research on a particular topic;

differentiate between fact and opinion in a written text;

respond to information gathered from the Tongan news media.



write a summary of a written text;

produce a text using data provided in graphic form (that is, in a table, graph, or chart);

write a conclusion to a passage that presents an argument;

write a report on a particular topic.



role-play a ceremony such as a farewell;

use photographs to present ideas about a topic;

make a video of a celebration such as a welcome or wedding;

collect songs associated with events like weddings or state ceremonies;

compare weddings and funerals in different cultures and analyse their visual and verbal features.



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producing a well-structured argument, expressing a point of view, and drawing on relevant information (listening, speaking, reading, and writing);

listening to a discussion of an issue, then identifying and assessing points of view, and fi nally developing a line of reasoning to support a proposed solution (listening and speaking);

listening to or reading an advertisement and completing an information grid (listening or reading, and writing);

drawing a diagram to illustrate the physical and social structure of a village and outlining the roles and relationships of the kàinga networks in it to show an understanding of social organisation (cultural learning, listening, reading, writing or speaking, and visual language);

identifying the different designs used in ngatu and ta‘ovala, describing their signifi cance, and demonstrating how to draw them (listening, speaking, visual language, and cultural learning);

comparing and contrasting the language, clothes, and non-verbal behaviour associated with different events, such as funerals, weddings, or farewells (speaking, visual language, and cultural learning);

taking part in a discussion and using appropriate language to put forward a view, agree or disagree with someone’s opinion, support another speaker, or advance the discussion (listening and speaking);

identifying key ideas in texts, explaining how the texts are organised, and drawing conclusions from them (writing or speaking and reading);

writing a summary of the key ideas in a speech or a written text (listening, or reading, and writing);

role-playing the use of polite forms rather than everyday terms on formal occasions (cultural learning and speaking);

producing graphs or diagrams to interpret ngatu or ta‘ovala patterns (cultural learning, visual language, and writing);

producing fi rst drafts, showing evidence of pre-writing processes such as analysing task requirements, generating ideas, and gathering information (writing);

giving a prepared speech, using visual aids that show an awareness of the needs of an audience (speaking and visual language).

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recording and editing interviews on a topic such as ngatu making or carving (listening, visual language, cultural learning, and speaking);

problem solving in small groups (listening and speaking);

developing a cartoon and sequencing pictures, working in pairs (visual language and writing);

peer reviewing another student’s oral performance, for example, in a speech or a role play (speaking or writing and listening);

reading and reviewing one another’s written texts (reading and writing or speaking).



completing a questionnaire on their own goals and aspirations;

preparing a script for an interview and then using it on camera;

viewing or listening to a recording of their own interview or presentation;

preparing and giving a talk to younger children about a cultural topic, then seeking feedback from the audience on their effectiveness as a speaker.

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Lèvolo 7Level 7




comprehend detail and summarise meaning in spoken and written Tongan;

initiate and maintain a conversation that may have some unpredictable content;

write extended passages, presenting ideas and information logically;

identify and demonstrate combinations of visual and verbal forms during speech making and other cultural events.



7.1 convey and demonstrate an understanding of information in some detail;

7.2 describe activities and events in a sequence;

7.3 speak in formal situations, using a proverb as a theme;

7.4 research, report, and evaluate information obtained from the media;

7.5 express and justify opinions and reasons for and against points of view;

7.6 argue for a particular course of action;

7.7 express conditions and possible consequences;

7.8 make extended comparisons.



demonstrate understanding of obligations, respect, and particular social practices;

interpret and respond to aspects of events such as births, naming ceremonies, or religious occasions in historical and modern contexts;

compose and present poems and songs;

recognise and express ‘ofa in a variety of contexts.

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7.1 convey and demonstrate an understanding of information in some detail;

‘Oku hà he mape´ ‘a e ngaahi kolo ‘i Tongatapu´. ‘Oku tu‘u ‘a e kolo ‘eku tamai´ he fakahihifo´.‘Oku mahu‘inga ‘a e fa‘ee´.Ko e fa‘ee´ ‘oku´ ne akonaki‘i e ‘ulungaanga ke fai´.

7.2 describe activities and events in a sequence; ‘Uluaki´ na‘e laka ki loto ‘a e kau hiva´, pea nau toki punou fakataha.‘Oku fuofua faitohi pea ‘a‘ahi e tohi ko ia´, ‘o toki mahino pe ‘e fai ha mali.

7.3 speak in formal situations, using a proverb as a theme;

‘Oku ou fakatapu atu kia hou‘eiki.Hùfanga he talamalu e fonua´ mo e lotu´.

7.4 research, report, and evaluate information obtained from the media;

‘Oku ‘ikai ke u tui ki he tohi ko eni´.‘Oku mo‘oni ‘a e lau ‘a e nusipepa´.

7.5 express and justify opinions and reasons for and against points of view;

‘Oku lahi ‘a e ngaahi ‘uhinga ‘oku tonu ai ke tau kau fakataha´.‘Oku ou tui ange ki he ‘uhinga ko ia´.

7.6 argue for a particular course of action; Kapau te tau kau fakataha, ‘e màlohi ma‘u pè ‘etau timi´.Tuku e kaiha‘a fakapulipuli´ he ‘e fo‘i ‘etau timi´.‘Oku ta‘efakapotopoto ke tau toe kikivi atu.

7.7 express conditions and possible consequences; ‘E holo e fale´ kapau ‘e tò ha mofuike.Na‘e tàlolo e fu‘u kakai´ he fakahà‘ele mai e me‘afaka‘eiki´. Na‘a´ ku màfana he‘ene lea´.

7.8 make extended comparisons. ‘Oku fakatou mamafa ‘a e totongi ‘o e ongo kofu´.‘Oku´ na tuha pe kinaua.

It is expected that, at this level, learners should be familiar with the pronunciation of Tongan and with using the spelling conventions of Tongan. For example, they should know many words that are spelt with the long vowels (fakahà, hù), and double vowels (fakahaa‘i, huu´). They should know how to use the defi nitive accent (kumaa´, fakahaa´) and the stress mark before enclitics (‘api´ na, fale´ ni).


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At this level, learning more about Tongan culture involves developing appropriate use of formal and informal language in a wide range of contexts. The students’ degree of sophistication in understanding Tongan culture depends partly on their previous cultural experiences and partly on the learning experiences they take part in.





demonstrate understanding of obligations, respect, and particular social practices;

interpret and respond to aspects of events such as births, naming ceremonies, or religious occasions in historical and modern contexts;

compose and present poems and songs;

recognise and express ‘ofa in a variety of contexts.

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participate with confi dence in a range of cultural events, such as a graduation celebration or a welcome for an overseas relative;

demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of cultural conventions, such as: bringing a personal gift for a graduate; bringing a more traditional Tongan gift, such as a ngatu, for an overseas person; and giving a speech on behalf of the family if you are male and from the eldest brother’s family;

respond to others’ compositions, for example, poems, songs, or speeches;

critically review their own compositions and present them to an audience;

demonstrate and express ‘ofa in a variety of more formal contexts, for example, through the custom of fakaafe (inviting people to a feast).

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extract detailed information from a spoken text;

grasp the gist of an article read out to them;

follow an extended set of instructions;

differentiate between fact and opinion;

identify the text type that the teacher reads aloud;

listen to recordings of broadcast interviews, discussions, and a fakataha.



give an unprepared oral presentation on a familiar topic, such as the usual protocols observed at a faitohi;

use a range of formal and informal conversational styles;

take part in group conversations about abstract concepts;

conduct interviews and seminars;

give formal and informal speeches (for example, they could role-play giving a speech at a meeting of young people at which a church youth group activity is being planned);

contribute to a formal meeting, giving their point of view on an issue.




read the language of Tongan oratory in printed texts;

research an aspect of Tongan culture;

read poems by Tongan poets.

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write a short information text, using new paragraphs for new information;

write letters for a variety of specifi ed purposes;

write autobiographical material, looking thoughtfully at aspects of their own lives;

write up a research project;

write creatively, for example, write a poem.



role-play speech making, using effective body language;

present research, using visual language effectively;

illustrate a class anthology of poems with appropriate ngatu designs;

role-play formal and informal situations, using appropriate body language;

research Tongan actors, plays and playwrights, and scripts and scriptwriters, using visual resources;

analyse the combination of visual and verbal forms used during speech making, gift presentations, and other cultural events;

present fi ndings of analysis by using a combination of visual and verbal features.



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listening to a speech and identifying key ideas and the speaker’s intention (listening and speaking);

interpreting the points of view expressed in a newspaper account, inferring what is not explicitly stated (reading and writing);

analysing the features of a range of texts in different forms (for example, a song, speech, poem, short story and newspaper article) and deciding on the effectiveness of each text for its purpose (reading, cultural learning, and writing);

giving a prepared speech on a topic, showing awareness of purpose and of the needs of an audience (speaking);

role-playing calling people to eat, serving food, and presenting a feitu‘ui, with appropriate behaviour and language (listening, cultural learning, and speaking);

explaining how different foods are divided traditionally, for example, for puaka: alanga, tu‘a, and keukeu (cultural learning and writing or speaking);

viewing and comparing recordings of cultural festival performances in Tonga and in New Zealand (visual language, speaking or writing, and cultural learning);

researching and presenting an aspect of Tongan culture by generating ideas, gathering material, organising, drafting, revising, and rewriting (reading, cultural learning, and writing).



performing role plays or delivering prepared speeches (cultural learning, listening, and writing or speaking);

sharing research reports (reading and writing).



viewing a video recording of their role-playing;

making audio recordings of their speeches as they practise them before presenting them to the class;

making a glossary of words found in proverbial expressions that they know.

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Lèvolo 8Level 8




interact fl exibly and appropriately in formal and informal social situations;

recognise detail in spoken and written texts and draw inferences and conclusions;

use basic language patterns spontaneously and develop and support their points of view and hypotheses;

use a range of combinations of visual and verbal features in presentations to different audiences and for different purposes.



8.1 discuss a proposition or point of view;

8.2 propose a course of action and justify it in some detail;

8.3 express approval, regret, and forgiveness;

8.4 use a personal style (for example, in their story writing or speech making);

8.5 respond to and present stories and legends for different audiences;

8.6 use appropriate language features in particular contexts;

8.7 interpret and present information for different purposes and audiences;

8.8 evaluate a variety of texts.



explain the signifi cance of particular practices in Tongan culture;

discuss and use combinations of verbal and visual features in oratory, legends, and stories;

recognise and express anga‘ofa (kindness; hospitality) in a variety of contexts;

research and interpret social, environmental, and economic issues in the contexts of New Zealand and Tonga.

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8.1 discuss a proposition or point of view; ‘Oku ou fakafepaki‘i fefeka ‘a e kaveinga´. ‘Oku kei mahu‘inga pè ‘i Nu‘usila´ ni ‘a e faka‘apa‘apa faka-Tonga´.Ko e me‘a pè ‘oku laka ai ‘a e vakapuna´ he lèlue´ ko ‘ene vave´. ‘Oku lelei ange pè ‘etau kei piki ki he ‘ulungaanga fakafonua´.

8.2 propose a course of action and justify it in some detail;

‘Oku ou pehè ke tau fai‘aki pè ‘etau ‘uluaki lau´. Mahalo ‘oku sai ke mau taa‘i koe.

8.3 express approval, regret, and forgiveness; Kuo´ u fakatomala mo‘oni he hala ‘eku ngàue´. ‘Ofa à he mata ‘o e fànau´.

8.4 use a personal style (for example, in their story writing or speech making);

Ko e sìpinga pè eni ia ‘a‘aku ‘o kamata‘aki ‘a e lotu. Tokua na‘e ‘i ai ha ongo màtu‘a … Hùfanga atu he fakatapu´.

8.5 respond to and present stories and legends for different audiences;

Ko e talatupu‘a ‘iloa eni. Ko ‘eku fananga, tokua na‘e ‘i ai …

8.6 use appropriate language features in particular contexts;

Kuo liuaki e hà‘ele´. Na‘e pekia ‘a Mà‘atu he uike kuo ‘osi´. Na‘a mau hiki e taumafa ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afi o´.

8.7 interpret and present information for different purposes and audiences;

‘Oku hà he tèpile ko eni´ ‘a e tokolahi ‘o e kakai Pasifi ki ‘i Nu‘usila´. Na‘e ‘asi he fakamatala ‘a e Palèmia´ ‘a ‘ene mahu‘inga‘ia ke tokanga‘i ‘a e kakai Pasifi ki´ ‘i Nu‘usila´ ni. Na‘e tòtòatu e màlie ‘ene tau‘olunga´.

8.8 evaluate a variety of texts. Ko e fo‘i maau màlie mo‘oni. Ko ‘ene kai´ ‘ana ena e fa‘u tohi´. Ko hono faiva e fa‘u ta‘anga´. Ko e fakamàfana atu ‘emau fakataha´.

It is expected that, at this level, learners should be using the spelling conventions of Tongan. For example, they should be using many words that are spelt with the long vowel (màma´, hòsi´) and double vowels (aake, aafu). They should also be using the defi nitive accent (telefoni´, komipiuta´) and the stress mark before words that are enclitics (màma´ ni, fo‘i maa´ ni). Correct spelling will aid their pronunciation, and vice versa.


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At this level, learners might be expected to have the maturity to make comparisons between different attitudes and beliefs. They should also have acquired many of the language patterns and much of the vocabulary needed to do this. Thinking critically about an issue is not, of course, the same as criticising a cultural practice. Teachers need to encourage their students to express their views in culturally sensitive ways.





explain the signifi cance of particular practices in Tongan culture;

discuss and use combinations of verbal and visual features in oratory, legends, and stories;

recognise and express anga‘ofa (kindness; hospitality) in a variety of contexts;

research and interpret social, environmental, and economic issues in the contexts of New Zealand and Tonga.

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study aspects of anga‘ofa in the context of a mali (wedding), putu (funeral), or other traditional ceremony, for example, a family reunion with gifts and speeches that recount genealogy;

study social groups in the Tongan community, such as women’s groups and youth groups (both contemporary and traditional);

appreciate Tongan art forms such as tà tongitongi (sculpture) and lalava (winding sennit around a post to decorate a fale);

study an aspect of the environment that involves Tongan people, for example, tò ‘akau (planting) and toutai (fi shing);

learn about lotu (prayers), himi (religious songs), and hiva usu (traditional anthems);

extend their understanding of Tongan beliefs and values, for example, by learning about the importance of seniority (the eldest is most high-ranking unless this is overridden by gender – for example, sisters outrank brothers).

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Not all of the following activities are suitable for every age group. Teachers should use only those that are appropriate. Suggested activities for cultural learning are listed under the heading Suggested Aspects of Culture and Context, on page 94.




recognise differences in intonation and what these differences imply;

identify relationships between participants in social interactions;

identify the emotional tone of an utterance;

comprehend the main details in extended conversations about unfamiliar topics;

recognise different types of speech, for example, lea fakaava and lea talitali;

understand most of the speeches during a kava ceremony;

understand the main points made in a radio broadcast;

identify relationships between participants in a group discussion, based on how they address each other.



respond to questions about abstract ideas;

use a range of conversational and discourse strategies;

use formal and informal spoken language in different social situations;

interview someone while doing research on a particular topic;

become increasingly confi dent and competent at participating in class meetings;

introduce another speaker;

give a formal speech with some competence and confi dence.

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identify instances of bias in a written text;

understand the underlying purpose of a written text;

differentiate between relevant and irrelevant written information;

read extensively;

practise their research skills and demonstrate improvement;

compare the styles of different writers.



use revision strategies to polish their initial efforts;

write creatively in a range of fi ction text forms (for example, poems, songs, short stories, and short plays);

write factually (for example, reports, essays, articles, and research reports);

develop their own personal writing style, or “voice”, in a text type that appeals to them.



review a Tongan play or tulama or lèsoni faka-Mè;

act the part of a character in a Tongan play or lèsoni faka-Mè or tulama;

evaluate a tau‘olunga or lakalaka critically;

give a cultural performance or presentation;

give a speech;

contribute to a fakataha.



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chairing a meeting effectively so that it achieves its purpose (listening and speaking);

taking notes and then writing up the minutes of a meeting (listening and writing);

giving a short impromptu talk on a current issue and expressing a point of view (listening and speaking);

formulating a hypothesis and suggesting a course of action that might prove or disprove it (speaking or writing);

writing extended texts for specifi c purposes by using and synthesising information from a range of resources (reading, writing, speaking, and listening);

writing creatively, using a range of language features (writing);

preparing and delivering a speech using non-verbal cultural elements of body language deliberately and effectively (speaking, cultural learning, and visual language);

viewing a speech and then describing the signifi cance and effectiveness of the non-verbal cultural elements used (listening, cultural learning, and visual language);

comparing aspects of Tongan culture with related aspects of other cultures (listening, reading, speaking, cultural learning, and writing);

translating a longer text (reading, cultural learning, and writing);

analysing the structure of a speech (listening or reading, cultural learning, and writing);

researching an aspect of Tongan culture by gathering and organising information, drafting, revising, and rewriting (cultural learning, listening, reading, speaking, and writing).



reviewing impromptu speeches (listening and writing or speaking);

discussing the effectiveness of a piece of creative writing (reading and speaking);

noting audience response to performances (listening, visual language, and speaking or writing).



generating their own criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of what they have written;

monitoring their own achievements and progress against a checklist of learning outcomes;

reviewing recordings of their own performance or presentation;

checking that they are using the feedback provided to improve specifi c aspects of their knowledge, skills, and performance.

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Fakamatala MakeheAppendix

Explanations of the Proverbs and Sayings

‘E ‘ikai si‘i eni ‘o ka moho

This proverb expresses anticipation and hunger for a delicious dish still being prepared. It looks small and insignifi cant now, but when it is cooked and ready to eat, it will be delicious and capable of fi lling many stomachs! The saying is placed at the beginning of the Introduction as our way of anticipating the achievement that will result from teachers and learners using the Tongan curriculum guidelines.

Tu‘u pè là mo e poupou

This saying literally refers to parts of sail boats in the old days. There were supporting structures and ropes that held together the sails of a boat. If anything happened to the sails, the supporting structures would reinforce the damaged sails so that the boat could still go on. The saying is placed in the Aims section to send a message of support to learners of Tongan as they seek to achieve these aims.

Takitaha tali hono vaha‘a ngatae

This saying advises that one should accept one’s lot gracefully and be grateful for what one has been allocated, literally, the small piece of land that lies between two ngatae (fence) posts. The saying is placed in the section Why Learn Tongan? as a reminder that we acknowledge that learners of Tongan come from different backgrounds and different language situations, but we trust that the curriculum guidelines will help them learn Tongan no matter what their particular situation is.

Hangè ha tavake tà mafua´

This saying literally comments on the elegance, precision, and effi ciency with which the tropic bird swoops down to strike its prey. The saying is placed in the section Who Are the Learners of Tongan? in the hope that these Tongan curriculum guidelines will be elegant, precise, and effi cient in providing the Tongan language as a form of sustenance to all learners in their different language situations.

Tà e lango´ kei mama‘o

This saying advises that it is good to be prepared well ahead of time; literally it advises that the wooden slips on which the boat can be quickly drawn ashore should be ready at all times, in case a storm comes suddenly and there is nothing to use to bring the boat onto the sand during the time of crisis. This saying is used in the section Approaches for Teaching Tongan to highlight the importance of prior preparation. We need to consider the different approaches to teaching and learning Tongan and prepare appropriate plans, resources, and aids to implement those approaches.

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Hangè ha fanà fotu´

This saying literally refers to the tall mast of a boat standing upright and seeming to rise to great heights. This saying is placed in the section on Assessment and Evaluation as our way of anticipating the assessment of high-quality learning and performance. All learners of Tongan are encouraged to aim high and to achieve outstanding results.

‘Osiki-‘a-Velenga

This saying literally refers to the power that a particular ambition or desire holds over one and implies that it is only through seemingly never-ending work that the ambition can be achieved. This saying is placed in the section on the Essential Skills as a way of encouraging learners to persevere and do the best they can in learning Tongan so that they can achieve the essential skills of the curriculum through their use of the Tongan language.

Pukepuke ‘a fufula

This saying consists of a comment about the diffi culty of grasping and holding a big fat pig, for whatever reason, for example, in some traditional games. lt requires a lot of energy and determination to succeed. This saying is in the section on Attitudes and Values, and it is intended to encourage learners of Tongan to maintain Tongan traditional values and the Tongan language, no matter how hard it may seem in today’s globalised world.

Hoko e fau mo e fau

Literally, this saying refers to a strong string made from fau (hibiscus bark) being joined with another fau string. The saying makes a comment about a strong person or thing being replaced or continued by an equally strong person or thing. The saying is placed in the section about a continuum of learning from early childhood settings to school settings, and it is intended to remind teachers and learners that their good work and achievement in one level will be continued in the next and that the learners will go from strength to strength until they become profi cient users of the Tongan language.

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Ma‘unga FakamatalaReferences

Ministry of Education (1993). Te Anga Marautanga o Aotearoa/The New Zealand Curriculum Framework. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education (1996). Te Whàriki: He Whàriki Màtauranga mò ngà Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education (2000). Guidelines for Tongan Language Programmes: Planning Guidelines to Accompany Developing Programmes for Teaching Pacifi c Islands Languages. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education (2004). Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars. Wellington: Learning Media.

Ministry of Education (2006). Instructed Second Language Acquisition: Case Studies. Wellington: Learning Media.

Statistics New Zealand (2006). Census 2006. Wellington: Statistics New Zealand.

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