Title slide: Keeping the language alive at home

Teresia Hewitt, Teacher Assistant, Parent, Kingsford Primary School, South Auckland

Exterior of Kingsford Primary

My rule at home with my three children – you're not allowed to speak English at home. You speak a language for the sake of your grandparents, 

Teresia Hewitt, Teacher Assistant, Parent, Kingsford Primary School, South Auckland, facing camera

… and I was right. Because my Mum came, and all she wanted… “What are they talking about?” And I said… that’s the only thing I stop you from speaking English at home. And now because... my three children are fluent Samoan. So, my mum’s been talking to them because they want to join in the communication. But, the kids are limited with the language if we don't encourage them and do something about it. 

Sene Kelisianom, Parent, Matiti Akoga Kamata (ECE), Wellington, facing camera

Culture for me is really important and language is one of the core fundamental aspects of an identity for a child growing up, certainly for me. 

Children and teachers singing

It makes sense to bring my child here, or the grandchild that I have now so that she continues to be exposed to the language and the culture. You know English is easy to pick up as you grow older…

Sene Kelisianom, Parent, Matiti Akoga Kamata (ECE), Wellington, facing camera

… but it'll be difficult for her to learn, to learn the Tokelauan language. So it's important for me because now that I don't have my parents for her to pick the language from at home it's really important for her to be in an environment where they encourage children to speak their language, the language from their mother tongue.

Tangitangi Vave, Parent Komiti, Onepoto Primary School, Auckland, facing camera 

My education has supported and helped me keep my language alive by reading more of my scriptures in Tongan, just trying to share with my kids. And at home, I speak mostly in Tongan so because when they come to school they speak in English. So those are one of the ways that I try to keep it alive.

Images of Classroom artifacts

Sene Kelisianom, Parent, Matiti Akoga Kamata (ECE), Wellington

One, our population is very small. So if back in the islands there's only less than two thousand people there that ...

Sene Kelisianom, Parent, Matiti Akoga Kamata (ECE), Wellington, facing camera

… nurtured and kept our culture and our language. Whereas in New Zealand, although the number of the population is quite high, many of them, I think more than 60 percent are born in New Zealand and they grow up in a very nuclear kind of environment, where they don't have the luxury or the benefits or that advantage of having grandparents living in the household that will allow them to learn the language. So I think it's... and so a lot of Tokelauen – New Zealand born Tokelauens – don't speak the language, which is sad but that's just how it is. So I think having early childhood education like Matiti is one of those one area that will help Tokelau to grow the language and maintain it in the way that you know we don't lose it in New Zealand.