Fijian Language Week 2023
When Bai Buliruarua was growing up he didn’t speak the Fijian language despite hearing it at home, church and with family. As he started embarking on his learning journey, he says he realised very quickly the importance of understanding his language.
“With the language, you understand social customs, you gain a deeper understanding of our history, and our relation to one another. It’s a beautiful thing and the reason it’s so important to learn.
“Learning the language as an adult can be quite daunting. We are told by family members to just speak it, but the fear of embarrassment gets the better of us sometimes. But if we get it wrong, we correct ourselves, learn and keep going.
“They say once you have the language, you have access to everything else. All the different parts of our culture and identity inform one another. Learning about all these things helps with retaining the language.”
The Bachelor of Communication Studies graduate shares his language learning journey for Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti - Fijian Language Week in the seventh instalment of the University’s Pacific language video series for 2023, below.
The theme for the Pacific Language Weeks 2023 is sustainability, and AUT’s videos are a celebration of the power of language and culture featuring our alumni who are sharing their experiences and journey with sustaining their Pacific heritage language.
The videos feature a diverse range of alumni, from business leaders to educators, community leaders and more, who are all passionate about sustaining languages for future generations.
Through their stories, it will be evident the many ways in which language is a vital component of cultural identity and the ways our alumni have implemented it into their daily lives.
Fijian greetings and other resources for Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti – Fijian Language Week, including email signatures and printable posters, are available on the website of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
Release dates
To watch each video in the 2023 AUT Pacific language video series as they are launched, follow the Pacific at AUT Facebook page or watch on YouTube.
- Niue Language Week: Sunday 15 October – Saturday 21 October 2023
- Tokelau Language Week: Sunday 22 October – Saturday 28 October 2023