Tuvalu Language Week 2024
The theme for Tuvalu Language Week 2024 | Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu is, ‘Taofi mau ki tau ‘gana, mo tou gaugaleo, me ko tou iloga tena’ which means ‘Uphold your language and dialect, for it is your identity’ highlights that language is a key part of who we are.
AUT Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) student, Freda Alefaio, shares her language learning journey for Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu | Tuvalu Language Week, in the sixth instalment of the University’s Pacific language video series for 2024.
“I grew up speaking Tuvalu at home, which I’ve always been grateful for as I haven’t lost my native tongue amidst constantly speaking English at school, work and social places. Now that I have children, I try to implement the importance of speaking the Tuvalu language by speaking to them daily through basic words and saying grace.
“My goal working in the health industry is to not only be an addition in the field, but to be a positive influence to support and enhance the knowledge of those who don’t understand certain medical terms. I believe knowledge is power when it comes to better health.”
The theme for the Pacific Language Weeks 2024 is sustainability, and AUT’s videos are a celebration of the power of language and culture featuring our Pacific staff, students and alumni who are sharing their experiences and journey with sustaining their Pacific heritage language.
The videos feature Pacific stories of the significance of heritage languages, from the perspectives of 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.
Tuvalu greetings and other resources for Vaiaso o te Gana Tuvalu 2024, 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 2024 AUT Pacific language video series as they are launched, follow the Pacific at AUT Facebook page or watch on YouTube.
- Fijian Language Week: Sunday 6 – 12 October 2024
- Niue Language Week: Sunday 13 - 19 October 2024
- Tokelau Language Week: Sunday 27 October – Saturday 2 November 2024