Samoan Language Week – Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa 2017

Talofa. Samoan Language Week 2017 took place from 28 May to 3 June. Here at Christchurch City Libraries, we welcomed you to join us for:

  • Storytimes in Samoan
  • Samoan computer session Thursday 1 June (1PM to 3PM) South Library. We will look at the latest online news, music and videos online from Samoa. E mana'omia lo outou susū mai tatou fa'ailoga fa'atasi le Gagana Samoa ma fa'ata'ita'i le fa'aaogaina o le Komeputa. E a'o'aoina ai le su'eina o tala fou, musika ma nisi mea aoga mai Samoa i luga le upega tafa'ilagi (internet).
  • Samoan Se'evae Tosotoso (Jandal) Craft Activity
    Create and design your own Samoan Se'evae Tosotoso (Jandal). Participate and enjoy learning some new Samoan words and greetings.

See the full list of Samoan Language Week activities.
Subscribe to the Facebook event.

Find Samoan resources in our collection

Samoan songs

Watch our wonderful colleagues Tai Sila and Jan-Hai Te Ratana perform some short Samoan songs:

Sit down

The Colour song

 


Listen to Samoan words

Tālofa - Hello

Tofa - Goodbye

Malo - Well done

Fa'afetai - Thank you

Fa'amolemole - Please

 

Samoan language resources for kids

Samoan language books and resources for children

Cover: How Do You Say thank you?How do you say ‘thank you’? Karamia Müller, J 499.462 MUL
Alofa and Filipo want to learn gagana Sāmoa so at bedtime they ask their parents how to say various things in the Samoan language.

Counting fish in Samoan and English Ahurewa Kahukura, J 499.462 KAH
Count from 1 to 20 in Samoan and English.

Learning transport in Samoan and English Ahurewa Kahukura, J 499.462 KAH
Introduces the Samoan words for different kinds of transport including cars, buses and space ships.

Cover: Samoan Word BookSāmoan word book Aumua Mata’itusi Simanu Papali’i, 499.462 PAP
Features beautifully illustrated vocabulary words, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary. Word categories include family, home, school, the body, opposites, numbers, nature, and time. Illustrations by Regina Meredith Malala bring terms to life.

Teuila Festival: aso fa’ailogaina ’o le Teuila Fiti Leung Wai, J 899.462 LEU
Bilingual reader about music festivals.

Faitauga numera: counting numbers in Samoan and English Bettina Ikenasio-Thorpe, J 499.462 IKE
A colourful, clear book of counting numbers in Samoan and English.

Cover of Sāmoan alphabetSamoan alphabet Lori Phillips, J 499.462 PHI
This book is part of the Island Alphabet Books series, which features languages and childrens’ artwork from the U.S.-affiliated Pacific. Each hardcover book contains the complete alphabet for the language, four or five examples for each letter, and a word list with English translations. The series was co-published with Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, a non-profit corporation that works collaboratively with school systems to enhance education across the Pacific.

Taumafa Samoa J 899.462 TAU
Introduces children to the preparation of traditional Samoan foods.

Samoa John MacKinven, J 745 MCK
This book is a resource book of patterns from Samoa used on siapo and in weaving. These resources can be utilised as a starting point for drawing, painting and printing activities, using materials readily available in New Zealand.

More Samoan Language Week resources

Read Pasifika salutations on the Pacific Languages Week webpage, Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

Kōrerorero mai - Join the conversation.