Pasifika Roadshow 2022

Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages has had a successful Pasifika Roadshow. The workshops have been held in Ahuriri (4th July), Ōtautahi (29th July), Tāmaki Makaurau (1st August), Te Whanganui-a-Tara (3rd August) and Tokoroa (9th August). The Kirikiriroa workshop had to be re-scheduled from the 10th August to the 6th September due to possible contact with Covid. The core team has been Siliva Gaugatao, Stephanie and me; however, we were joined in Ahuriri by Paula Kasper and by Fiona Yen in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. The workshops introduced resources such as online tools, generic language activity templates, a range of spelling, vocabulary and grammar games, activities, and visuals. We also introduced differentiation tools, utilizing culturally responsive data, translanguaging, and IRDP as a method of introducing new vocabulary.

Our journey began in Ahuriri. It was a relaxed environment with a mix of Pasifika and non-Pasifika teachers who were able to engage in conversations with each other in a safe space about improving their schools’ practices to support the development of Pasifika languages in their schools.  In Ōtautahi, there was much emotion from myself as I personally re-connected with some members of the Pasifika community who I had not seen for a while. Of note in this workshop were the range of Kaiako who were working in different Pasifika language teaching and learning models.  In Tāmaki Makaurau, two comments from the survey sent out after the Roadshow were that the workshop was an “eye opener and knowledgeable”, but also that there were “awesome resources and networking with other Pasifika language teachers”.  Despite Tāmaki Makaurau being notable for having  the largest Pasifika population, there is still obviously work to do with making sure that those teachers teaching Pasifika languages do not feel isolated. I was also reminded of the vulnerability of our Pasifika teachers when being overloaded with everything ‘Pasifika’ in a school. Our team engaged with a Tongan teacher, for example, who was so overloaded, and he felt he had no time to build his resources or advocate for his students in school processes.  In Tokoroa, we were embraced by te Reo Kuki ‘Airani orally and visually with the workshop taking place in a te Reo Kuki ‘Airani language classroom at Tokoroa High School. I took a lot of photos of the classroom visuals! In this workshop we had a te Reo Māori teacher who had previously worked in kura kaupapa Māori. Through her involvement, we engaged in some interesting conversations and comparisons about existing and non-existing family and school language policies.

After the first couple of workshops, there was a particular theme which had emerged around culturally responsive data for Pasifika learners in schools, alongside significant new connections made between participants. To highlight this outcome, I would like to particularly share some experiences of Te Whanganui-a-Tara workshop. Previously, we had not been able to have a workshop in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. The venue for the workshop was at Porirua College. One important connection was the bringing together of one Tokelauan community language teacher at the primary school and another Tokelauan community language teacher at the secondary school. They had never met. Through this connection there were initial conversations around gathering culturally responsive data for when Tokelauan students transition from the primary school to Porirua College. At the same workshop, there were also important clarifications and conversations around curriculum language levels. One of these clarifications was concerning the difficulty of language. Siliva was able to especially support some Gagana Sāmoa teachers about how the kava ceremony could be used in relation to the language curriculum levels. Some feedback from the workshop was that the Te Whanganui-a-Tara workshop was “helpful” with “good networking”, and another described the workshop as “refreshing”.

Siliva, Stephanie and I are proud of the collaboration during thePasifika Roadshow. Our reflections from the workshops have been particularly thinking about how this Roadshow could evolve further and how better to engage regions such as Nelson and Otago. We look forward to the challenge of evolving the workshop further in 2023 and responding to the diverse needs of schools supporting and growing Pasifika languages in New Zealand.

Article by Dr Angela Bland, Facilitator,  Tui Tuia | Learning Circle

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