Changes in the use of Gagana Sāmoa have been caused by economic, social, and political factors such as colonisation and globalisation. Gagana Sāmoa students contribute to the language’s preservation ensuring continuity through the generations. This correlates with the wellbeing of heritage language speakers and the communities in which the language is spoken. Students can learn about and contribute to sustaining cultural traditions and protocols. In doing so, students develop their heritage language and build upon their sense of identity and belonging.

Students can learn the importance of language vitality from different perspectives. Gagana Sāmoa study allows students to recognise and understand the unique knowledge embedded within it. They may reflect on their own identity and heritage language(s), and understand the significance of preventing language loss.

Communicating in an additional language is a rewarding experience. Students can engage in effective and appropriate communication with people from different cultures and communities. It also broadens opportunities to travel, study, and work in Gagana Sāmoa-speaking communities across the world.

Each student brings unique linguistic and cultural backgrounds to their learning. They will learn the significance and rich history of Gagana Sāmoa-speaking communities, culture, protocols, and language. Students can reflect on their personal identities and explore their own culture(s) through intercultural connection and comparison.

Languages create and represent meaning by employing unique systems of linguistic building blocks that give rise to endless possibilities for expression and exchange. These building blocks include oral features, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.

Students of Gagana Sāmoa can explore its unique linguistic workings by comparing and connecting it with the language or languages they use. They learn how language is used in different contexts and for different purposes. This allows students to communicate with greater clarity, creativity, and confidence.

Language and culture evolve together and impact one another. Through language, culture can be shared and passed to the next generation. This contributes to personal, community, national, and global identities.

Learning an additional language provides rich access to another culture. Students can communicate with people from Gagana Sāmoa-speaking communities and experience texts in spoken and written Gagana Sāmoa. They can gain an understanding of the culture, which helps them develop intercultural respect, acceptance, and appreciation of the world’s diverse communities.

Students will have the opportunity to develop understanding of the links between language, culture, and identity. Learning about culture through Gagana Sāmoa allows students to develop awareness of their own identity, including how it is shaped and evolves. While every student brings a different level of prior language and knowledge of culture, studying a subject that values and celebrates their identity, language, and culture can support the wellbeing of students and their community.

“Another language opens up a whole new window on the world. It might be small and difficult to see through at first, but it gives you a different perspective, and it might make you realise that your first window could do with a bit of polishing and even enlarging.”

(Hone Tuwhare, Die deutsche Sprache und ich, NZCTE, Goethe-Institut, circa 1997)

The languages we use impact the way we think and see the world. Sometimes, we are not aware of how our language does this.

Learning an additional language allows students to compare and connect their linguistic and cultural knowledge with Gagana Sāmoa-speaking communities and culture. They can appreciate and understand different ways of seeing the world and recognise similarities with their own. Students can gain a deeper insight into the relationship between language and the ways that people think, do, and are. Examining diverse cultural and personal points of view is a valuable skill for our increasingly diverse and globally connected world.

The language learning process empowers the learner by giving them the essential tools and knowledge they need to understand and engage with the world.

Acquiring an additional language takes commitment, practice, and repetition. It fosters perseverance and supports students to take ownership of their learning. By doing so, they demonstrate and foster agency, leadership, and self-determination.

Students are made aware of the processes of language acquisition and learn some of the most helpful communication strategies. These include pattern recognition, techniques to memorise vocabulary, and effective use of tools like dictionaries and digital translators. Students are encouraged to find modes of learning that work best for them.

As students negotiate situations with their emerging communicative competence, they build resilience and feel safe to take the risk of being misunderstood. This encourages them to reframe ‘mistakes’ as rich opportunities for learning and development. It gives them the confidence to seek out opportunities to use Gagana Sāmoa outside the classroom, which is where language learning truly flourishes.

Through language learning, students become better equipped to communicate competently in Gagana Sāmoa, as well as in the language(s) they already know. The attributes gained, such as resilience, self-determination, a commitment to improvement, and increased problem-solving capabilities, will support and further empower students in every aspect of their life.