NZC – Gagana Sāmoa (Sāmoan) – Emergent

Receptive skills

Listening

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• recognise and respond to simple classroom language   
• understand specific detail and overall meaning in familiar contexts and in some unfamiliar contexts  
• begin to understand short oral texts that contain some new terms. 
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• understand and respond to classroom instructions and respectful expressions
• understand specific details in contexts that may contain some unfamiliar language
• make use of context and familiar language to work out meaning and relationships between things, events, and ideas.

Reading

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• understand specific detail and overall meaning in a range of short written texts consisting mainly of familiar language  
• begin to understand short written texts that contain some unfamiliar language. 
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• begin to understand the meanings of unfamiliar words and phrases used in familiar contexts  
• understand overall meaning and specific detail in contexts that may contain some unfamiliar language  
• understand a range of short written texts that consist mainly of familiar language. 
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Productive skills

Speaking

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• describe familiar events, people, and things 
• present about matters of immediate personal relevance and importance. 
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• use generally appropriate pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation  
• express simple and original ideas  
• connect phrases in a simple way to describe experiences and events across time. 
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Writing

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• prepare and write short texts on familiar topics  
• use resources appropriately (e.g. artificial intelligence (AI), dictionaries, and glossaries) to experiment with some new language in writing and to check spelling.
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• write information on familiar topics in a range of contexts, past, present, and future 
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Interacting

• communicate information on the spot in contexts relevant to themselves, others, and their immediate environment  
• use strategies to sustain a conversation, such as self-correcting, relying on known language to compensate for missing vocabulary, and utilising reference resources (as appropriate) 
• use a range of formulaic language to support meaningful interactions 
• begin to interact / communicate confidently in culturally appropriate ways.

Knowledge

The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach.

Practices

The skills, strategies, and applications to teach.

Language

examples

Knowledge

The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach.

Practices

The skills, strategies, and applications to teach.

Language

examples

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge 

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• In Gagana Sāmoa, vocabulary and phrases can demonstrate an awareness of social positioning and respect in communication by acknowledging roles, relationships, and cultural expectations.  
• There are appropriate formal titles which can be attached to greetings and farewells based on relationships: 
  • Afioga refers to high chiefs 
  • Tōfā or Fetalaiga refers to orators 
  • Susuga refers to faifeau or elders. Susuga can also be used when you are not sure of position/status. 
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• Using appropriate terms of address to convey respect and reflect the relationship between people 
• Linking events and months using basic structures 

Formal greetings 

• Mālō le soifua maua ma le lagi e mama.  
• Mālō le soifua i lau susuga le faiaoga.  
• Tālofa lava i le tatou vasega.  
• Mālō le lagi e mamā i lau susuga le faiā‘oga.  

Farewells 

• Tōfā soifua.  
• Soifua ia. 
• Soifua ma ia manuia. 
• Ia manuia. 

Months in relation to events 

• O le masina o Aperila e fa‘amanatu ai le Aso maliu. 
• O le masina o Oketopa o le Lotu Tamaiti. 

• In Gagana Sāmoa, greetings and welcome speeches are used to respectfully acknowledge relationships, status, and cultural protocols in formal settings such as in the church and in family gatherings.  
• In Gagana Sāmoa, oral speaking follows a structured approach that depends on the context and type of ceremony. Speakers use respectful language, greetings, and cultural protocols to reflect status, relationships, and intent, often drawing on genealogical knowledge, village ties, and chiefly titles to express identity and connection. 
• Appropriate language and gestures are used to show respect, build rapport, and maintain positive communication in Sāmoan settings or contexts.

• Using formal introductions to respectfully acknowledge:  
  • status 
  • relationships 
  • cultural protocols 

Example of a greeting to acknowledge status 

• Ou te fa‘atālofa atu i lau Susuga i le fa‘afeagaiga ma lou faletua.  
• Mālō le soifua manuia ma le lagi e mamā. 
• E fa‘atalofa atu i o tatou matua fa‘ale agaga ua mafai ona tatou fa‘atasi i lenei aso. 
• E ofo alofa ma fa‘afeiloa‘i atu i lo oulua susū mai. 
• Afio mai lau afioga / Susū mai lau susuga. 
• Soifua manuia i lau susuga i le faiā‘oga (school). 
• Fa‘afeiloai atu i lau afioga Patele/susuga i le tiakono (church). 
• Susū mai loa oulua matua e fai le mea e tatau ai (family). 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge 

• In formal contexts, language, structure, and cultural awareness are taken into consideration when acknowledging connection to place. 
• In Gagana Sāmoa, language is tied to identity, āiga (family), and culture. 
• Cultural protocols guide the choice of respectful language for specific events like fa‘alavelave. 

• Communicating about connection to place in formal contexts 

Connection to place 

• Na ou fanau i Niu Sila, ma ola a‘e i Magele. Na ou ā‘oga i le ā‘oga tulagalua a Magele. O lo‘u tamā e sau mai le nu‘u o Sapapāli‘i. O ia na a‘o mai ma fa‘atāua le gagana ma le aganu‘u Sāmoa. E lolotu lo matou āiga i le EFKS i Magele.  
• Sa ou ola ane i Sāmoa i le nu‘u o Moata‘a, ae sa matou o mai i Niu Sila o o‘u la‘ititi lava ma matou nonofo ai i le laumua o Niu Sila, o Ueligitone. 

• In Gagana Sāmoa, the type of audience, whether elders in a church setting, relatives at a family gathering, or guests at a formal ceremony, shapes the phrases, vocabulary, and tone used, with speakers often choosing respectful greetings, poetic language, or proverbs to suit the occasion and show cultural understanding.  
• Traditional Sāmoan values inform the expected set of behaviours even when communicating in informal contexts.

• Using appropriate ceremonial language and proverbs in speeches or events 

Structure of a tautalaga Sāmoa  

• Fa‘afeiloai (greetings): 
  • Ou te fa‘atālofa atu i lau susuga le faiā‘oga ma le vasega. 
• Amataga (introduction): 
  • O le a ou talanoa atu i le autū: o lo‘u āiga. 
• Tino (body): 
  • O lo‘u tamā o … 
  • O o‘u mātua, o Sami lo‘u tamā a‘o Tali lo‘u tinā. 
  • Fa‘amatafi: Upu fa‘ai‘u e fa‘amanuia ai se tautalaga. 
  • Ia manuia lau susuga le faiā‘oga ma le vasega. Soifua.

Linguistic knowledge 

• Tautalaga follows a particular structure (e.g. Fa‘afeiloai/Amataga/Tino) depending on the context and audience. 

Linguistic knowledge 

• In Gagana Sāmoa, communicating about events and experiences in time involves using tense and aspect markers to indicate when something happens. The markers help situate actions or events in the past, present, or future, and are essential for clear and accurate explanations or reporting. 
• E is used to mark actions in the present or future.  
• Na is used to mark actions in the past. 

• Communicating about events and experiences in time 

Communicating an event 

• E fai le Po Fiafia mo le au fa‘afiafia a Sāmoa. 
• O le fa‘amoemoe ia su‘e se tupe mo tōgiga ma le aso e fa‘auma lelei ai a latou mafutaga. 
• E fai i le Hall a le tatou Ā‘oga ma e amata i le sefulu i le taeao.  

Questions about the event 

• Na manaia le Aso Fa‘apitoa a le ā‘oga?  
• Oka se tumu! Tele mea‘ai ma toe manaia fa‘afiafiaga.  
• E fia se tupe na maua? Na maua la matou sefulu afe. 

• In Gagana Sāmoa, communicating about a series of events and activities involves using locative and time expressions alongside time-related connectives to clearly sequence actions and anchor them in time and place. 
• Locative and time expressions such as I le aoauli help identify when and where events occur, providing structure and clarity in recounts and descriptions. 
• Time-related connectives such as A mae‘a, Soso‘o ai lea, and Ona fai lea are used to show the order of events, linking actions in a logical and culturally appropriate sequence. 

• Communicating about a series of events and activities using time-related connectives 

Sāmoa Language Week — first day

• I le amataga o le aso, na fai ai le sauniga lotu fa‘afetai ua aulia le Vaiaso o le Gagana Sāmoa.
• Ina ua mae‘a le lotu, na sisi lea o le tagāvai o le Malo Tuto‘atasi a Sāmoa.
• Soso‘o ai lea ma le Ava.
• A mae‘a, ona fai lea o le tī o le taeao. 
• I le aoauli, fai mea‘ai o le aoauli. 
• A ma‘ea lea ona soso‘o lea ma fa‘afiafiaga fa‘asāmoa. 
• E faai‘u i se upu fa‘afetai ma le tatalo e tāpunia ai le vaiaso.

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge 

• Communicating about travel, including comparing and contrasting how people travel 

Different modes of travel 

• Sa matou malaga i Ueligitone i le Aso Toanai, Aso 10 Aperila 2025.  
• Na malaga le au matutua i le va‘alele ae o atu lo matou āiga i le ta‘avale.  
• A‘o isi vaega laiti, na malaga atu i le pasi.  
• Sa ou lele i le va‘alele ae alu atu lo‘u uso i le ta‘avale i Aukilani, ae pu‘e atu le pasi e le isi. 
• Sa matou felelei i le va‘alele ae o atu o‘u uso i ta‘avale i Aukilani, ae pu‘e atu le pasi e isi. 

• The practice of daily routines in understanding values within a Sāmoan family or aiga — especially how routines reflect cultural priorities, social roles, and communal responsibilities. 
• In Sāmoan families, morning and evening routines usually begin and end with a prayer (lotu) and preparing food for the elders.  
• School and work routines include balancing this with church activities and cultural gatherings. 

• Communicating about, comparing, and contrasting routines 

Routines 

• Sa fuafua e tapena le matou fale ae peita‘i ane, ua matou ō e tapena le falesā mo le lotu o le Aso Sa. 
• E tutusa māua ma Peni, sa moa fo‘i la‘u vao, fa‘atusa ia Pito sa matamata i le ta‘aloga lakapi ma tafao i le paka. 

Linguistic knowledge 

• In Gagana Sāmoa, using simple sentence patterns can communicate information and ideas clearly. 
• Gagana Sāmoa follows a verb–subject–object (VSO) word order.  

• A range of vocabulary is used to compare and contrast routines (e.g. a‘o, fa‘atusatusa, tutusa, ese‘ese, ese, e pei o, peita‘i, ui o lea, e ui ina, tasi le mea, ae ui i lea, e fa‘apea fo‘i, e sili atu, e feoloolo, e tele, e mamafa, e mānaia atu). 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge 

• Expressing a basic opinion 

Opinions 

• O lo‘u manatu e fa‘apea …  
• O le a lou manatu?  
• Ou te iloa … 
• Ou te lagolagoina le manatu o Pai.  
• Ou te faaluaina le manatu o le sui lea ‘ona e: …  
• Ou te lē ‘auai i le finagalo ‘ua fa‘aalia.  
• Se fa‘amolemole lava o si o‘u manatu lea e tau fai atu.  
• O le a sou lagona i le matā‘upu?  
• Afai e lē maua se tonu nei, ona toe talanoa lea taeao. 

• The vocabulary and phrases used to express viewpoints in Gagana Sāmoa are grounded in the cultural values of fa‘aaloalo and vā fealoa‘i. 

• Describing states and feelings 

• O lo‘u fa‘amoemoe a uma a‘u ā‘oga ona ou faigaluega loa lea. 
• O lo‘u fa‘amoemoe a uma la‘u ā‘oga, ou te fia alu i Europa.  
• Ou te mana‘o lava ia maua so‘u avanoa ou te alu ai i Amerika i Saute. 

Linguistic knowledge 

• They can express opinions in simple structured sentences using starters like Ou te manatu … and Ou te iloa … 
• There is a range of vocabulary used to state or argue a point of view (e.g. manatu, ailoga, iloa, aemaise, se‘i, vagana, vaivai, fa‘apea, lagolago, ‘auai, moni, sa‘o, fa‘aalia, fa’apea, finagalo). 
• Extended texts have a clear beginning, middle, and end and express personal ideas.

• Expressions of feelings and attitudes in Gagana Sāmoa may include words and phrases (e.g. i, ioe, leai, ailoga, masalo, mana‘o, toe fai mai, mālamalama, fesoasoani, fiafia, malie, ma‘ona). 

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge 

• The concepts of quality, quantity, and cost are often understood not only in economic terms but also through cultural and relational values. 
• The worth of an item or service may be influenced by its connection to tradition, its role in community life, or the relationships involved in its exchange. 

• Communicating about the quality, quantity, and cost of things 

Quality, quantity, and cost 

• E taugōfie tau o oloa i le faleoloa a Sina. 
• E lē o lava pusa pisupo o le Palm i le faleoloa. 
• E tulaga maoa‘e le tauoloa o oloa a le faleoloa. 

• Metaphors and idioms reflect cultural values and storytelling traditions. 
• Metaphor, simile, and personification are used to describe people, places, and phenomena. 
• Metaphors and idioms in Gagana Sāmoa are taught using figurative or poetic language to help learners understand deeper meanings and cultural expressions beyond literal translation. 
• Syntax/sentence structure of an English simile can be similar to translated similes in Sāmoan (e.g. peaceful like a dove — filemu e pei o le lupe).

• Using metaphor, simile, and personification to describe people, places, and phenomena 

• O le ala i le pule o le tautua. 
• Ua fotu mālama. 
• Ua gāfoa le ata. 
• O le tele o sulu e maua ai figota. 
• O Sāmoa o le atunuu tofi. 

Linguistic knowledge 

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• Communicating about the quality, quantity, and cost of things involves using descriptive language and numerical expressions to provide accurate information.  
• Adjectives to describe quality, quantifiers and numbers to express quantity, and terms related to cost to help others understand value, make comparisons, and make informed decisions.  

Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge 

• Giving and following simple directions 

Giving directions 

• Alu sa‘o. 
• Liliu i le itu tau agavale. 
• Liliu i le itu taumatau. 
• Tu i le ogātotonu. 
• Savali i le isi auala. 
• Kolosi le auala. 

Following directions (responses) 

• Ua ou alu sa‘o.  
• Ua ou liliu i le itu agavale.  
• Ua ou liliu i le itu taumatau.  
• Ua ou taunuu i le ogātotonu.  
• Ua ou savali i le isi auala. 
• Ua ou kolosi le auala. 

• It is important to use respectful vocabulary, especially in formal settings (e.g. finagalo). 
• They can substitute formal vocabulary for simple terms in certain settings (e.g. mana‘o = finagalo). 
• Giving and receiving instructions are underpinned by the cultural values of fa‘aaloalo and vā feialoa‘i. 

• Giving and following simple instructions 

Classroom instructions 

• Aumai i fafo lau tusi faitau. 
• Fa‘alogo lelei.  
• Si‘i lou lima. 

Sequencing instructions (with time-related connectives) 

• Muamua, fai ou se‘evae. 
• A uma ona u‘u mai lea o lau ato. 
• Ona ta sāvavali ai lea e fa‘atali le pasi. 

Sentence structures 

• tense–verb–subject–object (TVSO): Na fai e le tama le galuega. 
  • tense: Na 
  • verb: fai 
  • subject: e le tama 
  • object: le galuega 
• article–subject–tense–verb (Art+S+T+V): O le tama na faia le galuega. 
  • article: O le 
  • subject: tama 
  • tense: na 
  • verb: faia 
  • object: le galuega 

Linguistic knowledge 

• Directions include different sentence structures that include location words such as: 
  • i luga atu (above) 
  • i tala atu (further down) 
  • i lalo atu (below) 
  • i fafo (outside) 
  • i totonu (inside). 
• i is the preposition. 

• Giving and following simple instructions involves using clear language and action-oriented vocabulary to explain or carry out tasks. 
• They can use sequencing words and listening or reading skills to support effective communication in everyday situations. 
• Gagana Sāmoa uses two distinct sentence structures, depending on the communicative context: 
  • the T+V+S+O structure reflects the natural rhythm of Sāmoan sentence construction, often highlighting the topic or subject matter 
  • the Art+S+T+V structure supports grammatical precision and clarity, particularly in formal or instructional settings.