Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

High hopes for Samoan language textbook launched in NZ

Posted at 23:17 on 18 November, 2009 UTC

It’s hoped that launching a revised edition of a popular Samoan language textbook in New Zealand will make learning the language easier and inspire the learning of other Pacific languages.

Gagana Samoa: A Samoan language coursebook, authored by Victoria University lecturer Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin has been published by the University of Hawaii Press.

He says he’s pleased with how the book and CD turned out.

“It’s a milestone in itself that for a Pacific language within a major society such as New Zealand, to be supported the way a book has been supported and republished is a very positive step forward for other Pacific languages. If a community supports it, the community is very keen for the languages, for their languages or any Pacific languages to survive, then we’ve got to do something similar.”

Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin