| Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | | Knowledge
The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach. | Practices
The skills, strategies, and applications to teach. | |
Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - Tokelauan greetings are grounded in culture and respect, acknowledging roles, relationships, and cultural expectations. Respect is shown by:
- saying tulou and lowering their body when passing in front of people
- doing the lotu for their class, a group, or their family.
- There are dialectal differences in pronunciation of greetings (e.g. fou can be pronounced fōu and alaalafaga can be pronounced alalafaga or alālafaga).
| - Using appropriate terms of address to convey respect and reflect the relationship between people
| Formal greetings (classroom) - Mālo nī te vāhega ite taeao fou tēnei.
- Mālō foki te faiaoga te ola manuia.
Formal greetings (public) - Mālō kō lava kua aulia mai e koulua he aho manuia.
- Mālō foki kō lava kua maua e koulua he taeao foou manuia.
Farewells - Tōfā nī.
- Tōfā lā nī. (more polite)
- Ke manuia te alaalafaga o te pō. (saying goodbye to two or more people)
- Ke manuia te faigāmālōloga ote pō.
| - Greetings are used to respectfully acknowledge relationships, status, and formality within different contexts, such as family, church, and village gatherings.
- There are three Pulenuku and three Faipule in Tokelau, each representing the atolls of Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo for a three-year term. The Ulu is rotated annually on each atoll.
| - Using formal introductions to respectfully acknowledge status, relationships, and cultural protocols in formal settings
- Using appropriate verbal and body language to express respect and maintain positive communication in Tokelau contexts
| Acknowledging status - Mālō kō lava ki tau Huhuga te Faifeau ma tō faletua.
- E fakatālofa atu ki tau Huhuga te Ulu o Tokelau, Mark Capping.
- E kavatu he fakatālofa fakapitoa ki tau Afioga Patele Falaniko.
- Mālō ko lava te ola manuia tau Afioga te Aliki Faipule Ioane Nonu.
Titles of respected people - Huhuga (Pastor)
- Ulu Fakatonu (Administrator of Tokelau)
- Pulenuku (Village Mayor)
- Fakatonu ote Matāeke (Director of a Department)
- Afioga or Pātele (Priest)
- Faipule (elected King’s representative)
- Ulu (the Head of Tokelau Government)
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| - In Gagana Tokelau, the pronoun koulua is used to refer to more than one person.
- Mālō — general greeting for one person (singular).
- Mālō nī — for two people (dual).
- Fakatālofa atu kia te koulua — greeting directed at two people.
| - In Tokelau, titles are used to greet and farewell respected people (e.g Ulu for Head of the Tokelau Government and Afioga or Pātele for priest).
- Titles are capitalised to show respect.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| | | | - In Tokelauan culture, ceremonial speeches often begin with expressions of gratitude to God, reflecting the community’s deep spiritual values. Proverbs are commonly woven into these speeches to honour traditions and connect speakers with shared cultural wisdom.
| - Using appropriate ceremonial language and proverbs in speeches or events
| Fakatulou - Fakafetai ki te Atua, Fakatulou kite faiaoga, fakatulou kite vahega kua maua he avanoa ke fakafeiloaki atu.
Fakafeiloaki - Ko toku igoa ko Ioane, kua hefulu lua oku tauhaga. E fakatālofa atu ai au ki te faiaoga ma te vahega.
Tino o te lāuga - Kāmataga: Kautū o te lāuga
- Ko toku kaiga
Fakamatalaga - Ko oku matuā, ko Fata toku tamana ka ko Mālia toku mātua.
- Ko toku matua ko he Fakaofo ka ko toku tamana ko he Nukunonu.
- E toka … oku uho kae … toku tuafafine.
- Ko toku kāiga e nonofo filemū ma te fealofani. Ko toku kaiga na omamai ki Niu Hila ite tauhaga 2010 kae lelei aku aoga ma oku uho ma toku tuafafine.
Alofaaga (Fakaumaga) - Ke manuia lava tau Huhuga te faiaoga ma te vahega. Fakafetai lava mo toku avanoa.
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| | - In Tokelauan communication, the audience plays a key role in shaping the speaker’s choice of phrases, vocabulary, and tone, ensuring that the message is appropriate, respectful, and culturally aligned with the context.
- In Gagana Tokelau, lāuga follows a specific format.
- Traditional Tokelauan lāuga can reflect roles and status of people in the family, church, village, and government roles.
- It is protocol in Tokelauan culture for elders and people held with high respect to be given the opportunity to speak in formal and informal situations.
- Each of the three atolls of Tokelau have different beliefs and ways of doing things.
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| | | | - In Gagana Tokelau, sequencing language, tense markers, and event-related vocabulary are used to describe cultural occasions such as Aho o Tamana.
| - Communicating about a series of events and activities using time-related connectives
| Aho o Tamana — Father’s Day - Na kamata te aho fakapitoa ite haunigā lotu.
- Māea tēnā hohoko loa mate kaiga a te nuku.
- Kamata te kaiga ihe tamā kupu mai te Faifeau venā ma te fakapaiaga o nā meakai.
- Uma tēna hohoko ma te kaiga lahi o te aho.
- Na hohoko loa ma nā fakafiafiaga ote aho mai nā faitū e 2 ote nuku ko Amelika ma Peletania. Na lahi na fātele nae fai.
- Na fakauma te aho mai he kupu fakafetai mai nā toeaina hohoko loa mate lotu fakaiku oi kua tākape loa ki kaiga te mamalu ote nuku.
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| | | | - In Gagana Tokelau, metaphors, similes, and personification are used to express cultural values and deep connections to nature, people, and place. These poetic forms highlight the spiritual and communal identity central to Tokelauan life.
- Metaphors, simile, and personification can be used to describe people, places and phenomena.
| - Using metaphor, simile, and personification to describe people, places, and phenomena
| Metaphor - Ko Peha ko he fuāmanu literally means ‘Peha is a bird’s egg’, but metaphorically it means ‘Peha is a handsome man’.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - In Gagana Tokelau, communication about events such as church gatherings and family occasions reflects the strong sense of community. Language is used to share information, express relationships, and reinforce social connections, showing how closely Tokelauan language is tied to communal life.
| - Communicating about events and experiences in time
| Communicating an event - E fai te hauhi a te mātou kaulotu ite Aho Tōnai nei.
- Ko te fuafuaga ke maua ai he tupe mo he mātou tōgiga.
- E fai ite hall o te Umiumiga ma e kamata i te 12 ite aoauli.
Questions about the event - Na a mai te hauhi ate koutou kaulotu?
- Kai te tumu kō! Te lahi o nā togi ma ko tagata tafafao na fiafia.
- E fia la te koutou tupe na maua?
- Na maua te mātou tolu afe.
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| - Communicating about events and experiences involves using appropriate language to describe when and what happened, as well as its significance.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - In Tokelau, methods of travel have changed over time from va‘a (canoe) to vaega o te tavale (types of vehicles), and Gagana Tokelau has grown to include new words for these ways of moving.
- Different methods of travel highlight Tokelau’s deep connection to the ocean, as well as its evolving lifestyle.
| - Communicating about travel, including comparing and contrasting how people travel
| Modes of travel - Ko mātou na malaga ki Aukilani i te Aho Gafua, aho 5 o Mē 2025.
- Na felele nā mātua mātutua i te vaka lele kae oatu te mātou kaiga ite tāvale.
- Ka ko te tahi vāega tamaiiti na malaga ite pāhi.
| | - Communicating about travel, including comparing and contrasting routines
| Routine - Na fakamoemoe e tapena te mātou fale, kae mea ake kua hē tapena aua ko mātou kua olo oi tapena te Umiumiga hall mo te oti kā fai kave ki ei.
Negate hē (vocab) - Compare — fakatuha
- Qualifier — kae mea ake
- ka koi, fakatuhatuha, tutuha, kehekehe, kehe, e vē ko, mea ake, tahi te mea, lua ia mea, tolu ia mea, e vēnā foki, e hili atu, e feoloolo, e lahi, e mamafa, e manaia atu, e loa atu
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| - Gagana Tokelau usually follows a subject–verb–object word order.
- They can use simple sentence patterns to communicate details.
- When talking about one person travelling by air, they use the word lele, but if there are two or more people, they use the word felele.
| - In Gagana Tokelau, routines are described using time markers (e.g. i te pō at night), habitual verbs (e.g. e masani au), and contrast words (e.g. kae). These help speakers compare daily activities and show individual and communal roles in Tokelauan life.
- A range of vocabulary is used to compare and contrast routines.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - Expressing opinions in Gagana Tokelau is done respectfully and with care for others. Phrases like ko taku manatu are used in communal settings or family discussions to show humility and encourage shared decision-making.
| | Opinions - Ko toku manatua e vēnei …
- Ko taku kikila e vēnei …
- E kō iloa …
- Ko he ā hō manatu?
- Ko he ā hau kikila?
- E kō lalagoa te manatu o Fale.
- E kō fakaluagia te manatu o te hui tē auā e …
- Ko au e hē kau kite finagalo ote hui tē.
- Fakamolemole kō, ko toku manatu tēnei e tau fai atu.
- Ko he ā ho lagona ki te matakupu?
- Kafai e hē maua he tonu nei, oi toe talanoa loa taeao.
| - Opinions are shared gently and respectfully, especially in communal settings. Using phrases like ko taku manatu (my opinion) shows humility and openness to others’ views.
| - Expressing an opinion and describing states and feelings
- Expressing opinions with examples
| Expressions of feelings and attitudes - io
- hēai
- ailoga
- mahalo
- fofou
- mālie
- fiafia
- fehoahoani
Opinions, states, and feelings - Ko toku fakamoemoe ka uma aku aoga oi gālue loa au.
- Ko toku fakamoemoe kā uma aku akoakoga oi fano loa au ki Eulopa oi tafafao ma oku kaiga.
- Ko au e fofou ke maua hoku avanoa ke fano ai au ki Amelika i haute.
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| - There is a range of vocabulary used to state or argue a view (e.g. manatu, iloa, vēnā foki, lagolago, finagalo, fakamolemole kō).
- They can start simple sentences using Ko au e kikila or E kō iloa.
| - The range of vocabulary and phrases used to express views in Gagana Tokelau are rooted in the cultural values of fakaaloalo (respect) and vā feāloaki (relationship).
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| | - Giving and following simple directions
| Giving directions - Fano hako.
- Liliu kite tua.
- Liliu kite itū taumatau.
- Liliu kite itū agavale.
- Tū i lototonu.
- Havali ite tahi auala.
- Kolohi te auala.
Responding to directions - Ko au kua fano hako.
- Ko au kua liliu ki tua.
- Ko au kua liliu kite itū taumatau.
- Ko au kua liliu kite itū agavale.
- Ko au kua pā ki lototonu.
- Ko au kuaha vali ite tahi auala.
- Ko au kua kolohi ite auala.
| - There is a cultural significance to adding respectful vocabulary in Gagana Tokelau (e.g. lagona, finagalo, taofi).
- The values of fakaaloalo and vā feāloaki underpin the giving and receiving of instructions.
| - Giving and following simple basic instructions
| Classroom instructions - Kaumai ki fafo tau tuhi faitau.
- Fakalogo fakalelei mai.
- Hiki o lima ki luga.
Sequencing instructions - Fai muamua o hēvae.
- Ka uma oi kukuma mai ai tau ato.
- Oi tā havalivali loa ke fakatali te pāhi.
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| - Directions include different sentence structures that include location words such as i luga atu or prepositions such as itū ki mātū.
- Directions also include particles in modelled sentence patterns.
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Cultural and sociolinguistic knowledge
| - In Tokelau, while shops and a money economy now exist, inati remains central to Tokelau’s way of life, reflecting its strong communal values.
| - Communicating about the quality, quantity, and cost of things
| Tau (cost) - E taugōfie nā tau onā koloa i falekoloa.
Aofaki (quantity) - E he lava te aofaki o nā puha pīhupo o te itūkaiga Pacific e fakatau i falekoloa.
Tūlaga lelei (quality) - E tūlaga manaia nā koloa i loto o te falekoloa.
- Te mākomakoma o na apa inu i te faleoloa, kae lelei lele nā apa inu i te falekoloa.
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| - Communicating about the quality, quantity, and cost of things involves using descriptive language and numerical expressions to provide information.
- Terms related to cost help others understand value and make informed decisions.
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