I am very excited to announce our first SHARE2WIN giveaway of “My Tongan Charts”. As a thank-you to all the people I have connected with, learnt from and fellow students of the Tongan language here are 5 packs available for you all to win.
Starting Monday, 1 pack will be given away daily. This competition is simple, you can either share here or on facebook WHY learning the language is important to you OR simply SHARE THE PICTURE ABOVE throughout your family and friends network and remember to post up “shared” on our facebook page.
They have been designed by myself as a way to engage children and I am happy to say they have the tick of approval by my own three kids ranging from 7 – 2 who happen to be very opinionated as to what they like and donʼt like. If you donʼt win they are still available via my online store in A4, A3 and A2 sizes. My next goal is to expand the range of affordable educational resources with an ebook picture dictionary for children in the Tongan language. Any comments or feedback please feel free to post.
You can check out the charts on my online store tonganmade.com
Mālō and happy sharing.
Let's learn Tongan 
Reblogged this on tonganmade.
I have liked and shared on facebook, but wanted to add something on here too. Learning the Tongan language for me has been a life-changing experience. I knew I could never really understand my husband until I could speak the language which he grew up with. It has also allowed my relationship with his family to blossom, and I finally feel accepted and appreciated by them and connect on such a deeper level.
It is even more important however, for our children. I see it as a way of them being strong, confident and having a deep understanding of where they come from and who they are.
It connects our little family in a way that no one can ever take away. Especially in our case where there are no other Tongans at my son’s school. It gives my children perspective- they know full well there’s other nations out there which all have something to offer and teach.
These charts would be fantastic for my son as he could have something in his room to look at each morning when he wakes and remember ‘I am Tongan and the Tongan half of me is important.’
There are not many things out there available for Tongan language learning, especially things such as these charts which are fun and exciting for children. Keep it up Hema!
‘Ofa atu
Hi everyone – I do not speak Tongan and I would love one of these packs.
My father emigrated to Australia from Tonga in the late sixties and my mother is a palangi. At this time, especially in my state of Australia, there were very few people of colour and certainly on one or two other Tongans.
It was hard for my dad as it was a rascist state – they would refuse to serve him at restaurants etc as he was classed as an Aboriginal (so wrong on so many levels.) My dad tried to protect us from this and never taught us to speak in Tongan – he didn’t ever come to our schools because he didn’t want the other parents to know we had a coloured parent. We were taught to be palangi.
I have picked up a little bit of the language over the years but I have 5 children of my own now and I do not know enough to even teach them. I teach them about the history and culture but this doesn’t mean much if they don’t have the language skills as language is a gateway to the culture. We are all so proud to be Tongan, we identify as Tongan but are often not aaccepted as we don’t lea fktonga. It makes me sad as my children are 3/4 blood and are not considered Tongan because they lack the language skills, but the palangi all tell them they are Tongan because of their appearance!?!
So that is my story of how the language got lost in my family and why the charts would be so helpful in keeping our Tongan culture and heritage alive for generations to come in my little household.
Thank you for reading – if you got this far! Lol
Fakamālō ʻatu! Thank you Shara and Christina for both sharing your very personal and touching story with us here. Christina, hope you continue with us to discover more of the Tongan language. CHRISTINA you are our Mondayʼ winner for the pack. Please inbox me on facebook your mailing address. Mālō
What a great response we have had on our facebook page. The competition has ended with five winners announced.
Kuo lava ʻa e feʻauhi pea ko e kau ola eni
Christina Folauhola mei South Australia
Casey M Gould mei Nelson NZ
Mary Lokotui Sili mei Queensland, Australia
Shara Halaʻapiʻapi mei New South Wales, Australia
Marta Hones Tangi mei Sydney Australia
Is there a way I can purchase these charts???
they can be purchased http://www.tonganmade.com or email me hema@tonganmade.com any questions
I am a palangi New Zealander, now living in Yorkshire, UK, and I learned Tongan as an eighteen year old volunteer teacher in Houma, Tongatapu, in 1969. Great to see your blog, and these posters. Maybe will buy them anyway, to decorate my study. ‘Ofa lahi atu.
hello roger you must have great memories of your time there. These charts must remind you of your experience 🙂 If you have the need to speak in Tongan they certainly help. Mālō tohi mai ʻofa atu ka koe. Thank you for writing and kind regards to you