Tag: Tongan language

  • The importance of speaking in Tongan

    http://youtu.be/kMojfdrwSmk?t=2m50s Mahuʻinga ʻo e lea faka-Tonga. This is an interview of Lady Fielakepa on the importance of speaking in Tongan. Her story would resonate with many Tongan families as it does with me. She points to the old belief of her parents that education was important and in order to achieve it one had to…

  • 5 Tips learning Tongan for beginners

    Here are 5 tips for those who want to learn Tongan as a foreign language or those wanting to improve their language skills. Learning Tongan does not have to be a chore. Follow these tips, and you will soon discover a beautiful rich language and culture. Immerse yourself. Ideally spending a good six months in the Kingdom would…

  • Happy International Tongan language day

    I heard on the radio this morning that it was International mother language day. A day that has been celebrated by the UNESCO since 1999. This yearʻs theme is “access to books and digital media in local languages”.  How fitting it is, as the whole premise of this blog is to celebrate and promote the…

  • Write a lunch note of ʻofa

    Kidʻs love to receive notes. Even better when it is a surprise. Try writing a note in Tongan and leave it in your kids lunch box if they are old enough to read. As you incorporate more Tongan words into your childrenʼ vocabulary and/ or yourself, they will soon learn to love speaking in Tongan.…

  • The Tongan Alphabet

    Motuʼaleá Faka Tonga 17 letters in the Tongan alphabet. 5 vowels; a-e-i-o-u 12 consonants; f-h-k-l-m-n-ng-p-s-t-v- ‘ ‘ Faka’ua (glottal stop) is considered a consonant and the last letter in the Tongan alphabet