If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
Use the vocabulary list to check the meanings of some words before you listen.
Vocabulary
celebrate – (verb) to show that something is special
celebration – (noun) an occasion when you celebrate something/ show that something is special
nurture – to care for and protect something or someone, especially while they’re growing and developing
museum – a building where people can see important cultural, historical, or scientific objects
Try these activities while listening
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- Every year, how many Pacific Language Weeks does New Zealand celebrate?
- Rotuma Island is part of which country?
- Where is Rotuma Island?
- True or false: Rotoman is very similar to the Fijian language.
- Where do most Rotuman people live?
- How many Rotumans live in New Zealand?
- What will happen during the week?
- Where can you find more information?
- Note at least three other Pacific Language Weeks that the speaker mentions.
News story
Every year, New Zealand celebrates twelve Pacific Language Weeks. This week is the first one, Rotuma Language Week. It started yesterday and continues until this Saturday, 16 May.
Rotuman is the language of Rotuma Island, which has been part of Fiji since 1881. Rotuma is around 600 kilometres north of Fiji. Rotuma has a different language and culture from Fiji, though, and has closer ties to Samoa and Tonga. More Rotuman people live abroad, such as in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, than on the home island. There are approximately 1,300 Rotumans in New Zealand.
The theme for Rotuma Language Week is ‘Treasure, nurture and teach our Rotuman language and culture so it may live on through generations’. There were opening celebrations yesterday in Auckland and Christchurch. There are more events at libraries, museums, schools, and community centres during the week. Visit your local library or the Ministry for Pacific Peoples website for more information.
The dates for the other Pacific Language Weeks are Samoa 31 May to 6 June; Kiribati 5 to 11 July; Vanuatu, 26 July to 1 August; Cook Islands Māori, 2 to 8 August; Tonga, 16 to 22 August; Papua New Guinea Pidgin, 6 to 12 September; Tuvalu, 27 September to 3 October; Fiji, 4 to 10 October; Niue, 18 to 24 October; Tokelau, 25 to 31 October; Solomon Islands Pidgin, 22 to 28 November.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. Every year, how many Pacific Language Weeks does New Zealand celebrate?
Twelve
b. Rotuma Island is part of which country?
Fiji
c. Where is Rotuma Island?
Around 600 kilometres north of Fiji
d. True or false: Rotuman is very similar to the Fijian language.
False
e. Where do most Rotuman people live?
Abroad, such as in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand
f. How many Rotumans live in New Zealand?
Approximately 1,300
g. What will happen during the week?
There will be events at libraries, museums, schools, and community centres
h. Where can you find more information?
At your local library or on the Ministry for Pacific Peoples website
i. Note at least three other Pacific Language Weeks that the speaker mentions.
Samoa, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Cook Islands Māori, Tonga, Papua New Guinea Pidgin, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau, Solomon Islands Pidgin.