'O SE TOE FAFAGU MO LAU GAGANA SĀMOA. (Maori)

The decline of the Samoan language spoken by Samoan people in New Zealand is ringing alarm bells for the Samoan community. It is a serious issue and a challenge facing the Samoan people. A study conducted in South Auckland in 2002 entitled "Languages of Manukau" has concluded that Pasifika languages in New Zealand, including the Samoan language, are declining (Bell, Starks, & Taumoefolau, 2002). Further decline from 48% to 44%, particularly in the case of New Zealand-born Samoans who can speak Samoan, was registered in the 2006 Census (Collins, 2008). The objective of this paper is to examine practices and strategies collected from various narratives and comments the Samoan Talanoa Group brought to the discussion table. These stories reflect the situation and some of the causes of language loss, and may lead to effective strategies to minimize and address the issue facing the Samoan people. These practices may become leading paradigms that will empower and reinforce the maintenance of the Samoan language in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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