Friday, September 24, 2010

Fiji to have national language

FBC News Saturday, September 25, 2010





Talks have initiated on the need to have a national language in Fiji. 





This was revealed by the Education Minister Filipe Bole in the launching of three i-taukei books at the Holiday Inn in Suva this morning. 

Bole says the I-taukei Affairs Ministry initiated the talks – which he says he fully supports. Under the 1997 Constitution – which was abrogated last year – Fiji has three official languages – the I-Taukei, English and the Hindi language. 

Bole says there is a need to have a common language that all people in the country can easily relate to. 

“The national language – you can make it proper by teaching it in schools but the national languages are learnt in the streets. You can learn it too in the schools but when we take it to the schools – you come up with having a problem of teachers to teach – whereas if you go a marketplace – there are a lot of teachers in there.” 

Meanwhile Bole says the three i-taukei books launched is an encouragement that the i-taukei language is to be kept alive. 

The books were written by former school teacher and song and music composer Etonia Lote. He explains the three books. 

“The I-taukei book called the “Moli Koula’. This is an I-taukei text book approved by the Ministry of Education to be used for Form 5, 6 and 7. And we have another one – the teacher’s guide. All of the solutions – the meaning of the i-taukei phrases from the text book is written in the teacher’s guide named “Na Uto ni Moli Koula.” 

The third book is the Pupil’s Workbook. It is called “Na Coke ni Moli Koula. 

The text book has 30 Units all together and every unit has a song.”

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    1 comment:

    1. esw- Sai, you seem to like his ugly label 'i-taukei'!! As a Fijian I am insulted with this label. Lets hope whilst the imps are finding a National lingo they also find a national name and restore Fijians to those that have had this identity since first contact.

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