Celebrate Samoa Language Week 2025
This week Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Samoa Language Week is being celebrated across Aotearoa.
The theme of Samoa Language Week this year is ‘Ia malu lou sā. Folau i lagimā – A well-grounded self, is a successful self’.
The Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ Samoa Language Week Committee – which includes AUT’s Engagement and Partnerships Senior Manager for the Office of Pacific Advancement, Lemoa Henry Fesuluai – explains this year's theme:
"A well-crafted ocean sailing vessel, built with care and precision, ensures a safe and steady journey. When all its parts are thoughtfully constructed, the vessel remains balanced, strong and ready to face the open seas.
“Similarly, people who prepare thoroughly and with intention become grounded and resilient and well-equipped to navigate life’s challenges and succeed in their endeavours. No matter the challenges and hardships of life, a well-grounded person will not be easily shaken or defeated because they are firmly rooted and well-prepared".
AUT’s Pacific language week videos and photos are a celebration of the power of culture and language, featuring our Pacific students, staff and alumni.
AUT’s second Pacific language week video for 2025 features AUT students as they celebrate Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa - Samoa Language Week.
This year, Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu will be included for the first time. Bislama joins Rotuma, Samoa, Kiribati, Cook Islands Māori, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau and Solomon Islands, bringing the total to 12 Pacific language weeks.
Samoan greetings and other resources for Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa, including email signatures and printable posters, are available on the website of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
To watch each video in the 2025 AUT Pacific language video series as they are launched, watch on the AUT Pacific YouTube channel.