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FIJIAN - VOSA VAKA VITI

My Language Use 

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About you
1 Do you consider yourself to be a native or fluent speaker of this language? If not, what language do you feel most comfortable speaking? Yes, I am a native speaker of this language. I am comfortable in speaking.
2 What other language(s) do you speak? How well do you speak each one? English - Fluent; Hawaiian - semi-fluent
3 What ethnic group do you identify with? Pacific Islander
4 What kind of work does you family do? Military and Education
5 What is your highest level of education? Completed 13 years of school, graduatin from grade 12 in 2008
6 How threatened do you think your language is? Not a threat today, but possibly could be in the near future. Children have the choice of learning it in school but the interest to learn is not there, and many are choosing the alternative options (i.e. French, Chinese, etc).  Growing generations today are not as exposed to Fijian as regularly as I was. As a result, only hearing Fijian only at home is resulting in children having the ability to understand by ear, but speaking and writing are not as competently.
7 Would you want your child to attend vernacular education programs? Elementary, Secondary, University? To attend a school where writing and speaking in Fijian language is mandantory in the younger years to develop that foundation. But because of other educational goals, incorporating Fijian into secondary and university education would be difficult.
In your home community
8 How often do you speak your language? Daily, weekly, monthly, never? Daily
9 How often do you speak your national language? Daily, weekly, monthly, never? Daily
10 How often do you speak your language? Daily, weekly, monthly, never? Daily

You to them Them to you
11 In what language(s) do you speak with your parents? English, Fijian
 English, Fijian
12 In what languages(s) do you speak with your grandparents? English, Fijian English, Fijian
13 In what language(s) do you speak with your brother(s)? English, Fijian
 English, Fijian
14 In what language(s) do you speak with your sister(s)? English, Fijian English, Fijian
15 If you are married, in what language(s) do you speak with your spouse? not married
 not married
16 If you have children, in what language(s) do you speak with your children? no children
 no children



17 If you have children, in what language(s) does your spouse speak with your children? no children
 no children



18 What language do you speak to the merchants at the bazaar/market? English
 English
19 What language do you speak to the merchants in the stores? English
 English
20 What language do you use for communication with members of local government? English
 English
21 What language do you use for communication with members of regional government? English
 English
22 What language do you use for communication with members of national government? What language do they use with you? English
 English
23 What language do you use speak to your religious leaders? English
 English
24 What language do you speak to someone you do not know? English
 English

25 What language will a religious leader use to conduct a ritual? English, Fijian
26 Do you speak your language to members of neighboring ethnic groups? If so, which one(s) and how often? No
27 Do you ever speak the language of neighboring ethnic groups with members of those groups? If so, which one(s) and how often? No
28 Are there any members of your ethnic group who cannot speak your language? If yes, where? Yes, the members who have left our home country for overseas education, and have not practised for a long time. As a result, they have lost the ability to speak and are not comfortable to converse.
29 Are there any members of your ethnic group who speak your language differently from you? If yes, where? Yes, the other people from the other islands who speak a different dialect.
30 Do most children in your community speak your language fluently? If, not what percent speak fluently? Approximately, 50% can speak fluently.

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