Teaching Rotuman to Fijian Children

Language Classes at MIC

Learning about language at MIC, with a focus on communication skills.

This seems a bit counter productive to teach our Fijian children how to speak Rotuman in our second language classes, however there is a reason for this and it has to do with learning how to listen to someone trying to speak in a language other than their 'mother tongue'.


The current wave of migration of people around the world is unprecedented in the whole of recorded history. This means in reality that our children will encounter people who come from different countries. They are bound to make more than the occasional mistake when they try to speak their second language (ie our language of English). The best way to understand people who feel awkward, who feel out of depth and so on, is to put yourself in the same position. So learning a second language is a great way to experience first hand what it feels like to not have total command of the vocabulary, or the grammar, or the humour, or irony. 


So we teach Fijian to the majority of our children at MIC. However, about 25% of our children speak or understand fluent Fijian. This means that they would not get the same feeling of awkwardness if they joined our Fijian language classes. That's why they learn Rotuman.

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Ministry of Education registration number (if you're interested) is SF: 8239.          Contact Us