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Tau Gagana Tokelau is an accessible, easy-to-follow, engaging and compelling language guide, encouraging our families young and old to take part in the process of reviving a language recently on a downward spiral.

"Anyone with access to the web can now, with one click, begin the process of learning Tokelauan.  With its icons, colours, patterns and sounds, Tau Gagana Tokelau presents the best of Tokelau, enabling users to read Tokelauan myths and legends, hear the songs, and test themselves on words and pronunciation."

The website has been developed as part of the Mind Your Language project, the Labour-led government's commitment to working with New Zealand's Cook Islands, Niuean and Tokelauan communities to address concerns about the declining use of their languages.  It follows the development and distribution of language learning resources to Pacific communities last year.

"Our government is committed to nurturing and sustaining our beautiful Pacific languages.  New Zealand is a Pacific nation, with Pacific art, music, languages and cultures an integral part of our national identity.  We also want the number of people who can speak another language, particularly their native tongue, to increase." 

The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has worked in collaboration with the Tokelau Mind Your Language Board to develop Tau Gagana Tokelau, which is available at www.learntokelau.co.nz.

"Our Tokelauan community have worked together towards a shared vision.  Now it is the role of those communities to take the initiative to the next level, to nurture their Tokelau language, so it is a living and breathing part of our Tokelauan communities," said Laban.

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