The Executive Director of the Samoan Language Commission, Peseta Tialuga Sunia, met with news media today to discuss ways that the commission and the media can work together to perpetuate the Samoan language.
Peseta said at the outset of the meeting, attended by journalists of KHJ News and Samoa News, that the commission recognizes that the media, as a user of the language, influences how their listeners and readers speak or write.
The commission is therefore looking to the media as a partner in its work to promote and preserve the Samoan language.
Peseta noted that as new words are introduced in the English language, especially in the areas of internet technology, medical, industry and other fields, there’s also a need to introduce new Samoan words.
She said, the commission would like to standardize words that used by the media as much as possible. At the same time it recognizes that the media, speakers or writers in the native language, cannot be forced to observe this.
Peseta said, they are hoping to set up a website that can be used as a resource for users of the Samoan language.
A suggestion from the media representatives is to have the commission sponsor a television or radio program focusing on the Samoan language similar to the panel discussions chaired by Fofo Sunia, which used to be on KVZK-TV regularly.
