Connections Sharing

Overview

Students practise unrehearsed spoken Gagana Sāmoa interaction in pairs and small groups to find connections with classmates (“So’otaga tāua — Important connections”). They prepare and deliver short, responsive talanoa using question/answer routines, then complete an exit reflection.

Learning intentions

• WALT interact in spoken Gagana Sāmoa to share and respond to personal information and ideas.
• WALT use interactive strategies to keep conversation going (asking, responding, reacting, seeking clarification).
• WALT use language to describe connections (same/different) and give a reason when possible.

Success criteria

• I can ask and answer at least 3 personal questions in Gagana Sāmoa.
• I can respond to my partner’s answer and follow up with one extra question or comment.
• I can explain one connection we have (for example, hobby, place, event) using simple linking words.
• I can keep communication understandable even if I make some mistakes.

Curriculum links

• Languages learning: AS 92032 Interact in spoken Gagana Sāmoa to share and respond to information, ideas and opinions (Talanoaga).
• Building language and meaning through interaction: asking/responding, reacting, and seeking clarification.
• Communication across contexts: sharing present and past/future ideas relevant to students’ lives.
• NZ Curriculum Refresh competencies: communication skills and thinking (selecting what to share, noticing connections).

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Do Now (Silent + prompt). Teacher displays 4 connection prompts on the board (birth place, favourite food/book/activity, free-time routine, event attended) and students circle what they can answer. Students write 1–2 short ideas in English (and one tentative Gagana Sāmoa phrase if they know it).

2. 5–12 min · Model talanoa (Teacher-led). Teacher models a 30–40 second example with a student: asks birth date/place, likes/dislikes, and “So’otaga tāua” connection, then pauses to label useful moves. Students listen and repeat key question/response chunks as a whole class (choral then in pairs).

3. 12–20 min · Interactive language toolbox. Teacher builds a mini “conversation bank” on a handout/board:

• Questions: Who are you? Where are you from?/Where do you live? What do you like/dislike? What do you do in your free time? Why are you studying Gagana Sāmoa? What event did you attend?
• Follow-ups: Really? Me too. Not me. Tell me more. When? Where? Students practise with a “prompt card” rotation: each student answers two prompts and asks one follow-up.

4. 20–35 min · Pair talanoa: Find connections. Teacher groups students into pairs (or triads if needed) and gives each pair a “So’otaga tāua” worksheet with 6 connection boxes to complete. Students conduct unrehearsed talanoa, aiming to identify at least 3 connections and record the partner’s answers using short notes.

5. 35–43 min · Whole-class share (Quick check of understanding). Teacher calls on 5–7 pairs to share one connection. Students respond to the sharer using a reaction frame (for example: “I see. Really?”, “So’otaga tāua!”) and one extra question.

6. 43–48 min · Skill focus: self-correct + clarify. Teacher gives two common issues (for example, forgetting to react, not asking a follow-up) and demonstrates one quick self-correction. Students re-run one connection exchange with a partner, using a “must-do” card: react + ask one follow-up.

7. 48–50 min · Exit activity. Students complete a 2-question exit slip:

• “One thing I could say confidently in Gagana Sāmoa was…”
• “One strategy I used to keep the talanoa going was…” (react/ask/clarify)

Resources

• “So’otaga tāua” worksheet (connection boxes + note lines)
• Prompt cards (birth place/date, family, likes/dislikes, studying why, free time, event attended)
• Conversation bank strip (question/follow-up frames)
• Mini token cards for turn-taking (optional)
• Teacher model script for reference
• Dyslexia-friendly version: larger font prompt cards and colour-coded question sections

Assessment

• Formative: teacher listens during pair talanoa and marks brief notes on a checklist (asked/responded, used follow-up, communication clarity).
• Formative: quick observation during the “must-do” re-run (reaction + follow-up).
• Exit slip: checks confidence and strategy use for next lesson targeting.

Differentiation

• Support (scaffold sentences): provide sentence starters on the worksheet, for example “O ai oe?”, “O fea e te nofo ai?”, “E fiafia au i…”, “E le fiafia au i…”, “E pei o a’u…”, “Ta’u mai atili…”.
• Support (choice): let some students focus on 3 prompts instead of 6, and record only connections (not every detail).
• Dyslexia-friendly reading: use colour-coded sections, short lines, and audio teacher modelling (students repeat after model); allow oral recording notes (student dictates to partner) instead of heavy writing.
• Extension for advanced learners: require a “reason” link (for example, because/so) and include at least one past event detail (where/when) in Gagana Sāmoa, plus one clarifying question (“What did you mean by…?”).