Interviews and papers on learning in the South Pacific from the students perspective, as part of NmInTheSouthPacific

A Fijian in an American University

From an interview with a student on 11 July, 2003

Born in Kadavu, studied in Suva, Colleg at BYU Hawaii, an international school with students from Africa, Americas, Europe and the Pacific.''

Language

In Fiji

• learned in English, discussed in Fijian, output in English

In US

• learning, output and discussion all in English
• he felt like he had to re-learn English, and now would have troubles describing what he learned in Fijian
• Thinking Filian
  • He had to learn to "grasp the concept in English. To think in English" and now "it is much easier to explain the points learned in English" as it "saves time because there is no translation"
  • he feels there are not Fijian terms for much of what he learned (DNA), nor even Fijian metaphors
  • he has truly learned in English, to the extent that eh has to translate back to Fijian, his own Language (well second language after Kadavu dialect)

Questioning Authority

• had difficulties learning to question teachers in US
• "whatever you say is right, but you offend them if you don't talk"
• his confidence was built when he asked questions, and he says he learned the "fallibility of authority"
• "in the states, I'd probably be lagging behind, because I am traditional" but feels that he now has an edge in Fiji because he is willing to ask questions and learn more

Communal Learning

• he says most learning was in a classroom setting from an early age; communal learning was restricted to fishing, firewood, planting
• "learning was basically by what was given to us"
• he said farming was even taught in the classroom setting, with "visuals" which he says helped him "relate to classroom setting"