From Action to Thing: Turning Samoan Verbs into Nouns with -ga Here’s something nobody told me when I started learning Samoan: you already know more nouns than you think. Hidden inside almost every verb you learn is a noun waiting to come out, and the key that unlocks it is two letters long: -ga. What…
A memory game that teaches Samoan Fai Mai Simona is Talofa Talk’s take on Simon Says. Fai mai Simona means “Simon says,” and the game uses that classic watch-and-repeat idea to teach the Samoan words for colors. Instead of memorizing a list, you see a color, hear it, and tap it back, round after round,…
Slow Down. Catch Every Word. If you’ve ever listened to a Samoan song, a church sermon, or your grandmother telling a story and thought I know these words, I just can’t catch them fast enough — that’s not a fluency problem. That’s a speed problem. And now Talofa Talk has a tool built just for…
Stop Memorizing Samoan. Start Building It. Talofa Talk teaches Samoan the way it’s actually built — starting with sentence structure, not word lists. Instead of collecting isolated phrases and hoping they stick, you learn how subject phrases, action phrases, location phrases, and time phrases fit together to form real sentences. Once you understand the pattern,…
SIUE is making history by offering one of the few university-based Samoan language courses in the United States. Learn how the course is helping Samoans in the diaspora reconnect with their language and culture, while bringing Indigenous language education to Southern Illinois. Read the full story from St. Louis Public Radio
New Class: Samoan 101 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Samoan 101 is now being offered through SIUE, taught by Talofa Talk founder William Fanene. This beginner-friendly course is designed for anyone with little to no experience. You will not only learn common sayings, but also how to build on those sayings to create your own…
Samoan subject phrases are the “who/what” part of the sentence — the person or thing the statement is about. They’re usually built by starting with a subject marker and then adding the noun/pronoun, plus any words that describe it. Common patterns: Live Class (YouTube): Subject Phrases in the Tusi Pa’iaJan 28 — 7:00pm PDT (Los…
The Talofa Talk Tusi Pa’ia Course is more than a course. It’s a full learning kit built to help you understand Samoan sentence structure without the confusion. When you enroll, you don’t just get lessons. You get exclusive resources that make the language easier to practice, easier to remember, and easier to use. Sign up…
The Samoan language has a consistent and rhythmic pronunciation pattern, making it easier to learn once you understand its key sounds. This guide covers Samoan consonants, vowels, and pronunciation rules to help learners speak Samoan accurately and confidently. Samoan Consonants The Samoan alphabet consists of 14 letters, including 11 consonants: fa, ga, la, mo, nu,…
Introduction In Samoan, many verbs have different forms depending on whether the action is done by one person or multiple people. These verbs are important to learn because they help you speak more naturally and correctly in conversations. For example, if one person is dancing, the verb used is siva. But if multiple people are…
