New Zealand is celebrating Tonga Language Week from September 4-10 focusing on observing how Tongan culture has shaped the country.

The theme this year is ‘Fakakoloa ‘a Aotearoa ‘aki ‘a e Loto’i Tonga’ – Enriching Aotearoa with the Tongan Spirit.

New Zealand’s Minister for Pacific Peoples Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga told Radio New Zealand that the number of people speaking Tongan had grown from over 23,000 in 2001 to almost 32,000 in 2013.

He added that it was also important to promote the teaching and learning of speaking Tongan or Lea Faka Tonga at home, work and in daily situations.

Tonga-born Jenny Salesa, MP for Manukau East in New Zealand posted on her facebook page after launching Tongan Language Week at Bailey Road School that she was "really impressed with our children who are NZ born but are able to speak Tongan fluently in their Lotu [prayers] and speeches".

There are over 60,000 people who identify as being Tongan living in New Zealand and more than half of them were born there. Tongans are also the third-largest Pacific group in New Zealand.

A number of events are being held around the country to celebrate the Tongan language as well as in schools, libraries and art galleries. These include sports days, arts and crafts displays and story telling.

For more information check the Ministry for Pacific Peoples [2] website.