The Language

Tekerei

Mauri is the common greeting in Kiribati. Originally an oral language, the alphabet now has 5 vowels and 8 consonants. Children learn to read and write in Kiribati then transfer to English as their literacy skills are established. The first thing you learn is that 't' is said as 's', so 'ti a bo' is said 'sa-bo'  and means 'bye bye'. I have a lesson once a week, determined not to repeat the mistake of not learning pidgin in PNG.Tekerei Russell is a retired teacher of some note and we spend an hour together on Monday morning. In addition to making some progress in understanding what is being said, I hope to stave off mental decline. 

All the people I work with speak English, but many in the country do not. They are simply not exposed to it. There is no TV although DVD's are available.