So in native iTaukei there is always a difference between and W and a V.
I believe so, but I can't say for certain whether that is *always* the case. There are a number of iTaukei dialects. In the official and most common one (Bauan - the dialect spoken by the "biggest" chief at the time the British arrived), yes V and W are different.
if you don't mind me asking, you seem to be quite educated and have perfect english, much more than an average dude from a village, do you have a parent from aus/nz/us...? or were you educated outside of fiji ?
or am i just completely underestimating the education system throughout the islands ?
Thanks for the kind words, and no, I don't mind you asking.
I was educated in Fiji. I did leave the country for a scholarship at a university in India... but I was young and stupid and I dropped out two years into the program. I spent most of that time at LAN parties playing Age of Empires and Counterstrike, so I don't consider those years a net positive as far as my education was concerned.
High school is as far as I got.
So discounting those two years in India, I received the same education as "the average dude from a village". The difference I suppose was the socio-economic level of my parents, and the fact that they were english-speaking. I lived on Taveuni island until I was 15. It was relatively undeveloped with most of the population making a living off the land... I'd guess that the average kid didn't have any books other than the bible at home. I grew up with a massive bookshelf... and I read everything I could get my hands on.
I reckon that makes all the difference in development. We have free education in Fiji, but clearly that isn't enough. Once the basic needs are taken care of up to level where the kids aren't needed to toil the fields and have enough leisure time of their own... give them books from a very young age. Without a love of reading, most of education is a process of force-feeding and rote-learning. But now I'm going off-topic.
I suppose to summarise... my english is decent because of pure luck: I was born to english-speaking middle-class parents who loved reading and passed on that love to me. English-speaking because we are
kailoma – of mixed european/fijian descent (arrived circa 1820). BTW I'd probably blend in in your home town... I look white lol.
