Vanuatu Bislama Language Week (Vanuatu Bislama Lanwis Wik) is being observed across Aotearoa from 27 July - 2 August.

It is the first time Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu, is being included in the Ministry of Pacific People’s annual Pacific Language Weeks Celebration programme, alongside Rotuma, Samoa, Kiribati, Cook Islands Māori, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau and Solomon Islands.

The Unitec Pacific Centre ran an arts-focused workshop called Let’s Celebrate Vanuatu Bislama Language Week through Art – ‘Paint & Toktok’ on Wednesday, 30 July 2025 at the Koru Pod (opposite the AskMe Desk) at Te Puna, B180. It was well attended with many Unitec ākonga engaging and taking part by choosing a random word from bislama language then painting a a picture of it. We have some great artists among our student body!

The workshop was followed by a traditional Vanuatu lunch at the Unitec Pacific Centre where the main dish was laplap, a quiche type meal using casava and tapioca as a base topped with taro leaves, beef and coconut Cream – it was delicious!

Watch our video introducing Vanuatu Language Week presented by Vanuatu student, Briana. She hails from a small coastal village of Mafilau on the island of Epi. Briana says the thing she loves the most about her country is the rich culture and diversity of languages, arts and crafts that exist there.

The 2025 theme for the week is ‘Tokabaot Klaemet Jenj – hemi ril mo yumi mas lukaotem laef - Talk about Climate Change – it is real, and we must look after life’.

The Ni-Vanuatu population in New Zealand is relatively small, with 1,161 individuals identifying as Ni-Vanuatu in the 2023 census.

Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands that stretch 1,300 kilometers and is situated 1,750km east of northern Australia.

Port Vila is the nation’s capital and economic centre and is located on the island of Efate.

Vanuatu is famous for being home to the land-diving ritual on Pentecost Island, a precursor to bungee jumping.

The indigenous population of Vanuatu, known as Ni-Vanuatu, are predominantly Melanesian.

Vanuatu is known for its linguistic diversity, with over 115 different Melanesian languages and dialects spoken. Bislama, an English-based pidgin, serves as the national language and is one of three official languages, alongside English and French.

Formerly known as the New Hebrides, the country was renamed Vanuatu when it achieved independence on 30 July 1980.

Vanuatu’s economy is largely dependent on revenue from tourism, agriculture, labour mobility, and the country’s citizenship schemes.

Here are some simple phrases you can use this week:
Halo – Hello/Greetings
Tankyu – Thank you
Plis – Please
Sori – Apologies/Sorry
Nem blong mi – My name is