Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa has been taking centre stage at South Auckland's Ōtāhuhu Primary School this week.
Principal Jenny Bernard said it's a "chance for the students to be proud of their Samoan heritage".
The school began the week with a traditional 'ava ceremony, followed by an umu lunch.
"Samoan language week is an opportunity to really strengthen and value the Samoan language of our children here," Bernard said.
It's the third most spoken language in New Zealand, behind English and te reo Māori. The Samoan population here is growing too, with a 27% increase from 2013 to 2018.
A number of students at MIT Te Pūkenga's Samoan course have picked up the language later in life.
Lecturer Musuiaiga Neil Tapu Sitagata says everyone is welcome in his class.
"It doesn't matter what age, nationality, ethnicity. If you want to learn the Samoan language and culture, our door is always open," he said.
"Over the years I've had Tongans, Fijians and Koreans all come through this class. I'm blessed these people have taken it upon themselves to upskill and learn our language."
This year's theme for Samoa Language Week is 'be proud of your language and grounded in your identity' – something students both young and old are embracing.
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