The language situation in Fiji

Mangubhai, Francis and Mugler, France (2003) The language situation in Fiji. Current Issues in Language Planning, 4 (3/4). pp. 367-456. ISSN 1466-4208

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Abstract

After PNG, Fiji is the second largest island nation in the Southwest Pacific and the hub of the region. Nearly all Fiji Islanders have either Fijian or Fiji Hindi as their first language, in roughly equal numbers, while the former colonial language, English, with very few native speakers, has retained an important role, particularly as medium of instruction and lingua franca. Although the Constitution nominally gives these three languages equal status, the vernaculars, including some minority languages, remain the main media of communication, while English dominates in most official spheres. In spite of frequent pronouncements about the importance of vernaculars, little planning takes place, and there is little recognition of non-standard dialects.

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Item Type:	Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	Deposited in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.
Faculty / Department / School:	Historic - Faculty of Education
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2007 00:31
Last Modified:	12 Sep 2013 23:04
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fiji; language planning; education; Hindi; Fijian
Fields of Research :	20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2003 Language Studies > 200323 Translation and Interpretation Studies 20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2003 Language Studies > 200399 Language Studies not elsewhere classified 20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2003 Language Studies > 200320 Pacific Languages
Socio-Economic Objective:	C Society > 95 Cultural Understanding > 9502 Communication > 950202 Languages and Literacy
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/892

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