After Papua New Guinea (PNG), Fiji is the second largest island nation in the South-west 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. (Contains 5 figures, 12 tables and 45 notes.)