Efate and Shepherd Islands language ecology

Abstract

The Efate and Shepherd Islands of Central Vanuatu have long been a site of linguistic and cultural interaction, shaped by migration, contact, and major historical events. While existing research has provided valuable contributions to the region’s history, historical linguistics, and language documentation, it has tended to overlook certain areas (e.g., East Efate) and the more recent developments of the past century. This article presents a detailed survey of the current distribution of languages in the region, combining historical perspectives with fieldwork conducted in 2024. This study documents previously unrecorded locations where both traditional and immigrant languages are spoken, offers revised estimates of the number of active speakers per language in the area, and traces the growing role of Bislama as a main home language. Findings indicate that while traditional vernacular languages remain the main language used in many places, several varieties are increasingly vulnerable to language shift driven by intermarriage, migration, urbanization and educational practices privileging Bislama. At the same time, immigrant languages from other islands are becoming established in rural Efate. This highlights the coexistence of continuity and change in the region’s language ecology and confirms the urgent need for more documentation of understudied varieties, present-migration patterns, and policies to support the vitality of traditional vernacular languages of the region.