Tok Pisin
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A language of Papua New Guinea
4,122,000 in Papua New Guinea, all users. L1 users: 122,000 in Papua New Guinea (2004 SIL), increasing. L2 users: 4,000,000 (2001 UNESCO). 50,000 monolinguals (2001 UNESCO). Total users in all countries: 4,125,740 (as L1: 125,740; as L2: 4,000,000).
Widespread.
1 (National). De facto national language.
Dialect differences between lowlands, highlands, and islands. Highlands lexicon has more English [eng] influence (Holm 1989).
SVO; 16 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; non-tonal; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.
L1 of some people in mixed urban areas. Used between speakers of different languages. Most frequently used language in Parliament and commerce. Where it is L1, it is passed on to children by parents. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes.
Literacy rate in L2: 40%–45%. Taught in some primary schools in early grades only, used mostly in urban areas and other mixed cultural and linguistic communities. Newspapers. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1989.
Christian, traditional religion.