This book investigates how the evolution of Tok Pisin from a colonial pidgin to a native language reflects broader socio-economic development challenges in Papua New Guinea. Suzanne Romaine, a prominent sociolinguist, utilizes extensive field research and linguistic analysis to document the transition of Tok Pisin among younger generations. The text argues that linguistic shifts cannot be separated from the historical legacy of Pacific colonialism and the contemporary pressures of post-colonial nation-building.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding language contact and creolization in the Pacific region. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous methodology applied to the study of multilingual societies.