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Article: Modern materialism catches up with Papua New Guinea.
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- November 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Perhaps the most important clues about what modernization has meant to Papua New Guinea are being unearthed by linguists. Some have noted that, until very recently, the indigenous peoples were so proud of their collective individuality, or clan distinctiveness, that members made a point of holding on to languages only a few hundred people spoke. Meanwhile, some clans intentionally adopted new words to distinguish themselves from others.
What seems to be different now is that the children are sliding toward the English-based pidgin that is fast becoming the common language of working classes in the modern sector. Apparently, in ways so subtle that only children ...