Twelve languages, including the two prestigious colonial
languages, English and French, a French-based creole, and "ancestral"
languages such as Hindi and Mandarin are spoken on the multiethnic island
Mauritius. Given the multilingual, multiethnic nature of the nation,
linguistic practices are an important way for Mauritians to assert or
construct their identity. The linguistic diversity of Mauritius has been
considered in various censuses. The 2000 census questionnaire contained
sections about "linguistic group," "language usually spoken in the home," and
"literacy." In this paper, the 2000 census language tables related to
"linguistic group" and "language usually spoken in the home" are discussed
with reference to the current linguistic situation. The growing importance of
Creole as both the language of the forefathers and the language usually
spoken at home is discussed. The relatively important presence of English and
French, and the decreasing everyday use of Asian languages, are highlighted.
The final section of this paper suggests directions for further research on
the language tables in the 2000 population census.