Abstract:

The use of Fiji Hindi and Standard Hindi is often debated around schools and communities in Fiji. Over the years, several studies have been conducted to focus on different facets of language use. While much has been studied on the formal and informal elements of the Hindi language, the views of the community on its use in social and educational settings has not been investigated. The purpose of the study was to investigate the views of the major stakeholders in implementing Fiji Hindi to replace the Standard Hindi currently used in the primary school curriculum in Fiji. We collected data using three semi-structured interviews and 94 questionnaires. The results showed that Fiji Hindi is preferred in social settings which require informal communication, and Standard Hindi is preferred in formal settings. The results also show that participants prefer Standard Hindi for educational purposes and favour that it be preserved for sustainability.

Keywords: