Peter Muhlhausler examines the transformation of the Pacific language region under the impact of colonialization, Westernization and modernization. In contrast to the traditional portrayal of linguistic change as a natural process, Muhlhausler focuses on the cultural and historical forces which drive language change. Using the metaphor of language ecology to explain and describe the complex interplay between languages, speakers and social practices, Muhlhausler looks at how language ecologies have functioned in the past to sustain language diversity and discusses what happens when these ecologies are disrupted.