Examines changing linguistic situation at Wadeye; effect of mission, gaol and cattle station bringing together diverse multilingual groups fostering use of English, Kriol and Murrinh-Patha as lingua franca; sociolinguistic features of greetings, silences, hedging, backchanelling; differences in interactional styles of conversation of European or Aboriginal people relevant for education, type of telephone communication; generational changes in transmission of knowledge, affects control of talk; questions need for indigenous literacy in a non-literate culture.
