It is important to understand that tok refers to speech and talk with a strong implied meaning or connotation of tradition and custom. Wantok literally means One talk. This is associated with the pride of a common language and unifying factor. However, it is undetermined what scale it refers to, country, community, city. Tokples literally mean Talk place. This has the meaning of pride in individuality and the uniqueness of each place and its tongue and culture. Both concepts are celebrated and are important to all PNG cultures. The people of PNG have a strong sense of linguistic pride, where the language is inseperable from the people. I feel that there can be a balance between the two, but it may be difficult to maintain as forces change.
As people from the Highlands and other rural areas continue to move into urban areas in attempt to increase economic prosperity and 'modernize' in a sense, there is a concern about the loss of the extremely localized/community orientated languages that make up the rich diversity found in the rural areas. In urban areas, Tok Pisin is becoming creolized, with approximately 50,000 native speakers. There are many opinions about the issue of language in PNG, and whether Tok Pisin should be considered to truly be a Papua New Guinea language. The lexicon is about 85% composed of European languages with very few indigenous words. While the interpretation, compound words and grammar constructs are heavily formed from Tolai, other indigenous languages and the act of being spoken.
Some view it as an intrusive language, the more it grows, words adopted from English are being borrowed into native languages, altering their growth in undesirable ways. Many PNG residents know 3-4 languages, so it is probable that they might become mixed in speech. While everyone agrees that Tok Pisin is serving to unite PNG with a common tongue, some feel that that is not necessarily a desirable goal. Arguably, PNG's largest wealth lies in its linguistic diversity, and a unifying tongue will almost indefinitely threaten smaller languages to varying degrees.
The Power of a common Language or Lingua Franca to Unite Different Groups.