This paper examines language use and attitudes in French Polynesia where French comes in contact with Tahitian, a lingua franca, and other indigenous Polynesian languages. Preliminary results from a pilot study among university students in Tahiti reveal that whilst five distinct Polynesian languages were present in the grandparents’ generations, they have been replaced by French and Tahitian in the home environment, thus suggesting a shift from other Polynesian languages towards Tahitian and French across two generations. Paradoxically, Polynesian languages are valued as a cultural heritage that needs to be maintained, but younger generations of Polynesians are viewed as ‘not making the effort’ to sustain their ancestral languages. French as the dominant language is seen as having a bright future, and as part of Tahitian culture, while English, although the dominant language in the Pacific region, is for most a foreign language. The relationship between French, Tahitian and other Polynesian languages is one of triglossia (Charpentier and François 2015, 101), where French has the highest status followed by Tahitian with the other Polynesian languages lagging behind. This article gives an overview of the social history and language situation in French Polynesia, with a focus on Tahiti. It then describes the methodology and data collected in situ. The conclusion explores implications of recent favourable language policies of local governments and the future of multilingualism for French Polynesia in the Pacific region.