Introduction: the Hmong and language shift -- Language shift and pragmatics -- Requests by two generations of speakers -- Wisconsin Hmong speakers' responses to helpful acts -- Advice for a face-threatening situation -- Towards a pragmatics of language shift -- Appendix A: Hmong language speech act realization questionnaire -- Appendix B: consonants, vowels and tones of Hmong -- Bibliography -- Index of proper names -- Subject index.