This article reports on a research project conducted in Mauritius in 1993. The aim of this project was to investigate patterns of language use, language choice and language attitudes of Mauritian adolescents in full-time education. The research was carried out in the field, and data was collected by means of a questionnaire and interviews from a representative quota sample of the secondary school population. An outline of the historical and linguistic background is given, followed by the methodology and fieldwork. Finally, the results on language use appear to illustrate a conflict when compared with those of the last national census. The issues raised by these results are analysed in terms of accommodative behaviour, and the possibilities of language switching and language mixing in a multilingual and multicultural society.