"The language is used strictly for in-group communication and not spoken in public when outsiders are present. When asked what language they speak, the Bakola name the language of the villagers. They often even deny that they have a separate language of their own (Duke, personal experience). Bakola have reported preferring to speak Kwasio when addressing outsiders (Ngima 2001:218). Their negative attitude toward their own language is reinforced by their marginal status among all the ethnic groups of the region, their poverty, and their decreasing ability to continue their traditional lifestyle due to deforestation."