What use is a language no-one else in New Zealand can speak? Ena Manuireva has the answer and is on a Mangareva mission that looks close to impossible: He wants to save his native tongue from extinction. He speaks with Kate Orgias.

Being the only Mangarevan speaker in Aotearoa, doesn't seem to bother Ena Manuireva.

This may be because he's a man with a mission - to keep his language, and culture, from going extinct.

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Mangareva is the central and largest island of the Gambier islands in Ma'ohi Nui/French Polynesia. It's just over 1600km southeast of Tahiti, and is best known for its black pearls.

The more romantic translation of its name is, floating island/mountain, but it can also be translated to island of Reva - which is the name of a poisonous fruit.

With a fluctuating population of 1000, only a fifth - around 200 people - speak fluent Mangarevan. The eldest speaker being 86 years old and the youngest 46 years.

Younger generations have few opportunities to learn it, or be inspired to learn it. It was removed from the local school curriculum in 2014, funding is lacking, and it's not being spoken in many homes.

Ena says the position Mangarevan finds itself in, is due to the influence of a more "dominant culture".

"It's a total immersion of French. Especially for the kids. I was there to do my MPHIL , and I was asking the kids 'how do you identify yourself? Mangarevan, French or Other?' because there are seven different regional languages in French Polynesia, with all the dialects, they all said to me 'we are French'."

While sparking interest in the 'kids' is a must, Ena says the older generations have a part to play.

"When people retire , they don't do anything. They water the garden. They would have better lives, if they were able to teach. They should be telling the stories, teaching the kids in Mangarevan. You know, you can't water your garden for 12 hours, every day."

Mangareva is not alone when it comes to needing urgent help, if their failing culture and endangered language is to survive.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), more than a third of the world's 7000 languages are currently classified as endangered, and over half could be extinct by 2100. With only 200-odd speakers, Mangarevan is considered "severely endangered". …

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details