ABSTRACTThis article investigates identity construction among bilingual Ngoni in rural Tanzania by letting the Ngoni themselves voice their views on their mixing of Swahili and Ngoni. Against the background of a possible language shift, this study focuses on how the symbolic value of language is mediated in the social action of the Ngoni. With an ethnographic approach and by using nexus analysis and ethnolinguistic identity theory as a framework, this article shows that the Ngoni language is the strongest bearer of Ngoni identity. Even though the Ngoni have a monolingual norm, they code-switch. This practice, moulded by history, ideologies and large-scale discourses at the societal level, reflects a hybrid identity, formed by socio-political power structures. The analysis shows that the ethnolinguistic identity of the Ngoni is weak, resulting in unstable bilingualism. Therefore, the findings fuel the discussion of possible future language loss.