The native languages of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia are reviewed in this brief summary of Indochinese refugee characteristics. General background information on each country is followed by a description of the linguistic diversity of the area and a chart showing the three principal linguistic families: Austroasiatic, Tai, and Sino-Tibetan. A second chart on demography illustrates the influence of both China and India on the area, and the large populations of Hmong and Lao in China and Thailand. Additional information is given on native language scripts, naming systems and forms of address, common names, and some major differences between Indochinese languages and English. (LB)