ABSTRACT
This study was aimed at investigating the communicative implications of
Nigerian English usage. It explored, extensively, the peculiarities of this
variety. The study employed normative research approach where in addition to
the researchers’ participant discussions with various categories of Nigerian
users of English, made an extensive impressionistic study of copious
literature. Four research questions guided the study with a view to discovering
the degree to which Nigerian English is a variant or a deviation. The inherent
peculiarities discovered were sorted and classified according to the lexical,
syntactic, phonological, semantic and slang variations. The result, therefore,
revealed that with the degree of the deviations in all the linguistic levels,
the majority of Nigerian English expressions constitute serious problems such
that it requires further intensive analytical, linguistic investigation with a
view to distinguishing standard from non standard forms. Based on this, the
researcher went on to suggest that an in depth study be carried out on the
features of the English of these categories of users and the result juxtaposed
with those of competent users so as to establish a standard variety for the
purposes of teaching and learning.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Current thinking on the global role or
status of the English Language reveals that English is no longer the exclusive
property of Britain, America, Canada etc.(Oluikpe 15), Barber 235). The profuse
diffusion of the language to the various corners or regions of the world today
raises the status of the English language as a world language or an
international language. Akwanya affirms that “English is probably the language
with the greatest rate of spread worldwide” (25).
Nigeria is one of the countries
affected by this diffusion of the English language being one of the British
colonies. Historically, therefore, the English language in Sub-Sahara Africa in
general and in Nigeria in Particular was implanted following colonial
activities. Ker (114) writes that
“European commercial interests began in Nigeria in the 15th
century and there also began the use of English in Nigeria.” Consequently,
British scramble for and acquisition of territories and subsequent institution
of colonial rule led to the imposition of the English language on those
territories particularly in Nigeria. (Baldeh 1 – 2),(Uzoezie 163), Oluwole 89)
Ever since then English has come to stay in Nigeria notwithstanding her
ethno-linguistic diversities. Today the language has attained the status of an
official language. As an official language, its relevance in education, politics, legislative process and law, commerce and industry, science
and technology cannot be over stated. Seweje cited in Adedeji sums up the
crucial role of the English language in the education of the Nigerian child. He
states that “The Nigeria child’s access to the cultural and scientific
knowledge of the world is largely through English” Adedeji further states that
“English is the main language of literacy as it is the major medium of
instruction in Nigerian educational system” (74).
Despite government official declaration or
policy statements on the status and role of the English language in Nigeria
such as the one cited above, the language is still a second language in the
country. This implies that every Nigerian user of English already possesses a
first language whose linguistic codes are already entrenched in the brain of
the individual speaker. Akindele and Adegbite affirm that “Before the incursion
of the Europeans into various African States, a kaleidoscopic linguistic
diversity was already in existence” (58). In other words multiple vernacular languages
numbering over four hundred are spoken nationwide in Nigeria. The peculiarities
of these indigenous languages tend to have direct influence on the quality of
the English language spoken in the country.
The branding of this variety as
“Nigerian English” is however highly contentious.
Banjo
(209) confirms that
It [English] has been localized and nationalized by adopting some
language features of its own, such as sounds, intonation patterns, sentence
structures, words, expressions. Usually it has also developed some different
rules for using language in communication.
The same idea is further highlighted by Kachru (1983) cited by Akindele and Adegbite (52) when he describes ESL as “an institutionalized
variety” Akindele
and Adegbite go on to state that:
The indigenous variety has some ontological status. Its features are: it
has extended range of uses in the socio-linguistic context of a nation where it
is used; extended register and style range; it undergoes a process of nativization
of the register, and styles have taken place in both formal and in contextual
terms; and a body of nativized English literature (52)
Still in support of Nigerian variety of English, a renowned phonetician argues that “the development of regional or local varieties of any
language resulting
from its domestication in non-native environments has been found to be a socio-linguistic
reality”. (Uzoezie 162). Uzoezie further explains that “English in Nigeria is continuously undergoing process of naturalization,
domestication and acculturation, both at the national level and
within the ethno-linguistic context.”
David
Jowitt and Charles Barber are among the native speakers of English who did an extensive study of the variety of English spoken in Nigeria. Jowitt particularly notes that “we might regard Nigerian
English as English that has England as its first mother and Nigeria as its
second, and has defied nature by undergoing a gynaecological reprocessing”.
(x). In his preface to the book: Nigerian English Usage: An Introduction,
Jowitt declares: “I have a thesis, it is that Nigerian English is something
real and identifiable ….” (ix).
The linguists mentioned above and indeed
many others tend to base their scholastic views on Nigerian English on three
cardinal theories namely variability, adaptability and ecological theories.
First, the group argues that language varies both at individual and
geographical levels. At individual level, we have idiolect whereas at
geographical or regional level, we have dialectal variety. From the
adaptability perspective, they argue that language is organic and thus is
subject to change. That once a language is put in an environment, it is bound
to change and adapt itself to the prevailing socio-linguistic peculiarities of
the environment. They also contend that adaptability is the hallmark of living
organisms. Closely related to this is the ecological theory, which according to
them, implies that language is living and mutable and so changes with time and
use.
Uzoezie appears to advocate this ecological
or mutuation view point. He contends that “a living language has tendency to
adapt itself to the socio-cultural milieu within which it operates whether such
a language is spoken as L1, L2 and L3” (173).
Furthermore, Barber (203) reiterates that” no language which is being used can be
prevented from changing”. He recapitulates a great classical scholar, Richard
Bentley’s views that “every language is in perpetual motion and alteration”.
However, we should not lose sight of the
fact that these envisaged changes should not be lobe sided and, as a matter of
fact, should be changes towards correct usages and not flagrant deviations or
esoteric usage-evident in some Nigerian English expressions. Moreover, the
foregoing standpoints notwithstanding, a crucial question regarding the state
of the English language in Nigeria still persists. That is: is the variety
truly “Nigerian English” or simply anglicized Nigerian expressions? The question
no doubt has been informed by the flagrant infiltration of Nigerian slang and
deviant expressions into English usage of some Nigerian speakers even at formal
situations. The result is that what is today branded “Nigerian English” has
gained more Nigerian flavour from the peculiar socio linguistic environment.
Consider Banjo in Jowitt’s (vii) succinct conclusion that “the usage of every
Nigerian user is a mixture of standard forms and popular Nigerian English
forms, which are in turn composed of errors and variants”. Fries (1945) cited
in (Baldeh 40) warns against this variants or errors. He cautions that:
The
only correctness there can be in
any
language is the actual usage of
the
native speakers of that language.
In
learning English one must attempt
to imitate exactly the forms the
structure,
and the mode of utterance
of the
native speakers
Many users of English in Nigeria are very aversive of the imitation of
the native speakers’ forms, structures and mode of utterances. Out of prejudice
and linguistic laziness the majority of users speak and write the language too
badly. The result is that comprehensibility is oftentimes affected or
distorted. Fries has to sound the above warning because the variants and errors
distort the message and thus impedes communication leaving the listener in
total confusion. Consequently, Eyisi (19) re-echoes Baldeh and Umeh’s
unequivocal statement that “in a world language such as English
comprehensibility and intelligibility are worth any price.” One is therefore
left in doubt of the comprehensibility and intelligibility of some Nigerian
English expressions particularly the esoteric slangy expressions today branded
“Nigerian English”.
In highlighting the objectives of the book.
Dictionary of Nigerian English Slang, Oluikpe and Anasiudu (iv)
assert “we intend to combat and, therefore, hopefully minimize the
common problem of inappropriate use of words common among our students” These
lexicographers in the course of their ethnographic research discover and thus
state that they glossed “Nigerian slang expressions which are blends of English
and vernacular”.
If “appropriateness” (Oluikpe
17) is the cardinal parameter to determine, classify and accept a variety of a
language, what then would be the parameter for the acceptance of Nigerian
English variant?
1.2 The
Statement of the Problem
The English language in Nigeria
to some extent is very different from that spoken in other places. Apparently,
some Nigerian expression are blends of English and the vernacular languages.
This is noticed at all levels of linguistics-lexis, syntax, phonology and
semantics.
The above scenario clearly indicates the
true state of the English of most Nigerian users, some educated speaker
inclusive. The situation no doubt is worrisome. What then is the essence of
language if in the course of communication, either in speech or writing extra
efforts is made to explain certain peculiar expressions that are different from
the standard forms in area of lexis, syntax, semantics, phonology? Or where
lies the power to conquer the world, as English is language of power and
intellectualization, if the English of some Nigerians is such that could be
understood only within the Nigerian speech community? Such linguistic existence
in a country that claims to use English as its official language should be
studied.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
The objectives of the study are
to investigate the variety of the English language used by Nigerian speakers.
Specifically the study will ascertain:
1.
Whether the variety is truly “Nigerian English”
2.
Whether the English of Nigerians is a deviation
or a variant
3.
The study will equally ascertain and analyze the
implication of the features
of Nigerian English with regards to communication.
1.4 Relevance
of the Study
The significance of this study arises from
the pivotal role of the English language internationally and, of course, in the
multilingual, multicultural Nigerian society. Within the international
community , it is “a window on the world”, within the multilingual nations of
Nigeria, the language is a unifying factor. Based on the above status, the
quality of the English language in Nigeria should be of world standard as
anything short of that, as in the case of the nativized variety, may hinder
effective communication. Onochie (156) warns “It is better not to communicate
at all, for no action will be taken, than to communicate what is misunderstood,
for a wrong action may be taken by the listener”. The findings of the
investigation would reveal the grave implications of the local flavour the
language has developed in Nigeria and would help users to realize that some
“Nigerian English” expression appear to be a “misnomer”. In other words
Nigerian users of English would be predisposed to know the conflicting variants
in Nigerian English and consequently avoid them. They should not think that
Nigerian has fully evolved and developed their own English. The knowledge of
the result would also enable the ESL teachers to know which model of the
English language should be adopted for pedagogical purposes. Again the result of
this investigation would be useful as reference material for researchers
working on related area(s)
1.5 Scope
of the Study
The study will be restricted to
investigating the characteristics of the local variation of the English
language in Nigeria. Slang expressions in use in Nigeria, syntactic and lexical
variations, semantic shift etc. will be examined as the local flavour gained by
the English usage in Nigeria. Grave implications of these on the comprehensive
development of standard Nigerian variety shall be highlighted. Corpus of these
variants shall be drawn from students’ expressions and those of public users of
the English language in Nigeria.
1.6 Research
Questions
The following research
questions shall guide the researcher in the investigation.
1.
To what extent is Nigerian English variant
characterized?
2.
To what degree is the typology of the English
used in Nigeria truly Nigerian English?
3.
To what degree is the English spoken in Nigeria
a variant or a deviation?
4.
To what extent can other indices other than
appropriateness help to determine an acceptable language variety in a second
language situation like Nigeria?
1.7 Methodology
Data for this research would be gathered
through participant discussions with various categories of Nigerian users of
English. The researcher, incidentally, is an ESL teacher with over ten years of
cognate experience. As a teacher of English the researcher would, within and
outside classroom interactions note some peculiar features of Nigerian English
usage from students’ writings and utterances of colleagues. In addition, the
researcher would elicit vital information/data from interaction with various professional
groups such as medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, politicians, police,
university undergraduates etc.
With keen interest he would note the
non-standard Nigerian expressions common among these categories of users. This,
he would do without revealing his intents and purposes to his subjects.
Much more data would also be
gathered through critical examination of numerous literature, well researched
articles published in reputable journals and books by expert linguists and ESL
teachers would be studied.
By and large, the researcher
would adopt a normative research approach which, according to Nwabueze (6), “is
based entirely on the impressionistic observations of the investigator”.
1.8 Analysis
of Findings
Data collected through the
above method would be sorted and categorized according to the inherent features
of Nigerian English variant.
The
expressions would therefore be classified under lexical, syntactical, phonological,
slangy and semantic variants.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 69 pages | Chapters: 1-5
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