CHAPTER 1
Introduction:
One of the
most important differences between man and animal is man’s ability to speak and
make others understand him. Language is only possible because within each
society, people agree to understand a particular pattern of sound in a
particular way. For instance, all English speaking countries understand the
meaning of the word ‘water’. According to Akindele and Adegbije, language is:
A human phenomenon that has form which can be described in terms of
units of sound (phonemes), word, morphemes, phrases, sentences and paragraphs
or discourse (1).
This definition shows that language has often been identified
as the most unique attribute of man. It is through language that human beings
grasp and understand reality and transmit it from one generation to another.
This view is buttressed by Blakar who asserts that “we actually live and behave
in a world of language” (4). Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman quoted Noam
Chomoky as saying that:
When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call
the human essence. The distributive qualities of mind that are so far as we
know unique to man. (1).
Language, which Oyewo Yinka describe as “the medium or
vehicle for conveying ideas, a system of arbitrary vocal symbol based on social
cooperation; the totality of meaningful utterance in any given society” (15) is
by far the most important means of human communication.
The effects
of Nigerian Pidgin English on students is the focus of this research work.
Pidgin has their different histories about language contact and subsequent
borrowing and code-mixing. The origin of Nigerian pidgin can be traced to the
contact which was established between multilingual coastal communities and
Portuguese merchants, who were joined later by the Dutch and the English.
Nigerian Pidgin English is in fact becoming very popular in the country,
especially in the secondary schools and in the universities; even at public
function as well as in the offices. It is a lingua franca for social
integration among diverse ethnic groups in the country.
Nigerian Pidgin
English has developed to the extent that it is utilized for literary
communication. Some of the works which Nigerian pidgin is employed as a medium
of expression are “Dis Nigeria Sef” a poem written by Ken Saro-Wiwa, No Food No Country a play by Tunde
Fatunde, and Grip Am a play by Ola
Rotimi; though some people consider it to be a low social status. Nigerian Pidgin
has come to stay as the major lingua franca adopted for communication among the
many different speakers in
According to Jowitt:
The situation today is that pidgin flourishes as a medium of
inter-ethnic communication, especially in the south, and especially in the
large cities with many non-indigenous residents (Bendel, Benin, Port Harcourt,
etc) or throughout States with small many ethnic groups…(13)
Nigerian Pidgin in this case is a situation where normal
language pattern is altered, but generally accepted to convey meaning. The
language does not only evolve but also has its origin from a mixture of other
languages. Experiences have shown that among the students for which this work
was conceived, Nigerian Pidgin English has gained a wider audience in all
sectors of the economy, especially the educational sector.
Background to The Study:
The term
pidgin is used to refer to a language which develops in a situation where
speakers of different languages have a need to communicate but do not share a
common language. Once a pidgin has emerged, it is generally learned as a second
language and used for communication among people who speak differently.
Language is
the most creative and unlimited instrument for social communication and it
helps us to understand the deep seated social relevance, culture involvement
and the human relatedness of language. Having said this, we can therefore agree
that pidgin is a language of its own and not just a supplementary tongue as
some people see it, since it serves as an unlimited instrument of social
communication especially in a multilingual community as
According
to R. Linton he states that “the culture of a society is the way of life of its
members, the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and
transmit from generation to generation” (12). These cultures, ideas and habits
can only be transmitted from generation to generation through language. In
linguistic, every language is considered adequate to represent the
communicative needs of its people and as such should not be made to suffer any
biases.
This cannot
be said of Nigerian Pidgin – even though it is a language – because various
attempts have been made by different faction to eradicate the use of Nigerian
Pidgin English. These attempts have however been unsuccessful because of the
significant value the language has to its users. It is a language that has
brought people together in spite of their differences in ancestral culture and
language by creating a local culture for itself which blends ideas from
different cultures.
Statement of Research Problem:
Nigerian Pidgin
is a language just as English and there is enough room for both language to co-exist
and be mutually enriching. Despite this – and the fact that Nigerian Pidgin
English appears to be the most popular means of communication among diverse
groups and is easier to learn than any other language in the country today – it
is generally asserted that it is not the suitable language for use in formal
setting and its use in such setting is usually frowned at.
This
research work will explore the potentials of Nigerian Pidgin English as a
language. If Nigerian Pidgin English does have this potential, why is its usage
and status denigrated? Also, does the speaking of Nigerian Pidgin affect the
student’s academic performance? Answers to these questions will enable us make
useful recommendations for future studies.
Purpose of the Study:
This work
intends to look into the effectiveness and status of Nigerian Pidgin English.
It is inherent that for a long period of time that Nigerian Pidgin English has
been the means of communication among students in the higher institutions. This
research will bring into light if the use of Nigeria Pidgin English has any effect
on the students and their academic performance in
The finding will be regarded to be generic, affecting also students in other
institutions who equally exalt Nigerian Pidgin English above standard English.
Significance of the Study:
This study
is important because its results can go a long way to finding out the causes of
students’ negative or positive academic performance. If Nigerian Pidgin English
has contributed negatively or positively to the students.
This work
will in no doubt contribute to one’s knowledge especially in the department of
English,
will highlight some issues in educational planning. It will be a guide for the
federal government in planning for effective educational system.
Scope and Limitations:
The scope
of this project is on THE EFFECTS OF
NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH IN UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY. An assessment of its use
in various forms will be carried out. This research is limited to
though the findings might be generic.
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